Crash: Northwoods, Book 2

by Grant C. Holland

  Trent told Hal to stay backstage until the introduction to the gathered audience, but once he saw Gabe, Hal tossed the rules out the window. He wanted to deliver another thank you—in person.

  Gabe was busy talking to a man and a woman. Hal held back momentarily when he approached on his crutches. He didn’t want to interrupt.

  The woman spotted Hal first. She pointed with the index finger of her right hand while placing her left hand over her chest. “Hey, aren’t you Hal Brentwood, the guy everyone’s here to see?”

  Hal did his best to appear humble and nodded in acknowledgment of her question. “That would be me.” Gabe turned as Hal spoke. “I decided to come over for a minute when I spotted the man who saved my life.”

  A warm smile spread across Gabe’s face. The other man, blond with chiseled cheekbones, pressed his lips together in a grim stare.

  Gabe said, “I don’t think I’d go so far as saying I saved your life. I did help keep you awake, and that’s always the most important thing when you’re waiting for transport.”

  Hal faced the woman. “He’s humble, isn’t he? And you’re working security for my event? Did you change jobs?”

  “I’m sort of a jack of all jobs when it comes to protecting the public. I get called in as a backup for fighting fires and dangerous police activities. I signed up for this to make a little extra cash. I’m the guy who will get you out of the way in case anyone rushes the stage.”

  Hal’s eyes opened wider. “Let’s hope nothing like that happens. I heard that Minnesotans are all nice.”

  The blond man with the striking bone structure growled, “Until provoked.”

  Gabe placed a hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “Now, we’re all being nice here. Hal, can I introduce you to my two best friends in the whole wide world?”

  “Of course.”

  “This is Elle. She’s like my better half, except we’re not a couple. Her boyfriend, Nate, would have a few words for me if he knew that I said she was mine.”

  Elle shook Hal’s hand and added a polite, “Pleased to meet you.”

  “And here on my other side is Brandon. I think you’ve got a long way to go to pull him into your camp. He does canoe tours out into areas like where…” Gabe let the words trail off. It was apparent that he didn’t know whether Hal was sensitive to the discussion of the crash. Gabe changed course and chose to avoid the subject for the moment.

  “It’s okay. You can say crash.” Hal pivoted to face Brandon. So, you don’t think that you can support my platform?”

  Brandon spit out one word through clenched teeth. “Never.”

  “Are you willing to listen to me with an open mind?”

  “I’ve made my decision about my vote in the fall.”

  “Do you mind if I ask why you took time out of your schedule to be here? I mean, I appreciate everyone who wants to listen to my arguments even when they disagree.”

  In a dull, flat voice, Brandon said, “If you know your enemy, then you can figure out a solid strategy to oppose him, and then you increase your chances of winning.”

  Gabe chuckled. “At least you got the meaning right. The real quote is, ‘Know your enemy and know…’” A sharp elbow stopped Gabe’s recitation.

  “Look, I’m thrilled that you introduced me to your friends, Gabe. Unfortunately, I have to excuse myself. We’re only a few minutes from the start of the rally, and my campaign manager will scream bloody murder if he can’t find me. I’ve got to go.”

  “Break a leg,” said Gabe. “You’re on a stage, so I thought it’s sort of appropriate.”

  “I can’t afford to break anything else.” Hal turned and swung himself toward the backstage on his crutches.

  7

  Gabe

  At the rally, Gabe focused on everything about Hal but the words coming out of his mouth. He was speaking about restarting mining in the Northwoods and giving lumbering a boost. That was all anathema to Brandon, most of all, and Elle, too. Both of them depended on the tourist industry for their jobs, and their businesses stood to suffer significant hits if Hal’s ideas succeeded.

  About half of the crowd cheered, a quarter or so looked bored, and the rest scowled while Hal continued his talk. He was reading from notes, and his expression rarely changed. With the lack of enthusiasm in Hal’s voice, it didn’t look like he was going to sway any new converts to his side.

  Despite ignoring the content of the speech, Gabe found it challenging to look away from Hal. With the last bandages gone that previously covered deep scratches on Hal’s forehead and chin, he was impressively handsome again in a man-next-door kind of way. At least, that was Gabe’s opinion. Hal was slim, and he could use a few extra ounces of protein and an hour or so in the gym every other day, but Gabe wished that he could see more. As Hal continued to speak, he imagined pushing Hal’s suit jacket off his shoulders and slowly unbuttoning the crisp, white dress shirt.

  Shaking himself out of the fantasy, Gabe scanned the crowd. Few of their expressions changed as the speech continued. While Hal talked, Gabe wondered whether he believed what he said at the podium. If he did, wouldn’t he show some excitement?

  Hal spoke in a monotonous tone, and he didn’t tell any stories to keep the arguments interesting. Hal quoted statistics, and he mentioned how the area compared economically to other places with active mining industries, but Gabe promptly forgot where they were. He had nothing memorable to keep the facts straight in his head.

  Near the end of the speech, an older man stepped close to Gabe and muttered, “He’s a bastard. We probably can’t keep them out of office, but they’re all bastards. This one’s an out-of-state invader, too.”

  Gabe knew that he probably shouldn’t respond, but he did anyway. He flattened a hand and pushed it down, hoping to quiet the conversation. He wanted to keep the man from disrupting Hal.

  Gabe spoke with his voice barely above a whisper. “Please be polite when someone else is speaking. You can discuss your opinions afterward.”

  “Are you a bastard, too?”

  “I’m not here for the politics.” Gabe pointed at the badge on his shirt. “I’m security. They don’t pay me to express my opinion. I’m here to make sure nobody gets hurt.”

  The man continued to grumble, but fortunately, he was soon quiet. A few seconds later, he left the venue.

  Hal’s speech did nothing to put politics in a better light for Gabe. What bothered him most about the campaign rallies he’d seen on TV and the handful he attended as paid security was how the candidates ignored the people on the other side. They framed everything in an us against them context. They might as well have been gladiators ready to beat each other with clubs.

  Politics was poisonous. It crept into so many other parts of life and set groups of people against each other. Without politics, perhaps everyone would get along much better.

  For Gabe, they were all going to be part of the same community both before and after the election. It made the most sense to figure out a way to live together without constant fighting.

  When he was eight years old, Gabe remembered seeing a political commercial while he was watching TV with Grandma Peligo. He sat by her side and tossed a ping-pong ball up and down and rolled it over the back of his hand. She encouraged him to watch a movie with her, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Gabe’s memories were all about how happy he was to be close to his favorite grandma and listen to her wisdom. He rarely remembered the specifics of what else they were doing at the time.

  He did remember the commercial because it prompted Grandma to say something smart. The man on the political ad talked about how his opponent would destroy the woods and the state in general. While he listened, Gabe thought about the villains and heroes in superhero movies, but the guy on the screen didn’t look like a hero. He scowled too much.

  When the commercial segued into a 30-second spot advertising laundry detergent, Gabe turned to his grandmother.

  “He doesn’t like those other people. Does he?”


  Grandma Peligo smiled warmly. “It doesn’t look like he does, but some of it’s for show.”

  “For show?”

  “Yes, they exaggerate the differences because they think it will get people excited.”

  “Like when I told Sam that I saw a snake that was fifteen feet long in the woods when it was actually skinny and not as long as a yardstick? His eyes got huge, and he didn’t want to leave the house.”

  “Exactly like that.” Grandma Peligo laughed softly, and then her expression turned serious. “Don’t exaggerate. It’s a bad habit. Stop it now. Otherwise, you’ll only cause trouble.”

  “Why?”

  “Because eventually, exaggeration leads to people fighting with each other over the truth.”

  The commercials ended, and the movie came back on. Gabe thought about what Grandma said. He didn’t stop using dramatic illustrations in his conversations, but he stopped exaggerating. When he talked about the gory details of his work, it was all true. Gabe’s real-life didn’t require boasting to captivate listeners. It only needed embellishments. All of the details of sounds, colors, and emotions kept the stories exciting.

  Fortunately, Hal didn’t seem to be exaggerating much in his speech. Gabe was no expert on the minutiae of mining and lumbering, but the numbers quoted didn’t sound ridiculously large. When Hal finally closed out his talk, Gabe exhaled with relief. The political portion of his day was over.

  Brandon and Elle joined Gabe as he helped usher attendees to the exit.

  Elle asked, “Will you be out of here soon?”

  “My contract is for 30 more minutes.”

  “Will you join us at the Loon after you finish?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll head straight there. Make sure that the Loon doesn’t run out of rum and cider. I need it now, but I think I can wait.”

  Brandon was still scowling. “It’ll take me at least half an hour to calm down from this. I’m glad they’re paying you. It was a perfectly good chunk of quality time completely wasted for me.”

  Gabe reached out to his friend and poked fingers in the corners of his mouth. “Turn that frown upside down this instant, Brandon-boo. That’s what my Aunt Cindy would say.”

  Brandon swatted the hand away like he was batting at flies. “Your Aunt Cindy needs help, too. I’ll see you at the Loon, and we’ll talk about something else, like Levi’s idea for boosting our overnight canoe packages. He has some great plans. I’m not big on advertising, but he’s thinking about a unique way to do it.”

  “Okay, guys. I’d love to keep chatting, but let’s save it for later. I’ve got to do this job. They want me to chase down any stragglers or unauthorized curiosity-seekers. I’ll give them a stern lecture if I catch them.”

  Gabe narrowed his eyes and shook his index finger. His friends laughed.

  Elle leaned in to give Gabe a friendly peck on the cheek. “See you soon.”

  After most of the crowd was gone, a few people remained near the podium. They wanted to see Hal face-to-face. None of them looked like troublemakers, and Hal’s personal bouncer watched like a hawk for any problems.

  As Gabe turned around to prepare to leave, he caught Hal’s eye. The moment caused a friendly smile to break across Hal’s face. Gabe reciprocated. Something special passed between them, but Gabe couldn’t identify what it was. The connection was so powerful that Hal couldn’t maintain it, and he had to look down and break the link.

  A few seconds later, Hal stepped back behind the curtain backing the podium, and it was the last that Gabe saw of him that day. He approached Trent, the campaign manager, to let him know that he was leaving.

  “Thanks for your excellent work—uh, Greg—is that it? Greg?”

  Gabe didn’t feel any need to offer a correction. He was only the security guy.

  Instead, he reached out a hand to shake. “You might see me again if you have more rallies. I can always use the extra income. Keep my name and number on your list.”

  “I say we borrow a page from those old Western movies. Let’s rustle up a rowdy gang of townspeople. Then we’ll tar and feather Mr. Brentwood and ride him out of town on a rail. Isn’t that what they do with evil city slickers?”

  “Angry much, Brandon?” asked Gabe.

  “Well, damn, it’s my life he’s messing with. Would you want to canoe through a lake that’s so contaminated that you can’t swim in it? Somebody will fall in, and I don’t want to be the bearer of the bad news that the accident might lead to cancer.”

  Gabe didn’t want to confront his best friend. He had a point, but Hal had a raft of numbers and statistics that told a somewhat different story. Gabe wondered why it wasn’t more socially acceptable to say that two people with different opinions were both right—in their own way.

  Elle answered Brandon’s question. “No, I wouldn’t like that. In case it does happen, and I hope it doesn’t, there are about 9,999 other lakes out there. One mine won’t contaminate every one of them.”

  “I disagree. Brentwood will ruin the whole area. It’s not just one lake. It’s the whole pristine BWCA, and it’s not just about me. I’m not that selfish. It’s the whole damned planet. Can’t we save at least one piece of it?”

  Gabe spoke up. “Can I ask a question?”

  Elle was happy to have Gabe interrupt. “Of course, you can.”

  “If I work at any more of the rallies, would the two of you please stay away? You aren’t supporters, and I don’t think it’s healthy for you, Brandon. You’re still flushed, and it’s almost an hour later.” Gabe reached out a hand and flattened it against his friend’s chest. “Yep, pounding just like I thought.”

  Finally, the expression on Brandon’s face softened, and the warm, friendly blond God persona returned. “Okay, yeah, I guess so. I thought it was important for me to see what the enemy has to say, but I don’t know what to do with what I saw. I could take it to social media and rant there.”

  Elle spoke up. “Oh, please don’t.”

  “It’s a way to vent. A lot of other people do it.”

  “And you’ll cost us customers. Do you think all of the people on our tours are on the same side of the political issues as we are? Some of them are only thinking about the here and now. They love the pretty trees and the quiet, but when they go home, they might be all for cheaper copper and cutting down a big chunk of the forest. You can’t afford to offend them.”

  Brandon swept his hair up off his forehead and sighed heavily. “Now she brings up the economics argument. You do have a point, but if a guy like Brentwood wins, it will be moot. It will be the beginning of the end. Mark my words.”

  “Eventually, it might cause trouble, but it won’t happen overnight. Contractors aren’t going to have a mine dug in a day.”

  As Gabe listened to their conversation, an idea drifted into his mind. It was a fascinating one. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded echoing through his head. He had to say it out loud.

  While Brandon and Elle paused for sips of their drinks, Gabe said, “I’ve got an idea.”

  “For what?”

  Gabe turned toward Brandon. “For this whole situation. I think it might help. I bet Hal’s never been in a canoe before.”

  “You’re on a first-name basis with him? It’s hard enough to say his last name.”

  “I helped rescue him from a crash. Remember? We are friendly with each other. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Elle leaned forward to shut them down. “Before the two of you get into a pissing contest, I want to hear Gabe’s idea. I realize with two men involved, my efforts to stop the downward spiral here might be in vain.”

  Brandon opened his mouth to speak again, but Elle’s expression stopped him in his tracks. Gabe took the floor.

  “I think I read in one of your brochures that your trips out into the wilderness can be life-changing. Isn’t that the case? Do you believe that?”

  “Yes, and that’s what some of the customers say in their comments,” said B
randon. “I remember one that said he changed his whole career path after paddling. Before he took the trip, he was an executive in an airless office in New York City. After we took him out on the lakes, he said that he was going to stop the corporate work and find a non-profit job to help kids learn about nature.”

  “So, could it change Hal’s life? Or is he somehow immune to the impact of the woods?”

  Judging by the look on her face, Gabe knew that he’d successfully switched the lightbulb on inside Elle’s head. Brandon was still confused. He asked, “Are you getting at something? I’m not sure I understand.”

  “I am. I asked the question earlier, and you didn’t answer it, but do you think Hal’s ever been in a canoe?”

  Brandon was quick to answer the second time around. “I say it’s a 95% chance the answer to that question is no.”

  “Unless he was something like a boy scout,” added Elle. “They might have taken him out in a canoe when he was a kid.”

  Brandon sneered. “On Long Island?”

  “Why not? Or upstate New York or Connecticut. I’m sure there’s plenty of options out there.” Elle wasn’t ready to cede the argument.

  “I still say the chances are 95% no.”

  Gabe grinned mischievously. “Then it sounds like he might be ripe for a life-changing experience. Maybe Mother Nature can lean on him a little bit. See what I mean? She’s faced down worse villains.”

  Brandon was skeptical. “And maybe the wendigo can carry him off, so we never have to see Mr. Brentwood again. There’s a minuscule chance of that, too”

  Elle slapped Brandon’s shoulder. “You know, you’re more than six months too early in the year to act like such a grinch. I kind of like Gabe’s idea.”

  “Thank you. I bet I can find a way to talk to him one-on-one. He’s already been in the woods. That was a horrible experience. He needs to even things out, and I’ll talk to him about how beautiful it is. I think he might be nervous about going back, but I can talk about how a successful trip could bring closure. That’s how I got over my fear of butterflies. I went to one of those refuges where they’re flying all over the place. Some of the winged bugs land on your elbows and shoulders.”