“I know it’s been a struggle.” John entwined Alexa’s hand in his own.
“I’m glad I got involved. Jack Nash and his organization ruined thousands of lives with their trafficking operation. And, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Every state has to do all it can to identify and prosecute traffickers. I’m glad I could play a role in improving things in Pennsylvania, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for the politics.”
“You mean the Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree?
“That’s to be expected. No, I’m talking about the small-P politics of working with a large group. They all have their own agendas. The whole process has been way more difficult than I imagined.”
“I’ve had some experience with politicians―usually when they want a quick arrest on a high profile murder so their constituents can sleep easy. Not always the most patient or logical people.”
At the sound of scratching at the door, Alexa rose from the couch to let Scout inside. “Yeah, I ran into one of them today.” She felt anger flare at that morning’s incident―the guy who had been too lazy to close the kitchen door to ensure a private conversation. “He jumped all over a college intern for no real reason. Some of these guys get on a real power trip when they’re elected. What an arrogant ass.”
Chapter Five
March 28, 1979
It was the first step in a nuclear nightmare, as far as we know at this hour, no worse than that.
―Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News
“Babe, did you hear anything at work about this problem at TMI?” Randi nodded toward the radio.
“No. What happened?” Will dropped his shoes and listened to the report in progress on WKBO.
“There has been an incident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant during the night. Plant operator Metropolitan Edison says that this issue does not present a problem to the general public.”
Will Armstrong filled a cup of coffee from the percolator on the stove top and sat down across from his wife at the wobbly kitchen table. “You know that in Water Quality we have nothing to do with the nuclear stuff. But I’ll talk to the people in Radiation Management today. I’ll bet it’s just like the news says―there’s nothing to worry about.”
“It’s scary.” Randi fretted. “What if something terrible happens? Like The China Syndrome. We’re not that far from TMI.”
Will clasped his wife’s hand. “If the authorities thought there was a problem, they would tell us.”
“Yeah, like they did in The China Syndrome.”
“Damn, Randi. That’s just a movie. I should have known better than to take you to see it. You’re flipping out about everything right now. Last week, it was the polyester in leisure suits. Now you’re getting paranoid about nuclear power plants. TMI had to go through all sorts of hoops to get approval to come on-line. I’m sure it’s safe, and they’ll fix whatever is going on.”
“Can you blame me?” Randi patted her bulging midsection. “This little one is going to arrive in a week or two. I’m a little anxious.”
Will rose from his chair and kissed Randi on the top of her head. “I’m more excited than anxious. I can’t wait for Walden to arrive.”
Randi sighed. “I still haven’t agreed on Walden as a name for a boy. Certainly not for a girl, Will.”
“We’ve got time to decide. But I already agreed; no polyester baby clothes. And Walden’s a great name. Just remember.” He pointed to a Sierra Club poster of huge evergreens on the wall and recited the message. “In wildness is the preservation of the world.”
“I know, I know. Henry David Thoreau is your hero, and you want to name our baby after his pond.” Randi pushed her bulky body out of the kitchen chair and walked her husband to the door. “You look nice today, babe. Let me straighten your collar.” She smoothed Will’s wide shirt collar over his sweater vest and kissed him on the cheek.
“Take it easy today. And don’t worry.” Will pulled on his surplus store army jacket and hurried down the flagstone path to his car, a secondhand Volkswagen Thing. As he exited the lane of their rental farm, Will regretted that the car didn’t have a radio. Usually he enjoyed the silence of his brief daily commute, but today, Randi’s concerns made him uneasy. He’d like to hear more news about TMI.
Will spied one of his co-workers in the parking lot on City Island. He hurried to join Brad Bittner on the Walnut Street Bridge, calling, “Hey, what’s the latest on TMI?”
Brad slowed to let Will catch up. “Met-Ed says they have it under control. I got a call at home to tell me that I might be sent out in the field to take samples later today. My boss is out there at a press conference right now.”
“Samples of what?” Will gulped.
“Radiation. The company says they contained everything, but we’ll still want to test ourselves. Just a precaution.”
“Brad, should I be worried about this? My wife’s pregnant.”
“We’ll know more in a few hours. Based on what I’ve heard so far, things are fine.”
As the two continued to their office in the Fulton Building, Will couldn’t shake a niggling sense of disquiet. Although he knew nuclear power was safe, he kept thinking about his dad’s advice. The week before he married Randi, Dad had taken him aside for a talk. “Son, you’re taking on a sacred responsibility. You need to put this woman first in your heart and your life. That means making sure she’s safe, with a roof over her head, food to eat, and a little money in her pocket. And when you have children, you will have obligations to the entire family.”
Will hadn’t really paid much attention to his old man at the time. But now the words weighed on his mind.
At noon, Will and two of his work friends went out to The Spot on Second Street for hot dogs. As they waited to order, the radio on the counter blared out the Bee Gees song, “How Deep Is Your Love.” The smell of hot grease choked the air.
“I can’t stand the Bee Gees, but Randi loves them.” Will grimaced as the Gibb brothers launched into a falsetto chorus.
“You had to dig Saturday Night Fever though?” George threw his arms out in a geeky version of John Travolta doing disco.
“Nope, not even Saturday Night Fever. I’m more of a John Denver type of guy.”
“Look at you, George,” Andy ribbed. “A Travolta fan. I bet you have a disco ball in your living room too.”
The music faded to be replaced by a saccharine jingle for a local bank. Then, “And now, the news from Three Mile Island.”
“Shh, guys. I want to hear this.” Will gestured for his friends to keep quiet.
“We have an update on the situation at Three Mile Island. The Pennsylvania State Police have announced that Metropolitan Edison has called a general emergency for the plant. Although details are few, the problem has been contained in the second unit. Officials are assuring the public that the problem is under control, and personnel continue to work to resolve the issues. State officials are closely monitoring the situation. We understand that Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff are expected to arrive later today.”
The three men paid for their hot dogs and made their way to one of the tables in the front of the deli.
“That’s a relief to hear that we don’t have to worry about a China Syndrome.” Andy laughed.
“Yeah. Pretty spooky that the movie comes out, what, two weeks ago? And then we have a scare at TMI. Had me shaking in my shoes.” George took a swig of Coca-Cola. “But Jane Fonda was terrific. That woman is a fox. Who cares about that whole Hanoi Jane Vietnam thing?”
Will ignored the Jane Fonda remark. George had a one-track mind when it came to women, even movie stars he’d never meet. Will confided, “Randi freaked out this morning too. I told her it was just a movie.” He noticed Andy’s skeptical look. “I know some groups out there are protesting nuclear power plants, but I read a lot about it when Unit One went on-line. I even went to one of those Met-Ed briefings. I believe it’s safe.”
“You’re such a Boy Scout, Will. You’ll
believe anything the people in charge tell you.” Andy scoffed. “Don’t you know you can never believe The Man?”
“Calling me a Boy Scout doesn’t bother me. I made Eagle Scout. Did my project on raptors at Hawk Mountain. I love hawks and eagles. They’re so free.”
“Why am I not surprised.”George put down his half-eaten Spot Dog and lowered his voice. “But Andy’s right. You can’t believe everything these people say. I don’t know if they’re lying about TMI, but the government and corporations lie to us all the time.”
Will placed both hands on the metal table and leaned forward. “Look, nuclear power is the future of energy in this country. It doesn’t pollute the water and destroy the forests like coal. Look at Centralia. Those coal mines have been burning under the surface since the early sixties.”
“You thinking of transferring to the Bureau of Mine Reclamation or something?” George wiped chili sauce and mustard from his mustache before he finished his last bite.
“No way. I love working in Water Quality. It’s important work, protecting people and the environment.” Will polished off the last of his plain hot dog and looked at his watch. “We better get back to the office. We’re late.”
Will breezed through the farmhouse door, arms held wide. “Randi, I’m home.” Since his wife caught every I Love Lucy rerun she could find on television, Will’s Desi Arnaz imitation had become a running joke.
Randi shambled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “I must have fallen asleep. I’ve been so tired today.”
Will dropped his arms before he kissed Randi and stroked the curve of belly straining against her bulky sweater. “How’s the little guy?”
“She’s kicking like crazy.” Randi smiled. “Like she’s ready to meet her mom and dad.”
“What’s for dinner?”
“We could heat up the leftover casserole from the other night. I spent so much time on the phone this afternoon, I didn’t have time to cook.”
“You sit down and rest.” Will gave Randi a gentle nudge toward a chair. “Should I reheat the casserole in the oven?”
“Yeah. That will work better than on the stove.”
Will dug a glass storage container out of the refrigerator and dumped its hamburger, macaroni, and cheese concoction into a Corning Ware baking dish. Randi sat in one of the kitchen chairs and watched.
“So, who’d you talk to for so long?”
Randi grimaced. “My mom and some of my girlfriends. Mom’s freaking out about this whole Three Mile Island thing. She wants us to come home. A lot of people are evacuating the area.”
“It seemed like less traffic than usual tonight. People are really evacuating?”
“I talked to Harriet. She and Bob were going to leave town when he got home at three. Then, Sunny called. She and a group of girlfriends drove to Pittsburgh this morning. They’re staying with Sunny’s family. She said we should leave too―because radiation is even more dangerous for a pregnant woman.” Randi’s voice caught as she wrung her hands. “I couldn’t deal with it anymore so I took a nap.” She gave Will a plaintive look. “Are they right? Should we get out of here?”
Will shut the oven door and turned his full attention to his distraught wife.
“I’m really scared, Will.” Randi broke into sobs, tears turning her face blotchy. She clasped her hands over her stomach and rocked in her chair. “What if the radiation hurts the baby?”
Will folded her into his arms. “The radio at noon said everything is fine. But let’s turn on the television and watch the news. They’ll have the latest information. Then, if there’s a problem, we’ll decide what to do. But, babe, I’m pretty sure all your friends are overreacting. That’s what I told Dad when he called me at work.”
“So your parents are worried too?”
He led Randi to the big, overstuffed couch in their tiny living room and then switched on the console TV. “Great. We’re just in time,” he said as the evening news logo flashed on the screen.
The news played part of the press conference that had been held earlier in the day. The mustachioed young lieutenant governor, William Scranton III, stood tall in front of a bank of microphones and said, “We do not expect there to be any kind of necessity for evacuation.”
“See, babe? It’s exactly what I said.” Will seized his wife’s hand. “Everything is fine. We can just sit tight. By the time the baby comes, this TMI stuff will be long over.”
Randi gave a wan smile. “I’m so relieved. I shouldn’t have let Mom and my friends get to me.”
“It’s natural to be concerned. Especially with the baby only two weeks away.”
“You know my due date isn’t exact. A lot of first babies come late.”
The smell of hamburger and bubbling cheese wafted into the living room. Will laughed as he rose to check on dinner. “Yeah, I know. But I’m going to get the crib ready on Saturday. The Boy Scouts taught me to be prepared.”
Chapter Six
Alexa downshifted the Land Rover when she saw the sign for Granfeld. An anemic shaft of sunlight that touched the road ahead did little to alleviate the gloom. She cranked up the heat against the morning chill and wondered what she could possibly do for Jeannie and her family. She had no experience in environmental law, but Alexa couldn’t ignore her old roommate’s heartfelt plea for help.
Although she had been to Granfeld before, those visits had been years ago. Alexa and another friend had spent a weekend at Jeannie’s family farm during their college years. And she had come here again for Jeannie’s wedding. But she had only sketchy memories of Jeannie’s hometown. A little white church surrounded by rolling farm country and fields of black and white Holstein cows. In those days, Tioga County had seemed like an idyllic oasis of green in contrast to New York City. She hadn’t been back since.
The old Land Rover had been built long before dashboard navigation systems, so Alexa had to rely on her iPhone for directions. The brief hint of sun disappeared when she turned right and plunged into thick ground fog. She slowed, looking for the turn onto Oak Lane, then jammed on the brakes as a towering metal structure loomed ahead in the mist. The menacing gray column, which looked like the love child of Megalon and a Transformer, stood directly in her path. Alexa wrinkled her nose as an acrid smell filled the car.
She glanced into the rearview mirror to check for oncoming cars. Hands clammy, she inched the Land Rover forward. With a sigh of relief, Alexa found that the road angled left to run in front of the hulking tower. She picked up speed, passing the ugly scene. A wide gash of raw earth circled the metal monster, as if it had run amok and trampled the field to mud. A gaggle of trailers that looked like those FEMA mobile homes from Hurricane Katrina dotted the perimeter. A clanking noise rose above the rumble of truck engines. Rows of large tanker trucks lined up at a gate on the far side of the tower. Alexa grimaced.
So, this was fracking.
Continuing on, the road climbed above the mist. A farm perched on the hill above the fracking site. The old limestone farmhouse sat less than a half-mile away from the chaos below.
“How could anyone live with that mess in their backyard?” Alexa exclaimed to the empty car.
As she reached higher ground, visibility improved. Ahead, Alexa could see a sign marked Oak Lane. After a mile or so of driving through thick woods, the tree trunks dark in the humid air, Alexa emerged into farmland. Slowing once or twice to study the numbers on mailboxes, she spotted a white farmhouse with a huge red barn ahead. The buildings sat back from the main road, partially shielded by two old weeping willows, their branches still bare.
“This is it. Nine eighty-seven.” Alexa turned right onto the gravel lane. “I know they’ve got fracking problems, but at least Jeannie doesn’t have to live with one of those huge pits in her front yard.”
The front of the house faced away from the road. Alexa drove between the willows and followed the driveway to a parking area by the front porch. Just beyond the railroad ties that marked the edge of the parking ar
ea, the ground sloped downward then flattened out. Alexa’s heart sank when she saw a bewildering network of mechanical equipment and steel pipes dominating the flat below. Several huge metal structures and another small aluminum building sprouting a profusion of pipes stood at one end of the rectangle of packed earth. Below it stood a half-filled earthen pond.
Jeannie came running out of the house as Alexa climbed out of the Rover. “I can’t believe you’re here. It’s wonderful to see you.” She pulled Alexa into her arms for a hug.
“It’s been too long. Sorry it’s taken your daughter’s illness to get us together.” Alexa sighed.
“Come into the house and we can talk. Did you bring an overnight bag?”
Shouldering the backpack that contained a few toiletries and a change of clothes, Alexa followed Jeannie into the house. The front door spilled into a living room with two leather couches and a big-screen television.
“Would you like a drink? Want to use the facilities?” Jeannie kept walking until they reached a bright, warm kitchen. She gestured to a chair. “Put your backpack there for now. Tessa is napping, so we won’t go upstairs until she wakes up.”
Alexa headed straight for the fireplace and stood in front of the small fire burning in its wide hearth. “Wow. This is a great room. Could I have a cup of tea? It’s at least ten degrees colder up here than at home.”
“It’s only a few weeks until spring. I have daffodils blooming on the sunny side of the house, but the weather has been brutal this year.” Jeannie bustled around the kitchen, drawing water from a big blue plastic jug to make a pot of tea. She wore dark corduroy slacks and a gray cardigan. Alexa noticed a few strands of gray in her friend’s black hair. “Tommy had to work today. He should be home by late afternoon.”
Dead of Spring: An Alexa Williams Novel Page 4