by Joe Field
“I called him yesterday,” said Soojin. “He’s trying to put on a good face, but you can hear the strain in his voice. I think he’s getting depressed with everything that has happened with Gabby and Sydney. And it’s probably even harder with Christmas approaching.”
Rick turned to Cooper. “Have you met the senator yet?”
“Yes, I met him once at his house before heading down to Texas.”
“Did you have a good conversation?”
Why is he so interested in the minutiae of our interactions with the senator? Cooper wondered.
“It was a nice visit, but I know he is busy with his search efforts, and it was a quick meeting.”
“I see,” said Rick. “And, you’re a reporter for MPR out of Saint Paul, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“How is your story going? Are you working on a piece about North Dakota?”
“I was supposed to work on a story about the oil industry along the Bakken, but that story got derailed when I found out Gabby was kidnapped.”
Nate folded his hands on the table, his face composed into an expression of sympathy. “Yes, of course.” But then he pressed forward. “So, you’re not working on any stories right now?”
“I guess not,” said Cooper. “Just trying to focus on Gabby.”
Rick and Nate both nodded. “You two are very good friends,” said Rick. “I know you’ll bring Gabby back safe and sound.”
Nate lifted his glass. “A toast to Cooper and Soojin. May you have success in getting our dear Gabby back home soon.”
“You can just toast with your water glass.” Rick winked at Soojin.
The four of them clanged their glasses together and drank.
“Governor,” said Soojin, “you had mentioned you wanted to give a gift to Governor Knutson?”
“Yes, of course. I almost forgot.” Rick walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed a large rectangle-shaped item that had a canvas covering it. “Well first of all, please send my regards and congratulate him on his successful reelection campaign.”
“I will,” said Soojin. “Governor Knutson wanted to congratulate you as well on your successful reelection.”
Rick smiled before he pulled the canvas off the gift with a flourish, revealing a painting of a bison stomping the guts out of a gopher on the North Dakota prairie. “After the NDSU Bison football team beat your Minnesota Gophers in a historic game a few years ago, I commissioned a local artist to paint this picture. She is a very talented artist, and she painted two originals for me. I have one hanging at home, and the other one is for your governor. What do you think?”
Soojin forced a smiled. “I think the governor will get a good laugh out of it.”
“I knew he would.” Rick put the canvas back on and handed it to Soojin.
“I’m sure Governor Knutson will return the favor soon,” she said.
“Bring it on,” said Rick. “I’ll be here for at least four more years.”
They all laughed.
“Okay, now back to business before the food gets here,” said Nate.
“Yes, back to business,” echoed Rick.
“The Hanson family is going through a very stressful time right now, as you can imagine,” said Nate. “I know Mark and Sydney have a lot going through their heads, and Sydney has her ongoing health issues. If they ask either one of you for anything, and I mean anything, please just come directly to me with the request. Here is my number.” Nate handed Cooper his card.
“That is great,” said Cooper. “Is it okay to let the senator know you’re helping us out?”
“We would prefer to be anonymous,” Rick said. “You know, Senator Hanson is a proud man, and he’s never asked for help before. He also gets things confused sometimes.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cooper.
Rick leaned in closer. “Please keep this between us, but it’s possible the Senator has some sort of health issue.”
“Could be something like the early stages of Alzheimer’s,” said Nate, “although he’s always been one for making up stories.”
“Yeah,” agreed Rick. “These days, you can never tell if he is making something up or if he just truly doesn’t remember. It’s a shame really, with Sydney not being in much of a position to help keep him on track.”
Cooper nodded for show, but his mind was full of doubts. What do they think, I’m like ten years old? Why are they trying to discredit the senator?
“Thanks for the heads up,” said Cooper. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
Cooper glanced at Soojin. Her face revealed nothing, but he knew she was probably wondering why the governor was trying to discredit the senator.
“Okay, okay, enough about business,” said Rick. “It’s time to eat.”
“What’s on the menu?” asked Soojin.
Rick grinned wickedly. “Deep-fried gopher. Just how we like ‘em here in North Dakota.”
Chapter 19
The Louisiana Bayou
The rain continued to pelt the top of the houseboat as Nash grew more impatient with each passing hour. He was still reeling from Gabby’s recent attempt to escape. Now, he sat in the corner of the living room watching her sleep on the couch, her leg securely chained to the table once more.
I thought we were getting somewhere, Nash thought. She was just playing with my emotions. How could I be so stupid? She’ll never love me.
Nash had felt this way once before—after he had called off the wedding with his former fiancée. He later regretted his decision, but by then she was long gone.
He took out a piece of paper.
MY BIGGEST REGRETS:
1. Fumbling away our high school state football championship
2. Not being able to save fallen fellow soldiers in Iraq
3. Throwing away my first love
4. Refusing to take medicine for my problem
5. Getting kicked out of the Rangers
6. Cutting off communication with my parents before they died
7. Moving to North Dakota (Gabby messed up my mind and future)
Nash knew he would have to wait out the torrential downpour if he were to have any chance getting back to Houma. He hoped it would die down before Christmas Eve, because that was when he planned to make his move. Law enforcement and border patrol would be lax on Christmas Eve and Day. He would drive through the night all the way to Key West. From there, he knew a guy who could take him by sailboat down to Cancun. Once in Mexico, he could easily bounce around the massive country, or move farther into Latin America.
The only question is, do I take the girl or leave her here?
Just then, Gabby turned over and stretched. She looked over at Nash.
“Mind if I use the bathroom quick?” she asked.
“Sure.” Nash bent to unlock her chain. As he did, she lightly squeezed his arm. Not just any squeeze, but the kind a woman gives a man to make him feel as though he has won her heart. Nash burned inside, going completely still.
Gabby met his eyes. “Declan, I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday. I—I just don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to cause you any harm, and I wanted to say thanks for saving my life.”
Nash didn’t know how to respond, so he just nodded and finished unlocking the chain. She let go of his arm and walked past him to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
How can a woman cause such desire in my heart with just one touch and comment, when minutes before I condemned her?
He didn’t know what he would do next.
Well, I could bring her. Why not?
Nash started pacing the houseboat’s living room.
On the other hand, she could be playing me like the used trombone I am.
He would ask her a few questions to gauge her willingness to go along with him. If she was against it, that would be the end of it. If she went along with it, then they might still have a future.
Gabby came out of the bathroom and headed back toward the co
uch. She sat down and started putting the chain around her ankle.
“Wait,” said Nash. “Not right now. Can we talk?”
“Of course.” Gabby looked up at Nash.
She looks like an angel, and those eyes melt me.
Nash sat down across from her. “How do you feel about coming with me on the next leg of this journey?”
Gabby averted her gaze. Then she looked right back into Nash’s eyes and said, “I think it would be a good idea to move on together to the next destination. This spot isn’t safe.”
Nash’s heart started to beat faster. He had butterflies in his stomach. It was as if he was in high school all over again asking a popular girl to the prom.
“That’s great to hear, miss—”
“Just call me Gabby, I’m tired of all the ‘miss’ talk. It’s too formal for this northern girl.” Gabby smiled.
Nash laughed. She broke the ice, we are all good again!
“Okay, thanks. I agree, we’ve been here too long. I’d like to leave sooner, but there is no way we are getting anywhere in this rainstorm. Especially in that canoe. My new plan is to leave on Christmas Eve, since it’ll be a quiet day to travel.”
“Where are we headed next?”
He bit his lip. “How do you feel about Mexico?”
Gabby slowly nodded. “Mexico is good. I think it’s a logical place to head next.”
Nash smiled. “Perfect, then that’s where we will go. We should be safe there. Well, as long as we don’t get into the drug trafficking business.”
Gabby laughed. “How will we get there?”
“Leave those details to me. Just rest up, because we’ll be leaving in two days and it may be a long and exhausting trip.”
“Do you speak any Spanish?”
“Enough to get us by. You?”
“Si, hablo espanol.”
Wow, and she speaks Spanish? This girl is the whole package. Even better than I dreamed.
“Muy bien! We will be able to get around just fine down there. What a pleasant early Christmas gift.” Nash blushed.
She gazed into his eyes. “Feliz Navidad.”
He melted back into his chair.
We will be together forever.
Chapter 20
Williston, North Dakota
There were no flights down to Louisiana out of Bismarck, but there was a late-night flight to Houston out of Williston. Cooper and Soojin booked the flight to Houston, with an early morning connection to New Orleans. From there, they could rent a car and drive the rest of the way to Houma.
It was a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Bismarck to Williston with nothing to look at but oil drills and flat prairie land covered in snow. Even though their flight was late in the day, they got an early start so they could stop by the repair shop to check on Cooper’s Jeep before they headed to the airport.
“Was it just me, or was that kind of weird last night with the governor and lieutenant governor?” asked Soojin.
“It was really strange,” said Cooper. “That governor is a horn ball; he was totally checking you out all night.”
Soojin scrunched up her face in disgust. “And what was all that talk about Senator Hanson and his health, and about him fabricating stories? I’ve known him for years, and he has never made anything up. His mind is sharp.”
“They were trying to discredit Senator Hanson for some reason.” Cooper looked over at Soojin as she drove. “Wait a second, do you think it’s possible this has something to do with the big story Mark told me he would share after we find Gabby?”
Soojin glanced at Cooper before returning her attention to the road. “It’s possible. We can ask Mark this afternoon when we leave the vehicles at his place.”
Cooper nodded. “I think I will. I’d also like to see if he has any other updates on Gabby before we head down south.”
They arrived in Williston around lunchtime, and Soojin took Cooper directly to the auto repair shop. Wellstone was parked on the edge of the lot, and at first glance it looked pretty good. Cooper jumped out of the rental car and went up to his beloved Jeep, sliding his hand across the hood. He popped it open and checked the engine. Everything looked right. He knelt down underneath the vehicle to check the frame, impressed by how straight it was now. Cooper nodded in approval, and then went into the shop to pay and get his keys.
Come on buddy, start for me.
The temperature was hovering around thirty-two degrees, so Cooper wasn’t expecting any problem with the battery. It took a second to turn over, but then it was firing on all cylinders.
Back from the dead, it’s a miracle.
Cooper smiled and waved at Soojin. She was off to the Hanson residence to check up on Sydney. Cooper would join them once Mark was home, but first he had a lunch meeting with Lisa Larson, at Bill Anderson’s request.
Lisa agreed to meet him at a place called Gramma Sharon’s Family Restaurant, located just off of Highway 2. Cooper took the opportunity to smoke a cigarette as he pulled Wellstone into the parking lot. As he finished his smoke he looked over and saw there was a green Volkswagen beetle already parked by the front door. It had Wisconsin vanity plates that read Larson.
Oh jeez, here we go. The last time he saw her car was in the MPR parking lot. She had cut him off one morning and took the last open spot.
Cooper flicked his cigarette out and walked into the restaurant. He immediately saw Lisa’s blazing red glasses across the diner. She was sitting in a booth by the windows, typing away on her laptop, headphones in her ears. She didn’t look up when Cooper sat down across from her.
A waitress offered Cooper a cup of coffee, and he ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. The waitress then turned her attention to Lisa, who slowly took her headphones off.
“I’ll just have a caramel roll,” said Lisa. “No coffee.”
The waitress took the menus and walked away. Lisa finally looked over and acknowledged Cooper’s presence.
“Hello, Lisa.” Cooper smiled.
“Hello, Cooper.” Lisa’s own smile was forced.
“Good to see you are as chipper here as you are back home. How are you enjoying your time in North Dakota?”
Lisa shrugged. “I can’t complain. While you are out chasing a wild goose, I’m here getting a real story about what’s going on in the Bakken. So I want to thank you, for handing me the position on the investigative team.”
Cooper sighed. “Finding Gabby matters more to me than any story or promotion.”
“And the longer you try to find her, the closer I am to my promotion.”
“Seriously, what have you been working on?” pressed Cooper. “I know Wild Bill wanted us to connect so we could try to work as a team. Did you hear any more about that flash fire in Watford City?”
Lisa looked down at her laptop. “Yes, I interviewed someone who was there the night of the fire, and others who have worked there. Sounds like that drill did not require the men to wear flame-resistant clothing. But, the lead driller that night, the one flown to Regions in Saint Paul—”
“Marshall?” Cooper interrupted.
Lisa looked up and shot Cooper a look. “Yes, Marshall. Do you want to hear my story or what?”
“Yes, sorry, please go on.”
“So, Marshall told everyone to put their FRCs on anyway, but they wouldn’t listen. I guess it’s like asking a grown man to wear his seatbelt in the car. He either is going to do it, or he’s not. So, when the flash fire came up only Marshall had his FRC on. Did you know the flame that comes up could be up to nineteen-hundred degrees Fahrenheit and last up to five seconds?”
“No, but five seconds at that temperature would feel like an eternity with or without FRCs,” said Cooper.
“The FRC was the only reason Marshall survived,” Lisa said. “The other roughneck on the drill wasn’t wearing them, and he’s dead now.”
“Brutal.” Cooper sipped his coffee. Then he asked, “What’s the deal with the oil spill?”
“It’s pr
etty bad,” said Lisa. “About three million gallons of wastewater have spilled out into the area. It’s already destroyed a creek and surrounding farmland. One farmer I talked to had oil seeping up through the snow in his backyard.”
“Jeez, that’s unbelievable.”
The food arrived, and Lisa started typing again while Cooper ate.
“What are you working on now?”
“I’m transcribing an interview I had this morning with a young woman here in Williston.” Lisa turned her laptop around so it faced Cooper. “Read the highlighted text.”
I live in a 250-square-foot apartment. Certain groceries are a luxury for me, if I can get them at all. I carry mace with me everywhere I go, and never stay out after dark. My life as a single woman in western North Dakota is so different from where I was born and raised in Moorhead, Minnesota.
“Dang,” said Cooper. “Well, I hate to admit it, but looks like you are getting some solid interviews.”
“Hey, listen.” Lisa leaned in closer. “Something weird is going on out here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think I’m being followed.”
The hair on the back of Cooper’s neck rose. “What makes you think that?”
“I’ve seen the same guy around town a few times, and I’ve spotted a recurring vehicle in different places. But what’s even more strange is I’ve been stopped three times on the highways by the state troopers.”
“Were you speeding?”
“Not really, but they give me two warnings and one speeding ticket for going seven miles per hour over. I haven’t been pulled over in any state for years, and certainly never given a ticket for going seven over.”
“They were state troopers every time?”
“Yes, all three. Different ones, too.”
“Who supervises the state troopers?” asked Cooper.
Lisa paused. “I think it’s the governor. Why?”
Cooper shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know, it just seems like maybe there is someone who is purposely making your stay in North Dakota a little more difficult than it needs to be. Perhaps you are getting close to something that someone doesn’t want you to know about. I’m not saying it was the governor, but who else could tell three different state troopers to pull you over?”