by M B Panichi
Morgan sat silently for what seemed to Shaine like an eternity. When she finally looked up with serious gray eyes, Shaine was relieved to see no judgment or disgust in her gaze. Morgan asked, “What’s the plan?”
Shaine smiled in relief at the implied “we.” “For now, I want to wait for the blueprints and info from Kyle. Then I can start making some calls.”
“You know people who can blow up buildings?” Morgan asked.
Shaine grinned. “I know some demolitions experts from my days in Special Ops.” She had a particular old friend in mind, someone she trusted with her life. She just hoped Grey Tannis would be available.
Chapter Nine
Morgan propped open the door to the greenhouse and stepped inside, breathing in the thick, moist, mossy aroma. A few ceiling fans turned lazily, barely stirring the humid air. Morgan looked around at the long rows of work counters covered with plants and seedlings, smiling at the richness of it. Jeannette had asked if she and Shaine would water and thin the new seedlings and deadhead the flowers for the weekend market.
Shaine was going to show Morgan what needed to be done, and then she planned to fix the overhead watering system which had developed a leak. If there was time, she would also extend the piping to the new section of the greenhouse. Morgan was more than happy to help out. She enjoyed working with the plants, even if she still occasionally mistook some for weeds.
Morgan walked over to a worktable just to the side of the entrance. Amidst the clutter, she saw a computer terminal with a net connection and a set of tired-looking speakers. Happily, she linked her comp pad into the terminal. A few seconds later her favorite recording of Ben’s hard-core slash-metal band blared into the quiet.
She turned as Shaine walked in. “Did you get a hold of your friend?” she asked.
Shaine shook her head. “Left a message. Nice music.”
Morgan grinned and said, “The speed and volume will make the plants grow faster.”
Shaine laughed. Her head bobbed to the heavy, driving rhythm. They worked through the morning, took a break at lunch and then returned to the greenhouse for the afternoon. They were in the middle of setting up the additional overhead watering lines when the tone of Shaine’s comp pad receiving a call sounded just under the blasting of Morgan’s slash tunes.
Shaine grinned when she looked at the call. Morgan dialed down the music as Shaine climbed down the ladder and took the call.
“Hey, Grey! Lookin’ good, girl.”
Morgan felt a little twist of jealousy in the pit of her stomach at the wide grin on Shaine’s face. She moved to Shaine’s side to hear the exchange better and see the woman on the pad’s vid screen.
Grey had strong, aquiline features and silvery white hair styled in a longish crew cut. Her eyes were an odd, piercing gray blue. Her smile was wide and teasing. Morgan wrapped her arm around Shaine’s waist. She knew it was childishly possessive and she didn’t care.
“Not lookin’ so bad yourself, Wendt. What’s going on?”
Shaine pulled Morgan close. “You know, the usual. Got a girl, got a gun, got troubles.”
Grey raised a blond brow over disbelieving eyes. “You got a girl?” she repeated. “Now, that’s a switch. Guns and trouble, that’s normal. Girl’s gotta be nuts to hang with you, ya crazy bitch.”
Shaine laughed. “Fuck off, Tannis. You’re so insane you scared ’em off just lookin’ at ’em.”
They both chuckled, and then Grey Tannis narrowed her eyes. “I bet this isn’t just a social call, though, is it?”
Shaine sighed. “No. Wish it was, though.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I need your expertise, and also to acquire some equipment.”
Grey nodded thoughtfully. “When do you plan on implementing?”
“No set deadline, but I’m thinking in the next week or so. Name your price.”
The blond woman smiled. “Well, it happens I have some vacation time. Don’t worry about money. This is between friends, and I think I still owe you a couple lives. You at the farm?”
“Yeah.”
Grey was quiet for a couple seconds, then nodded. “I’ll be there the day after tomorrow and we can talk options.”
“Thanks, Grey.”
“No problem. See you then.”
“See ya.” Shaine closed the connection, giving Morgan a squeeze. “Well, Morg, we’ve got the cavalry coming.”
“She seems quite capable.”
Shaine smirked. “Grey Tannis is hell on wheels. You’re gonna love her.”
Morgan made a face. “I’m either gonna love her, or I’m gonna beat the crap out of her if she looks at you that way again.”
Shaine exploded in laughter and hugged Morgan against her. “Sweetheart, don’t you be worrying about Grey and me. Her wife would blow her head off if she stepped out of line.”
* * *
That evening, after dinner, Shaine and Morgan volunteered to do kitchen cleanup, then decided to take a walk up to the top of the low hill bordering the west fields to watch the sunset. The evening still held much of the day’s heat. Hazy dust motes hung in humid air that smelled of grass and manure. Shaine and Morgan strolled hand in hand along the path leading up the hill.
They topped the rise and walked through the double row of trees that ran along the top, settling down beneath a tough old silver maple. Shaine sat between two huge roots. Morgan rested between her legs, leaning back against her chest. Shaine wrapped her arms around Morgan’s middle. She breathed in Morgan’s scent and enjoyed the closeness of Morgan’s body against her.
The sun hung just above the horizon, a deep red ball of heat against a white-blue sky that shifted into streaks of muted pinks, oranges and yellows. Shaine listened to the distant calls of birds. She could hear the rustle of squirrels chasing through the trees and the buzz of insects. She loved the familiar smell of dust and hay. It brought back memories of simpler times. She missed that simplicity sometimes. She hoped she and Morgan could spend many more evenings like this and wondered if it was even a possibility. She hugged Morgan. “This is nice. Sometimes I think I could settle here again.”
Morgan twisted a little to look up at her. “What keeps you from it?”
“A million things. Nothing. Maybe I’m just too restless to stay in one place. Maybe I just haven’t been ready to settle down.”
“I think it would be hard for you, being here, separating the past from the present. I mean, being around family, and your old room, and all the things that haven’t changed. It would be easy to kind of get lost in the past, forget the need to move forward. I think it’s a little like going back to Moon Base is going to be for me. I can pretend to live in my past, but I need to move forward and figure out what I want to do.”
“When did you become a psychologist?” Shaine teased.
“Must’ve been all the alcohol and head injuries over the years.”
“Mmmm.” Shaine kissed Morgan’s hair and squeezed her tighter. “You’re right, though, you know. It would be hard. The other reason I’ve never come back is that until now I hadn’t found a person I’d want to stay here with.”
“Is that a proposition?” Morgan asked.
Shaine felt her face flush, and after a moment she nodded. “Yeah, I think it is.”
Morgan said, “As long as it’s with you, I’d live anywhere.”
Shaine leaned down, her mouth meeting Morgan’s with gentleness that quickly intensified. Morgan wriggled around so she was straddling Shaine’s lap, her arms around her neck, fingers twisting in her hair, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened.
Passion and heat flared inside Shaine, and she moaned into Morgan’s mouth, seeking more. The need for air forced her to break the kiss, leaving them both gasping. Foreheads touching, they grinned at each other. Shaine lifted a hand to Morgan’s cheek, a feather-light touch on her soft, pale skin. “One day at a time, right?” she breathed. “We’ll figure out what we want. No rush, no pressure. I love you, Mor
gan.”
“I love you too.”
Morgan leaned up for another kiss, then settled comfortably in Shaine’s embrace. Shaine sighed contentedly, realizing she no longer had any doubt that they belonged together. She could no longer imagine a life without Morgan. She needed her and loved her in a way she’d never needed or loved another.
They cuddled and watched the sun drop steadily below the horizon. A perfect summer evening. Shaine relaxed, watching the sky shift into dusk.
Chapter Ten
Shaine had grabbed an air bike and run out to the north field to bring her dad and Mike some parts and tools to fix the cultivator, which had broken down again. When she returned to the house an hour later, Grey Tannis had arrived at the farm. Shaine swung off the bike and hurried across the yard from the maintenance shed.
Grey, Morgan and Jeannette were sitting on the porch. Morgan and Jeannette swung lazily on the swing. Grey perched sideways on the front railing, her back against a thick post, one foot up on the railing with her arm wrapped loosely around her knee, her other long leg swinging free. All three sipped on glasses of iced tea and looked like the weekly coffee klatch.
Shaine chuckled as she strode up. “Hello, all.”
Morgan grinned. “Hey, you.”
Jeannette asked, “Dad and Mike doing okay?”
“Yeah. It’ll be a quick fix.” She turned toward her old friend. “Good to see you, Grey.”
The blond woman raised her glass in a salute and returned a warm smile. Grey hadn’t changed much over the years. She was still a tough chick, tall and lanky with sinewy muscle, her hair cropped short against her head. She was no older than Shaine, but her hair had always been silvery white. Shaine didn’t know if it was a natural mutation, or a purposeful genetic manipulation. Grey had a strong-featured, angular face and piercing pale blue eyes. “Back at ya, Wendt. Been a long time. And your mom is still the best.”
“I like to think she is. I guess you’ve met Morgan, too, huh?”
“I have. Don’t know what she sees in ya, though.” Grey grinned and laughed. “We’ve been having a wonderful time telling her all kinds of tales that will embarrass the crap out of you for years.”
“You’re a bitch, Grey. Any more of that iced tea left, Mom?”
“In the cooler, dear.”
“I’ll be right back.” Shaine hurried into the house and returned a couple minutes later with her own glass. She joined Grey on the railing, leaning against the opposing post. The four chatted amiably for a short bit before Jeannette excused herself. “I’ve got some calls I need to make, so I’m going to leave you girls to yourselves.”
After she’d disappeared into the house, Shaine and Morgan exchanged looks. Morgan asked, “You think she suspects something?”
Shaine laughed. “Of course she does. But she won’t ask, and I’m not planning on telling.”
Grey grinned. “I love your mother.”
“Let’s go upstairs. I have blueprints I want you to look at.”
“Lead on.”
* * *
Grey leaned over the power plant blueprints spread across Shaine’s bed. The entire site was about two kilometers square. She studied the diagrams, tracing the structures. As she did, she asked, “Are you thinking about leveling all of the individual structures? How much demolition are we talking about?”
“It needs to be enough to make the containment building and the three cooling towers nonviable and unable to be re-used. I’m open to suggestions and recommendations.”
Grey whistled lowly through her teeth. “You’re sure there’s no contamination in the existing buildings? I don’t want to walk out of there glowing like a damned lightning rod.”
“Based on all the documentation that Kyle’s found, and according to local authorities, all the nuclear materials were removed when they shut the plant down. The whole site is clean.” She shrugged. “We were in and out of there as kids and we’re all fine.”
Grey raised a suspicious brow. “I don’t suppose you have a Geiger counter on your person?”
From where she sprawled on a pile of pillows on the floor, Morgan said, “My pad will do that.”
“Seriously?”
Morgan grinned at Grey. “I’m a ship’s exterior maintenance worker. My pad’s an old work unit. We always scan for nuclear leaks from the ships’ batteries.”
“You two are scary,” Grey said.
Shaine laughed.
Grey returned to the blueprints. “It’s gonna take a lot of power. The walls are damned thick, layered inner and outer. It’d also be good to know exactly what the definition of structurally unsound is. Are you planning on a remote detonation, or timed?”
“Remote. I want to control when it goes off.”
“Problem with remote is if we set charges inside, it could be tricky getting a clean signal through. Depends on distance. We can always set up signal substations to relay. Who’s going to be setting charges?”
“Me. You, if you’re interested. Morgan. One more thing. I want to use civilian grade explosives—too easy to trace military grade back to me.”
Grey nodded again, picking up her comp pad and making a bunch of notes. She said, “I’d really like to get in there before I make any plans. I don’t like going in blind. It would help to see what the state of the interior is. It’s been closed almost a hundred years, right? It would be worth looking for weak points. After that long, there has to be some structural damage, if only from normal weathering.”
Shaine said, “It was kind of creepy and crumbly when I was a kid. I was only on the site a few times, and never actually inside any of the main structures. The maintenance buildings that we got into were all gutted and empty. The pro-power people keep saying the basic structures are intact and only need minimal updating and repair.”
Grey asked, “Wishful thinking?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go over there tonight. There isn’t much security. They put a couple of rent-a-cops out there when all this started, sitting in an air car at the entrance. There’s a chain-link fence with barbed wire around the whole site. Nothing is electrified.”
“Okay, we can work with that. Can we go in on foot? Away from the main road?” She traced the outer edge of the blueprint. “This is the main entrance, looks like administrative. Back here there’s a service entrance, near all the garages and storage buildings. I’d want to go in at the rear of the site, midway down the fence line.”
Shaine reached for a local aerial topo map and set it down over the blueprint. “It’s surrounded by open fields, so not much cover, though the grass is probably at least chest-high, and there’s a lot of brush and clusters of small trees, so that’ll help. If we go after dark, we should be okay. We can take a couple of all-terrain bikes out to here, tuck them back into the trees out of sight, and walk the rest of the way.”
Morgan said, “I’m going too.”
Shaine grinned at her. “I was planning on it,” she said.
“Good.”
“I’ll tell my mom we’re going to town for beer, so we don’t have to sneak out.”
Morgan frowned a little. “I don’t like lying to her.”
Shaine shrugged. “So, we’ll stop for beer on the way home.”
Grey laughed.
* * *
Shaine felt like a teenager proving to her friends she wasn’t afraid to go into the haunted house. The power plant site was dark and shadowy. As a kid, they’d dared each other to get into the site and bring back proof, with pictures. It remained a creepy, empty shell of unused buildings and familiar black shadows of the cooling towers against the sky. Until now, it was ancient history. Other than kids being kids, nobody gave it much thought.
Grey had the blueprints folded into her waist-pack. She and Shaine made quick work of the fence, using laser cutters to open a flap big enough to crawl through. They pulled it closed behind them. Shaine led them across what probably had been a personnel parking lot. The ancient tarmac was pocked and shattered
. Weeds and grass and small trees grew up through the cracks. After a hundred years, there was very little left of the surface.
The moon rose high and bright, eliminating the need for flashlights as they crossed the open ground. Grey pointed. “Let’s take a look at the first cooling tower.”
They wound through the brush to the five-story cylindrical structure. Grey studied the outside as they approached it, pulling on night vision goggles.
Morgan asked, “What are you looking for?”
“Deep cracks in the walls or in the foundation. The cracks can make the demo easier by using existing defects. Ideally, we would rappel up and into the inside, see what’s there.”
Grey rocked back on her heels. “No way we’re going to be able to place enough charges to completely bring it down or collapse the structure. Not without industrial demolition machinery.”
Shaine asked, “If we rappelled up the side, could we place a whole line of charges? Try to force a major crack in the structure?”
“I can get self-drilling charges. We’d have to set them into existing cracks to do enough damage to destabilize the structures. Surface damage isn’t going to shut this down.”
They walked further around the cooling tower. Grey said, “Let’s check out the containment building. We should be able to get inside. The aerial shots showed an exterior ladder up to a maintenance hatch at the top of the structure.”
They jogged across the site, past a single-story administrative building and some mechanical buildings. The containment facility was a dome-topped cement cylinder. At least half of the structure was below ground level.
Shaine glanced over at Morgan, who looked down at her pad. “No abnormal radiation readings,” Morgan said.
Shaine nodded. “Good.”
As they picked their way down the overgrown tarmac street, Morgan said, “Seems like we’ll have an awful lot to do to get all the charges set in a night.”