Running Toward Home

by M B Panichi

  GGS insisted that it was their right to remain commercially viable and that Mann-Maru and others were just trying to keep the underdogs down to maintain a monopoly, despite the fact that Mann-Maru didn’t own or run any nuclear or other power facilities. GGS insisted that in communities struggling for jobs, the power plants would be welcomed.

  Shaine didn’t think her hometown of Pleasant Valley was a struggling community. The majority of farmers, including her parents, generated their own solar and wind power and were mostly self-sufficient. Even in town, most houses and buildings had solar units supplying power to the grid.

  Shaine wondered why Mann-Maru didn’t just cut GGS lose. Why keep a subsidiary that was acting against Mann-Maru’s interests? Maybe, instead of researching backdoor methods of shutting the power plant down, she should just go to Tarm Maruchek and ask him to get involved. He certainly had the power to do so.

  In the meanwhile, though, it made sense to dig up what she could and turn it over to Mann-Maru’s best intelligence analyst. Kyle Ellerand excelled at uncovering information. If a loophole existed that they could use to keep the plant shut down, Kyle could find it.

  Looking up from her pad, Morgan asked, “Hey, Shaine, is this power plant thing for sure?”

  Shaine shrugged. “The process has been started. The sale of the land to GGS is legal. But the request for an operation license is still in deliberation. The land has to be rezoned. Right now it’s considered a protected site, so the plant can’t be put into active use until that’s changed.”

  Morgan cocked her head. “So, even if GGS owns the land and the buildings, their hands are tied until everything else is done.”

  “Right.”

  “Where are you going with this, Shaine?”

  Shaine ran her fingers through her short hair and turned in her chair to face Morgan. “Not sure. I just know I want it shut down for good.”

  Morgan set her pad aside and considered her seriously. “Is there anything we can actually do?”

  Shaine frowned. What did she really want to accomplish, and was it even feasible? She’d been away from Pleasant Valley a long time, but she felt the need to do something to keep her hometown safe. Her family was here. She couldn’t walk away without at least trying to help. She said, “There has to be a way to keep the plant permanently shut down. Some buried clause or law or statute that would mean they couldn’t bring the plant back online.”

  Morgan said, “You’d think the locals would have found something if it’s out there. From what Toby and Chelsea said, they’ve been working this issue for quite a while.”

  Shaine shrugged. “Depends on where they’re looking and who’s doing the searches.”

  Morgan scratched her cheek. “You could always ask Kyle to take a look for you,” she suggested, “because I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

  Shaine laughed. Morgan sure had her number. “Damn, I love you.”

  Morgan grinned back. “Feeling’s mutual.”

  “Good.” Shaine picked up her comp pad and tapped in Kyle Ellerand’s personal calling code.

  After a few seconds the screen cleared and the mousy intel genius grinned back at her. “Hey, Wendt, anyone ever tell ya playin’ hero is no way to keep a low profile?”

  “Nice to talk to you too, Kyle.”

  Ellerand laughed. “Rogan’s stomping around here having conip-fits. I’ve been spending all my time trying to cover your sorry ass so the press doesn’t find out more than your usual cover story with Mann-Maru. Of course, if you keep playing commando, nobody is going to believe you were a low-level security administrator for ten years. If I were you, I’d lie low. Unfortunately, they’ve pegged Morgan, so she’s not in hiding anymore.”

  Shaine sighed. “Sorry.”

  “No worries,” he conceded. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Fuck.”

  “About sums it up. So, what’s going on?”

  Shaine asked, “Have any time to do some recreational research?”

  “For you, luv, I’d move mountains,” he responded graciously.

  “Yeah, yeah. Suck up. There’s an old nuclear power plant here that GGS bought and wants to refurbish and put into operation. Anyone with a brain knows it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Unfortunately, some yahoos on the territory council seem to be determined to push this through. I’m looking for a loophole that gives the people a way to shut it down permanently. It’s probably buried under a few tons of bureaucratic muck and I thought you might be able to dig it out.”

  He grinned. “Ah, my specialty, cutting through red tape. Yeah. I can do that.”

  “I’ll send over a data packet with some background.”

  “Okay.” He leaned back in his chair. “Seriously, though, how are you guys weathering the storm?”

  Shaine grinned. “We’re doing fine, and my mother loves Morgan. It’s been good, up until I was stupid.”

  “Just keep your head down for a bit and it’ll settle. I’ll call ya when I have something useful.”

  “Thanks, Kyle. We appreciate it.”

  He grinned. “Don’t thank me yet. Talk at ya later.” He signed off.

  Morgan made a face. “I didn’t figure we’d caused that much of an issue, being seen.”

  Shaine scowled. “If I’d have thought about it, I’d have thought better of it.”

  Morgan chuckled. “Naw, you’d have done it anyway,” she said.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Shaine left Morgan in the bedroom talking to Charri on the net and trotted down the stairs to the den. She closed the door behind her and took out her comp pad, holding it and thinking for a moment before she chose the com code for Tarm Maruchek’s direct line. She wasn’t sure if going to him directly was a good idea, but she did know that she wanted to do it out of Morgan’s earshot. She didn’t know what, if anything, would come of the conversation, and she didn’t want Morgan to see Maruchek in a bad light if the response was negative. Morgan had enough to deal with just knowing the man was her father.

  Setting her shoulders, she tapped the com code.

  After a few seconds, Tarm Maruchek’s face came up on the screen. “Shaine.”

  She nodded. “Mr. Maruchek.”

  He frowned at her and she studied his face. There was so little of Morgan in Tarm Maruchek’s angular, strong-jawed countenance. Morgan had her birth mother’s delicate features and wide gray eyes rather than Tarm’s deep-set piercing blue. Tarm asked, “Is something wrong?”

  “No. We’re fine. I have something I want to talk to you about.”

  “If you’re going to apologize for getting in the middle of a shoot-out, it’s a bit late for that.”

  Shaine wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or genuinely angry. “I won’t apologize for trying to save people. But I will say that I didn’t mean for Morgan to be in the middle of it.”

  Maruchek nodded slowly, his expression stern. “She does have a mind of her own, very much like her mother.”

  Shaine said nothing. She’d never known Arella Maruchek.

  “What can I do for you, Shaine?”

  “I’m sure you’re aware of the situation here with GGS.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “They’re a subsidiary of Mann-Maru, is that correct?”

  Maruchek nodded.

  Shaine ran her tongue over her lips. “I’ll be blunt. I don’t want this power plant in my hometown. You have the power to shut the whole thing down. You can lean on GGS, either politically or otherwise, to put a stop to this. I know you’re not in favor of GGS opening these nuclear plants. Do the right thing and shut them down.”

  Maruchek frowned. “It is not that simple, Shaine.”

  “Isn’t it? Sell them off, cut them loose. Put political pressure on them. There must be something you can do to kill this initiative.”

  “GGS is an independently run subsidiary. We have a controlling interest in their shares, and I have people on their board of directors, but it is not a policy
of Mann-Maru to have direct control of our subsidiaries. It would be a breach of the subsidiary contract.”

  “So cut them loose. I’ve never asked anything of you in all the years that I’ve worked for you. I’m asking you this.”

  Maruchek studied her face. “I will give it some thought. But I will make no promises.”

  Shaine nodded. “Thank you.”

  He cocked his head, a small smile turning up his lips. “You’re going to look for a way to shut this down whether I get involved or not, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “It’s a possibility.”

  He nodded. “All I can say is that if anything comes back to Mann-Maru, you’re on your own, Shaine. We won’t bail you out.”

  “Understood.”

  “Keep my daughter out of trouble.”

  “I’ll try.”

  He nodded and closed the connection.

  Shaine frowned at the comp pad and wondered if she’d accomplished anything with that conversation. She very much doubted that Maruchek would intervene to stop GGS. On the other hand, she found it interesting that he didn’t seem to intend to stop her from looking into the situation.

  With any luck at all, Kyle Ellerand would find something they could use to keep the power plant closed. If not, she wasn’t sure what she could do.

  * * *

  After dinner, Morgan followed Shaine, Kent and Jeannette into the entertainment room to have coffee. Morgan settled on the sofa. Shaine turned on the vid screen and sat beside her. The local evening news focused, as expected, on the shootings at the protest. The death toll had risen to five people—four adults and one child killed.

  The faces of the four captured men came on screen. The first gunman was dead, killed when Shaine ran him down with the van. The other two were injured and recovering. The van driver had only minor injuries. The second van driver, who’d escaped with the fourth gunman, was arrested earlier in the day when the others gave up his name.

  According to the police liaison, all the men told the same story. The fourth gunman, who remained at large, had arranged the attack and paid them. None of them knew his name. He’d worn a mask the entire time, so they had no facial description. The captured men appeared to have no personal agendas other than to make a fast cash profit. They’d each been paid a half-million credits. The lead gunman instructed them to shoot toward the crowd, but to aim into the ground or into the air. “Scare the hell out of them, but you don’t have to kill anyone unless you want to,” was the quote they relayed to authorities. All but one of the victims were killed by ricocheting bullets or shrapnel.

  Shaine’s expression was grim as the news anchor moved on to the next story. She said, “The guy who got away is someone else’s errand boy. Considering the amount of money those idiots were paid, it stinks of corporate scare tactics.”

  Morgan studied Shaine’s cold expression. Knowing Shaine’s history with Mann-Maru Corporate Security, she figured if Shaine suspected a company’s involvement, she probably wasn’t far off. She’d long ago learned to believe the worst about corporate tactics. The larger the firm, the more they seemed to be laws unto themselves. It was the one thing that made her uneasy about her birth father. She knew Tarm Maruchek had more power and money than most. She wanted to believe that he used his influence more for good than for his own purposes, but she simply didn’t know.

  Jeannette asked, “Regardless of who’s behind it, why shoot innocent people without saying what they want?”

  “Fear is a great motivator. Everyone assumes it was against the protesters. Now maybe fewer people will bring up objections to the power plant.” Shaine sipped her coffee and added, “In any case, if it’s a corporate-backed attack, GGS isn’t going to claim it, and it isn’t likely it can be traced back to them anyway. If the protests continue or grow into real political opposition, I can guarantee you there’s going to be more trouble.”

  Jeannette’s brow furrowed. Kent nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sure the authorities are thinking the same thing,” he said.

  “I hope so,” Shaine muttered.

  Morgan asked, “Why haven’t they brought in Earth System Investigations?”

  “ESI would only get involved if the incident is more global than local,” Shaine replied.

  Shaine’s mom went to the kitchen for more coffee and her father followed. Morgan glanced at Shaine and whispered, “Hear anything from Kyle?”

  Shaine shook her head. “Not yet. I’ll call him later.”

  Morgan nodded and settled back to watch the sports scores.

  Kent and Jeannette returned with their coffee and settled back into their recliners. Kent asked, “Do you think it’s an issue that your name has come out with this, Shaine?”

  She shrugged. “I wouldn’t expect so. My plan to keep Morgan hidden is trashed, though. As far as me breaking up the shooting spree, a lot of folks around here know I was in special operations, so they wouldn’t think much of it. Whoever set the attack up might not be real happy about it, but I don’t see them retaliating.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “You think you could be in danger?” she asked.

  “Nobody’s going to come looking for me, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”

  Morgan looked down at her cooling coffee then across the room at the vid screen. They might not come looking for Shaine, but chances are, we’ll end up looking for them. And if they figure out who Shaine is and what she’s capable of, they’ll definitely see her as a threat. She said nothing. She didn’t want Shaine’s parents to worry. She and Shaine could take care of themselves.

  * * *

  After the local news finished, Shaine and Morgan retreated to Shaine’s room for the remainder of the evening. Morgan flopped onto her stomach on the big bed, reaching for her comp pad on the nightstand. “I need to check my mail,” she said.

  Shaine settled beside her, leaning back against the headboard and retrieving her own comp pad. “You’d better let Charri and your dad know you’re okay,” she suggested.

  Morgan raised a brow. “You’re starting to sound like your mother.”

  Shaine snorted. “Right,” she muttered, but as she played her words back in her head, she had to admit it was true. She sighed heavily. “I gotta call Kyle,” she said, and tapped in her encryption key to dial through.

  Morgan snickered.

  Kyle picked up the call just before it would have gone to his message queue. He greeted her with a grin, pushing sandy brown hair out of his eyes. He reminded her of an adolescent who hadn’t combed his hair for a week. “Hey, Wendt, how’s things?”

  Shaine glanced around, assessing. Girlfriend on her right, comfortable bed, skylight. She grinned into the tiny vid camera. “Can’t complain much, Ellerand. Got anything for me?”

  “Actually, I was just gonna call ya. Only one possibility I’ve come up with so far. And I’m not sure it’s going to be very helpful.”

  “Just hit me with it.”

  “I found the original land sale and zoning documents. They’re different than the copies available to the public, because the ‘gotcha’ clause was removed from the copies. If the original structures of the containment facility or the cooling towers are destroyed or damaged badly enough to make them unusable, the land becomes Territory Protectorate land. It can’t ever be developed. I’m sure they expected that if the structure was that badly damaged, what was left would be an uninhabitable, radioactive no man’s land.”

  Morgan looked up from her pad and said, “The original structures are still intact, so this doesn’t matter.”

  “Right.” Ellerand nodded, his eyes focused meaningfully on Shaine. “Unless something were to happen to the current structure. I found the original blueprints of the site and buildings. Haven’t been able to come up with any additions or extensions to the originals, but I’ll keep looking. I’m sure they’re out there. I’ll send it all to you, encrypted.”

  “Thanks, Kyle.”

  “No problem.”

  Shaine logged off the c
om session and leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She got Kyle’s thinly veiled suggestion and now her brain was racing ahead with possibilities. It wasn’t a long leap to make. She couldn’t count on Tarm Maruchek to step in. He’d as much as said he wouldn’t. That left it up to her.

  She thought aloud, “Wonder how much damage we could do if we got in there with some well-placed explosives? I have some favors I could call in.”

  Morgan set aside her pad and sat up, facing Shaine. “You’re serious.”

  “Yeah, I am. No good is going to come of this if the power plant comes online again. I don’t want to see my family doused in lethal radiation, even if it’s only a remote possibility. Nobody else is going to do anything about it, so why not take the situation into our own hands?”

  “Because it’s illegal?”

  Shaine shrugged. “Not like I haven’t worked on the dark side of the law before,” she commented. “Besides, nobody’s going to get hurt. The place is empty. All that happens is GGS loses money they can afford to write off.”

  “Rogan and my father will know it’s you.”

  “What are they going to do about it? Turn me in?”

  Morgan scowled. “What if the local authorities figure out it’s us?”

  “If we do this right, nobody will even know we were there. Special Ops motto: Leave no trace. I’ve done this before. We’d be in the clear.”

  Shaine studied Morgan’s face, willing her to believe, hoping she wouldn’t scare Morgan away. Because now that this was in her head, she knew she’d go through with it, whether Morgan was part of the plan or not.

  Morgan said, “You’re not very good at staying out of trouble, are you?”

  Shaine shrugged, tried for lighthearted. “I was trying. Then I met you.”

  “Haha.”

  “Seriously, though, I’ve been in the thick of it since I was a nineteen-year-old punk in the EG. I went from Special Ops to being in the middle of Mann-Maru’s corporate intrigue. I have been a commando, an assassin, the heavy who threatened those who betrayed Mann-Maru. Most of what I’ve done was either state-condoned or corporate-condoned murder and blackmail. Being a mechanic is the most honest thing I’ve done in my adult life. Going back to what I know is easy. It scares the piss out of me that it is. But this is still the right thing to do.”