“Tell me more.” I sat down in my chair and savored another bite of delicious chocolate honey-glazed doughnut. It was just what I needed to take my Mother Earth mind off the scrapbooks Briar had brought to my apartment the night before.
“They started doing business two years ago.” Luna read notes on her tablet. “They’re based in Huntington, West Virginia, and have operations across the country.”
“What about Shawnee State Park?” I asked.
“They currently have a site near there,” said Luna. “There were pollution concerns, and a local environmental group briefly stalled the project, but then EarthSave pushed it through.”
“What else?” I raised the doughnut for another bite. “Anything on this new ultra-fracking technique?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” said Luna. “Think fracking on steroids. Really destructive steroids.”
“As if people needed to make fracking more destructive.” I knew all about regular fracking, which used injections of liquid to break up solid rock and set free oil and natural gas. The drilling technique polluted groundwater, triggered earthquakes, and generally wrecked the Earth from the surface to the depths. I could only imagine what something called ultra-fracking might do.
“The big environmental groups are fighting it in court,” explained Luna, “but they’re not making much headway in the current climate of deregulation. If anything, the technique is spreading and becoming more popular than ever.”
“So they’ll just keep shattering more and more bedrock,” I said with disgust. “They’ll keep hollowing out the planet until it’s just an empty shell, and then they’ll wonder why it keeps swallowing them up.”
Sometimes, I get so angry at the way humankind treats the world, I want to forget my own humanity and go on a damn rampage. It’s about time I taught them a lesson, since they obviously won’t listen to reason or common sense or compassion.
Could I do it? I’ve only tapped a tiny fraction of the power within the world, but I can sense the vast reserves at my disposal. If I were ever truly unleashed, it would be something to see. How could anyone even fight me? I’m the planet under their feet.
The better question is, Could I go through with it? And for now, at least, the answer is absolutely not.
For now.
“Luna, you said a local group was opposing the Shawnee area work.” I polished off the last bite of my doughnut and emptied my coffee cup in one gulp. Luna’s coffee, I had to admit, was every bit as good as Duke’s. “Are they still active? Could you arrange for me to meet them?”
Luna flicked through content on her tablet and smiled. “Actually, it’s just one woman.” She held up the tablet, showing a photo of a heavyset young woman with bright green shoulder-length hair and dark-rimmed glasses with coffee saucer lenses. “Her name is Rune Ansel Carson, and she lives in the town of Bedford.”
I liked Rune just from looking at her photo. Her eyes were bright and intelligent, and her lopsided grin made her look sarcastic. Plus, I guess it goes without saying that any friend of the Earth is quite literally a friend of mine.
“Make it happen.” I got up from my chair and poured myself another round from the coffee pot. “Ashanti and I will head down to Bedford this morning to meet her.”
“But I haven’t spoken with her yet.” Luna suddenly sounded flustered. “I don’t even know if she’s available today.”
“She has to be.” I grabbed another chocolate honey-glazed from the doughnut box. “The world needs her help.”
Luna looked confused, then picked up the phone handset and made the call.
Just then, the door chime played “Caravan,” and Agent Frank Wagner stepped into the room. “Good morning, Gaia,” he said cheerfully. “I’m glad I caught you in the office this time.”
Instantly, my stomach knotted. I absolutely didn’t have time for Frank, and I couldn’t afford him sniffing around when sensitive business was in the works—sensitive Mother Earth business.
At least Luna had the common sense to hold off on her call to Rune Carson in Bedford. With a quick glance, I saw her hang up the phone and turn her attention to paperwork on her desk.
“Thanks for stopping by, Frank.” I smiled, trying not to seem suspicious as I engineered an exit. “What can I do for you?”
He looked around and nodded. “Nice place you have here, Gaia.” He chuckled. “And I love the fact it’s part detective agency, part travel agency.”
“Thanks.” I sipped coffee and eased toward the front door. “So what’s up?”
Frank stood between me and the door and planted his hands on his hips. “Recruiting, actually. I wanted to see if you might consider a career in federal law enforcement.”
“I’m sorry, Frank.” I winced a little. “I’m just on my way to a meeting.”
“Well, is it something you think you might be interested in?” persisted Frank. “If so, we can set up a meeting of our own to explore the possibilities.”
“Not really,” I told him. “But thanks for thinking of me. I do appreciate it.”
Frank stood there a moment longer, staring into my eyes. I felt like he was sizing me up, looking for more than my suitability as a potential agent for the Bureau. Maybe he was interested in me romantically, and the recruiting explanation was just an angle, a way in.
Whatever his motivation, he finally smiled and stepped away. “All right then.” He gave a little bow and gestured at the door. “I don’t want you to miss your meeting.”
I was still getting a weird vibe from him, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. As long as my friends were missing, I had to try to find them as soon as I possibly could.
“Thanks again, Frank,” I told him as I backed toward the door. “Have a good one.”
“You, too.” Frank smiled and waved. “Stay out of trouble, Gaia Charmer. You know I’ll have my eye on you.”
“You probably will,” said Luna. “I’ve heard about you government guys and your surveillance.”
“We’re a lot more out in the open these days.” Frank chuckled. “Being sneaky just takes way too much effort.”
13
An hour-and-a-half drive to Bedford later, I smiled when the doorbell of Rune’s apartment played “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Perfect.
“Duke says that’s my theme song,” I told Ashanti, who just looked confused. “Though he also says that about ‘Earth Angel’ by the Penguins.”
No one came to the door right away, and I looked around. The apartment was located in an old building on Main Street in Bedford, sandwiched between an upscale restaurant and a candle shop. Judging from the exterior, the place had seen better days—but at least it wasn’t rundown or on the verge of being condemned.
Rune had said she’d see us at 10 a.m. Luna had texted me the time, and Ashanti and I were there right on the dot. Luna had been pretty persuasive on the phone, considering we were no doubt unknown quantities to Rune. For all she knew, we were anti-environmentalists hoping to start trouble.
“You really think she’ll help us, Miss Glow?” Ashanti straightened her outfit—the same faded blue jeans and white sneakers as yesterday with a pale green t-shirt instead of the pink.
“We’re about to find out.” I heard footfalls coming downstairs inside the place, and I cleared my throat to get ready.
A door chain slid out of its groove, a deadbolt clacked from its socket, and the door handle turned. The door swung open, and we were face-to-face with the green-haired, heavyset young woman from the photo. She wore black leggings and a baggy black t-shirt with an image of the Milky Way galaxy on the chest. An arrow pointed to a spot in one of the spiral arms, and the words “You Are Here” were printed across the midsection.
“Gaia Charmer, I presume?” Her voice was deep and a little raspy.
“You presume correctly.” I extended a hand, and she shook it. “Great to meet you, Rune.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” Her lopsided smile looked just as winnin
gly wiseass as it had online. “Love the name, by the way.”
“Thank you.” I grinned back at her, then turned to finish the introductions. “And this is Ashanti Moneta, my client. One of them, anyway.”
“Hi, Ashanti.” Rune let go of my hand and shook Ashanti’s, then gestured behind her. “Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you.” I stepped into the little entryway with Ashanti and waited till Rune had done up the door chain and deadbolt again. The place had a musty smell to it already, I noticed.
One flight up, though, she led us through an unlocked white door, and everything changed. Her actual apartment was bright and airy and smelled like flowers. It wasn’t a huge place, but it felt spacious from all the windows and mirrors on the walls. Best of all, there were plants everywhere, overflowing from pots and planters on every table, shelf, and counter.
Comfy. If I had to pick one word to describe her apartment, that’s what it would be.
“Please, sit down.” Rune gestured at an overstuffed brown sofa in the middle of the room. “Can I get you something to drink? An herbal tea, perhaps?”
“That would be fine,” I said, and Ashanti nodded agreement.
Rune crossed the living room and stepped into the little kitchenette. “Luna said you wanted to talk about EarthSave?”
“We do,” I told her. “Specifically, the drilling near Shawnee State Park.”
“Where to begin?” said Rune. “It’s a beautiful thing, if you like ruined watersheds, obliterated ecosystems, and the occasional earthquake in rural southwestern Pennsylvania.”
“Other than all that,” I said, “have you seen any suspicious activity?”
Rune filled cups from the spigot, put them in the microwave, and started heating them. “It doesn’t matter. It’s never enough to take them down, Gaia.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m here for, Rune.”
She folded her arms over her chest and frowned behind her huge dark-rimmed glasses. “Well, it damn well should be. If more people like you got involved—a respectable businesswoman and celebrity...”
I hesitated because she was right. When you got right down to it, what was I doing to save the environment? And I’m supposed to be Mother Earth herself, for cryin’ out loud!
It wasn’t like saving abducted children and stopping killers wasn’t important, but my very existence was at stake.
Still, for now, I had to focus on the task at hand.
“Friends of mine are missing,” I said. “They disappeared while investigating the Shawnee drill site. I want to find them before it’s too late.”
Rune was silent for a moment. The microwave dinged, and she took out the cups and dropped herbal tea bags in them to steep.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” she said finally. “Those so-called EarthSavers are more like scum of the Earth.”
“What kind of security do they have onsite?” I asked, fiddling with my braid. “Have you seen them apprehending anyone?”
“Some protesters, sure, but that was mostly in the early days. Are your missing friends protesters?”
“More like...reporters,” I told her. “Investigating rumors of illegal activity.”
“I like your friends already.” Smiling, she took out the tea bags, put the cups on a red plastic tray with a sugar bowl and cream pitcher, and put it all down on a coffee table in front of us. “As far as security goes, they’ve got loads of it, and everyone’s packing. I’ve actually heard of them chasing trespassers right into Shawnee State Park, searching campsites and picnics at gunpoint.”
“That’s pretty aggressive,” I said, adding a spoonful of sugar and a splash of milk to one of the cups of tea. “But my friends aren’t exactly pushovers.” I gave Ashanti a meaningful look, knowing she’d understand.
“Well, there’ve been rumors.” Rune sat in a yellow beanbag chair across from us. “Reports of some kind of creatures in the woods around the site. Maybe they have a basis in reality.”
“You’re saying these creatures might have attacked our missing people?” asked Ashanti.
Rune shrugged and spread her arms. “When you tamper with Mama Earth the way those EarthSavers do, I think scientific anomalies have got to be a possibility.”
We sat in silence a moment, sipping our tea. “You’ve been inside, haven’t you?” I asked, finally. “Could you help us get in there, too, past security, and find our friends?”
Rune narrowed her eyes and looked from one of us to the other. “I might be up for some trespassing...if I can trust you.”
“I’m not trying to get you in trouble, if that’s what you mean,” I said.
“I’ve been a real pain in EarthSave’s ass,” said Rune. “I wouldn’t put it past them to hire someone like you to set me up.”
“If I wanted to hurt someone, it would be EarthSave,” I told her. “I’ll bet I’m more of an environmentalist than you are, even.”
Rune locked her gaze with mine, measuring my reaction. “I had friends once, too, you know,” she said grimly. “I lost them all because of EarthSave, one way or another.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
“I’d like to help you find yours,” said Rune. “But I swear to God, if you betray me, I’ll make you regret it. Sooner or later, you’ll regret it.”
“That will never be a problem,” I told her. “In the name of Mother Earth, I will never let you down.”
A smile curled across Rune’s face, and she nodded with satisfaction. “You just said the magic words, honey.” She pushed up out of the beanbag chair and gave each of us a solid high five. “So when do you want to do this thing, anyway?”
“The sooner the better,” I said. “You make the call.”
“Then let’s get on the road,” said Rune. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
14
While Ashanti and I waited for Rune to get ready, I called Briar, but he didn’t pick up. I settled for texting him about our plans, just in case things went sideways.
Though what I probably should have done was brought him into the mix before heading into danger. I probably should have brought in more help even than that...but I didn’t. If we waited to pull together a team, the delay could be costly for Phaola and the others. Anyway, Ashanti and I were powerhouses, and I figured we could handle pretty much anything. Hopefully, Rune’s guidance and information would help us make things work out right.
“Okay, kids!” Rune marched out of her bedroom in army-style olive-green camouflage togs and black work boots. “Who wants to go on a rescue mission?”
“Let’s do it.” Briefly, I wondered if I should let her know that Ashanti and I had abilities she might consider superhuman. Freaking her out in a life-or-death situation wouldn’t be so awesome if it happened. On the other hand, trying to explain what we could do right now could get complicated and time-consuming. I decided to let it ride instead; maybe we wouldn’t even need to use our powers, and the tricky questions would never come up.
Rune filled three water bottles (reusable aluminum ones, of course) and stuffed them in a tattered brown knapsack with a couple of energy bars. “Just remember, if any security goons approach us, we’re birdwatchers, and we think we’re still in Shawnee State Park. Even if we’re on the EarthSave side of the line, stick to the story and we’ll be fine.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
“Glad we’re on the same page.” The lopsided smile returned to Rune’s face as she fist-bumped me and Ashanti. “Let’s light this candle, amigas.”
Rune did most of the talking as we rode out to Shawnee State Park in my Highlander. She told us more about her commitment to the environment and her battles with EarthSave; she talked about growing up in the area and wanting to preserve its natural beauty at any cost. She said it was everyone’s duty to fight back in every way they could to keep the environment alive and thriving.
I wondered what she’d say if she knew she was making Mother Earth feel disappointed in herself. Be
cause that’s how I felt when I listened to her. I’d been so wrapped up in the worries and routines of my human side for so long, even after discovering my true heritage, that I hadn’t thought much about fighting back against those who would harm me. I might have stopped Groundswell and Atlantis from remaking the world in their own dark image six months ago, but I hadn’t used my newfound power and stature to the utmost to continue the fight.
Though maybe I still didn’t fully understand my true nature. Again, I thought of the photo at the end of the gray scrapbook, the image of a woman in 1947 who could have been my identical twin. What if a deep connection existed between us? What if there was more to my life than I’d imagined? What if my actual mission in the world was much different than I’d thought?
That would explain a lot, wouldn’t it? But it wouldn’t make me want to rescue Phaola and the other missing Landkind any less.
There were some things that would never change about me.
Rune knew the park like the back of her hand and pointed the way without hesitation. She guided us past the lake with its beach and docks—all still closed for the season—and took us deep into the heavy forest, aiming for the far rear corner of the park.
The paved road turned to dirt, and the dirt road became a rutted trail used by quads and dirt bikes sneaking into the park. After a while, we just pulled between some trees and parked the Highlander. If there was anything to mark the spot as a parking place, I didn’t see it. As far as I could tell, Rune just knew where to go.
It felt good, then, to get out and stretch among the trees and forest creatures. “Reception” was good, as I liked to say, meaning I could sense the ebb and flow of the world around me much better than I could in a town or city.
At least I could until the ground shook under my feet.
“Welcome to the Shawnee Andreas fault!” said Rune as she grabbed hold of a fat tree trunk. “A Pennsylvania state park with no history of seismic activity.”
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