Texas Fire

by Gerry Bartlett

  She climbed into the truck, laughing when an exuberant Lucky hopped into her lap and licked her chin. Rowdy ordered the dog into the backseat with a firm voice, and the dog obeyed instantly.

  “So, here we are. Are you ready to find out if you can hack it as an employee of one of your father’s companies?” Rowdy started the truck but didn’t put it in gear. “Or will you let some rich rancher rescue you?”

  Megan didn’t know the answer, so she did the only thing she could think of to do. She aimed a middle finger at him and buckled her seat belt.

  Chapter 8

  “Megan, watch this.” At Vince’s signal, all of the men stripped off their shirts and got busy around the pipe in the center of the rig.

  “This team is proud of the fact that they are one of the fastest crews pushing pipe in the state. Look at them go.” He put his hand out when Megan tried to get a closer look. “Stay well back. When they get moving, it can be dangerous. With the chain, the drill collar, and the turntable going, there are a lot of factors at play.”

  “Vince, it looks like a safety issue to me.” Rowdy frowned, obviously not happy.

  Megan was just glad the men had quickly moved from “Ms. Calhoun” to “Megan.” Didn’t hurt, either, that they were showing off their bodies, glistening with sweat in the hot Texas sun.

  “Maybe Rowdy’s right. I hope they’re careful. It looks slippery up there.” Megan couldn’t believe the way the men worked together to keep sending pipe down the hole. They kept attaching more pieces with the so-called collars as water was added to make the drill bit slide down into the mud.

  “We’ve got a great safety record, Rowdy. Otherwise, I’d put a stop to their little show. And, yes, it is slippery. These men are experts, though, and have this routine down to a science. Watch and be amazed.” Vince glanced at Lucky, who was barking as if he were a cheerleader for the men. “You keep a good tight hold on that leash.”

  “I will. If it wasn’t so hot, I’d keep him locked in the truck.” Megan had thought about putting him in the office trailer, but he might have gotten too interested in the paperwork scattered around there. They should probably invest in a good-sized dog crate for their future stops.

  Rowdy frowned. “We should have left him at the ranch.”

  “He’s okay. Give it a rest, Rowdy.” This was the fifth time she’d heard him say that. Megan turned to Vince. “Tell me more about what they’re doing.” She listened carefully but couldn’t take her eyes off the men working smoothly together. What they did looked dangerous. A generator roared, chain whipped past them, and the heavy equipment surrounding them rumbled. One man was in charge of a water hose, keeping the pipes wet. It splashed them all, which made their tanned bodies even more appealing.

  “You’re licking your lips.” Rowdy leaned close to say that. “Not a good idea to encourage them.”

  “I’m not!” Megan gave him an elbow. “I’m admiring their strength. I can’t believe they can pick up those pipes and collars so easily. I tried to lift just one end of a pipe and couldn’t budge it.”

  “Yep. They’re good men. They have hard jobs.” Vince glanced at Rowdy. “Would sure hate like hell to have to lay off this crew.”

  “What’s Carlos doing?” Megan had quickly learned the names of the men on the rig after Vince had introduced them. “That looks scary.” The man was walking on the edge of the scaffolding holding a long piece of pipe over his head.

  “Son of a bitch. Pardon, Megan. But the idiot’s showboating. For you.” Vince frowned and shouted at the crew, but Megan doubted he could be heard over the roar of the generator used to send the drill bit into the ground. “I’ve got to put a stop to this. Stay here.” He stalked off to climb the rig, his face red.

  “Vince is right. With you standing here, the men want to show off.” Rowdy looked grim.

  “This isn’t my fault. I’m just doing what I have to do to learn about the field.” Megan gasped when the worker suddenly lost his balance and plunged over the side of the rig to land on the dirt many feet below. “Oh God!” She thrust Lucky’s leash at Rowdy and ran to see if the man was all right. He wasn’t moving.

  “Carlos! Are you hurt?” She squatted next to him and laid her hand on his muddy cheek.

  “I am now, querida.” He opened his eyes and smiled, then tried to sit up. “Stupid mistake. Knew I should have joined the circus.”

  “What?” Megan stood out of his way as he slowly pushed to a sitting position.

  “Always wanted to be a tightrope walker. Couldn’t you tell?” He hissed when he tried to put his weight on his left foot, then cursed in Spanish. “Estoy tan jodido.”

  “You are, if that’s broken.” Megan tried to help him when he started to get to his feet, but Rowdy was there first, offering help.

  “You understood me?” Carlos shook his head. “I’m okay.”

  “What did he say?” Rowdy took his arm and got him to his feet, but it was obvious Carlos had seriously injured his left ankle.

  “He said he’s screwed. Which he is, if that ankle’s broken.” Megan took Lucky’s leash and stepped out of the way. “I’m sorry, Carlos. What can I do?”

  “I’ve got him. You take the dog and go sit in the office. Read the safety manual.” Rowdy sounded furious.

  “What did I do?” Megan lifted her chin at his tone.

  “You just ruined this outfit’s safety record.” Rowdy nodded toward a big board next to the office door. “Three hundred and thirty-nine days without an accident. Close to a year. Gone in an instant, thanks to you.”

  “Hey, don’t blame Megan. It was my fault. Lost my head and didn’t watch where I was going.” Carlos shrugged away from Rowdy’s helping hand and glared at him. “You didn’t do a thing, Ms. Calhoun. Don’t let him treat you like that. Last I heard, it’s your family’s company. Not this guy’s.” He gestured for another man who’d been hovering nearby, and with his help, he hopped away.

  “No, he wasn’t watching where he was going. Instead, he was watching you, Megan. Standing there in a T-shirt that clings like plastic wrap and jeans that do the same. These men don’t need you as a distraction. They’re doing a dangerous job.”

  “I—I’m sorry. I know it’s dangerous. And I hate that he’s hurt.” She looked down at herself. “Wait a minute. Clings like plastic wrap? Are you kidding me? Everything I have on is at least two sizes too big. Besides, I can’t help what the men watch when I’m around.” Megan flexed fingers that had been in fists so tight they ached. Boy, did she want to plant one of those fists right on Rowdy’s arrogant chin.

  He didn’t say anything, just pointed to the office trailer.

  “Wow. For a man who got his rocks off last night, you sure are in a bad mood.” Megan patted Lucky on the head and tugged him toward the wooden steps leading to the office. “Come on, pup. At least it will be quieter in there.”

  “Megan, stop.” Rowdy took off his hard hat and stalked over to her. “Don’t discuss our activities at the ranch around here. I’m sure there’s been talk already. That we’re hanging out with the Sanders, who are big shots in this part of the state.”

  “‘Hanging out.’ Yeah. You and Karen got right to it, didn’t you?” Megan stared at him. “I noticed you’re limping today. She ride you a little too hard?”

  Rowdy flushed. “Broken glass around the pool. I stepped on it. And what I do or don’t do with Karen is my business. Just like what you and King do is none of mine.”

  “Trust me, I have no desire to get into your personal affairs. But how can I learn anything about the oil business when I’m shut inside the office?” She pushed Lucky into the sit position.

  “Memorize the safety protocols outlined in that book. And keep your dog out of the way. Until it gets cooler, he’s a problem. If we had a decent trailer, we could lock him in there with the AC going. So you study. Something a real hand would have done before I’d have hired him as an assistant in the first place. Right now you’d just be in the way. And a dangerou
s distraction, as you just saw.” Rowdy shoved on his hard hat.

  “Let me remind you that I didn’t want to come along in the first place.” She stepped closer and jammed a finger into his chest. “I had no choice. It was take this job or lose my inheritance, buddy. And, trust me, there are millions of dollars at stake. I could either choose you or a stranger to follow around the next year. For some reason Cassidy thinks you’re a great guy. You sure had her fooled.” Megan tugged on Lucky’s leash. “Come on, pup. Let’s get cool and sit down with that book. Vince said there are more Cokes in his refrigerator. And he’s got that bowl I can use for cold water just for you. How does that sound?” She turned her back and stomped up the stairs, slamming the metal door for good measure.

  * * *

  “She’s a firecracker.” The superintendent had come up behind Rowdy. “The Calhouns all have a temper. You really have to take her around the drilling sites for a full year?”

  “That’s what I’ve been told. Don’t have much choice in the matter, unless I want to quit my job in this economy. Don’t think I haven’t thought about it.” Rowdy turned to Vince. “Sorry about your accident record.”

  “Yeah. Me, too. I have bonuses tied to that record.” He walked over and erased the chalk number on the slate and drew a big zero.

  “It won’t be in my report.” Rowdy saw a truck pull out from the dusty lot. “Carlos going to town?”

  “He needs to get his ankle x-rayed. For workmen’s comp. I may not like the way that happened, but we’re still liable for the injury.” Vince spit on the ground. “Let’s get this inspection done. No word yet from the lawyers?”

  “No. But you know paperwork and contracts. Could take a while to untangle.” Rowdy followed Vince as he led the way, the superintendent describing his safety measures. He was a seasoned employee who had worked his way up in the company. If what he said he did proved to be the case, Rowdy knew he’d have a good report to send into the home office.

  “Hey, guys,” Megan called from the office door. “The phone in here was ringing so I answered it. Billy Pagan, he’s the lawyer currently serving as in-house counsel, is on the line. He needs to talk to you, Rowdy.” She stepped back inside, letting the door slam again.

  “Guess it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.” Vince stared at Rowdy and shook his head. “Let me know how it shakes out. I’ll be up on the rig, checking on the crane. Looks a little off center to me. Plus I’ll be chewing out that entire crew. Showboating don’t have no place on an active rig. Carlos is lucky he didn’t get hurt worse than he did.” He strode off.

  Rowdy headed into the office and picked up the phone. He noticed Lucky happily chewing on a bone from the ranch Carmelita must have slipped to Megan.

  “This is Baker.”

  “Megan says you’re not happy with her out there.” The man chuckled. “You ready to burn her, write up a bad evaluation, and make her lose her inheritance?”

  “No!” Rowdy certainly didn’t want to deny Megan what he considered her birthright. He might not trust rich women, but he wasn’t going to be the cause of her losing her money.

  “Well then, what’s going on out there?”

  “Honestly?” Rowdy turned to Megan. “Why don’t you take the dog for a walk?” He pointed to the door.

  “So you can talk about me? Swell.” She huffed, then slammed out of the office, the dog in tow.

  “You have a dog with you?” Pagan chuckled. “Is that normal?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Then I’m sure it’s on Megan. She’s always been a dog nut. Can’t believe she brought a dog with her to work, though. You should have shut that down, Baker.”

  “You try telling a Calhoun woman no. I don’t seem to have figured out how to do it yet.” And wasn’t that a pisser. Rowdy couldn’t believe he’d just admitted that to a total stranger.

  “I hear you, man. And I’ve had more experience with just that than you know.” There was a brief silence. “Well, fill me in. What the hell’s happening out there?”

  Rowdy thought about the accident they’d just had. He could blame Megan, but it was really the man’s fault. If a worker couldn’t keep his mind on his business, then a broken ankle was what he deserved.

  “She got us a nice place to stay, anyway. I’m not complaining about bunking at King Sanders’s ranch.” Rowdy decided to let it go at that.

  “Okay, then. Conrad’s will is pretty clear. I’ve gone over it. He wants her to have field experience, end of story. So be sure that happens.”

  “You think the man was firing on all cylinders when he made that will?” Rowdy was beginning to wonder about that. “The contract he signed with Sanders is way over the line as far as what he let the rancher get away with. Even King Sanders admitted that. The super here has a copy, and I looked it over. The guarantees are ridiculous.”

  “I hear you.” Pagan was silent for a few moments. “You have a point. But do not ever say that again. Trust me on that. You give even a hint that Conrad was not of sound mind toward the end, and all hell will break loose here. If that will’s not valid, it’ll open the door to all kinds of financial complications. Corporate raiders might have a shot at taking over Calhoun Petroleum while we figure things out here. Also, there are ex-wives with their own lawyers who would like nothing better than to get a bigger piece of the pie, if you know what I mean.”

  “No idea. But you’re the lawyer. I need to know now if we’re staying here or moving on. The safety inspection will only take a day or two. Are we shutting down wells, or not?”

  “You’re not shutting down any wells for the foreseeable future, especially not on Sanders’s property. Maybe not anywhere. We believe the price of oil is now steadily on the rise. Stockpiling oil and gas is the smart move for now. What we need from you is to check on a fracking snafu getting out of hand in West Texas. Now, that shit, we can stop. It’s a public relations nightmare, and the mess Conrad made when he started the company is going to be bad enough without fracking complaints on top of it.”

  “Fracking doesn’t have to be a problem. If it’s done right, it doesn’t have to harm the environment.” Rowdy wondered if the problems were with the people running the job there.

  “There you go. It’ll be your job to make sure that it is being done right. I have no idea what has the community out there stirred up. All I know is that you need to get to that site and see what’s going on. Take Megan and use her as a representative of the family. Might make an impression.” Pagan laughed. “Her sister is the public relations expert and that’s her idea. I don’t get it. When someone hates Calhoun Petroleum, do they really need a target to shoot at? But Shannon seems to think Megan has it in her to handle this situation.”

  “I’m an engineer. I don’t give interviews. I hope to hell no one shoves a microphone in my face.” Rowdy had been approached by reporters before and had stuck to “No comment.” “As to the fracking, if there are problems with the way it’s being handled out there, it may take some serious money to fix the issues. I know Calhoun is having a tough time, but let the people holding the purse strings know that I may have to ask for big bucks to make things right.” Rowdy tried not to imagine the worst. “No need to panic yet. Let me get out there and see what’s what.”

  “What’s what is a bunch of unhappy locals trying to make noise. So, tie up the job where you are and grab a new truck and trailer in San Antonio. Cassidy’s arranging things. Then head for the field west of Pecos. I’ll be e-mailing you the details.” Pagan shuffled some papers and named the well site. “I believe you’ve handled that area before with some success.”

  “I’ve been there.” Rowdy had a lurch in the pit of this stomach. Unfortunately, that was close to some natural resources that anyone would hate to see ruined. Fracking could be a headache and unpopular with the people who lived near it. Earthquakes. Chemical smells. Water pollution. The list of complaints were many, and all it took was one fuckup and environmentalists would be all over it.
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  He looked out the window and saw Vince waving his arms at his crew and pointing down to the pipe where Carlos had dropped it on the ground. This well site was as clean as one could be. If supervision out west was the problem, maybe he could transfer Vince and find someone else to run this field. Vince wouldn’t thank him for the assignment, but maybe he could talk the home office into agreeing to a bonus for the man. He’d earn it. Rowdy realized Pagan had finished his rundown of logistics and was waiting for a response.

  “Okay, we’ll head out there as soon as we wind up our inspection.”

  “You don’t sound excited.” Pagan laughed. “Tough shit. If you and Megan can get this thing handled, it will be important for the company. We’re facing a lot of issues here, and we didn’t need this on top of everything else. Showing these people that a Calhoun cares about their concerns might just calm them down. It’s certainly the kind of thing Megan needs to know how to do. Teach her about fracking and why we like it.”

  “I don’t like it unless it’s done right.” Rowdy turned when the door opened and Megan and the dog marched in. “Thanks for the update. I’ll be looking for an e-mail confirming the details.”

  “You’ve got it.” Pagan ended the call.

  “So, are we staying or going?” Megan let go of Lucky and poured a bottle of cold water into his bowl.

  “Two more days, then we’re going. I think we should head into town and turn in that hunk-of-junk trailer—the truck, too, if we can get the rental car back. Pagan says we’ll get everything we need in San Antonio.” Rowdy hung his hard hat on the peg next to the door. “We need to give Vince time to cool down. You don’t realize how hard he’s taking the loss of his perfect safety record.”

  “I apologized to him outside.” Megan hung up her plain one, too. She’d left the pink one at the ranch. “He was fine with it. Suggested we eat lunch in town. Which I guess was his way of saying to stay out of his sight for a few hours.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped.