“Whoa!” Grace said with surprise. “Don’t get hurt at the victory parade.”
She held out her arms to meet him and they hugged for half a minute. She squeezed his midsection so hard, he thought she was trying to choke him. When he pulled back to look at her face, she was in tears.
“I’m sorry I almost hit you. That woman—”
“No, it’s not that. It’s Mom. I’m sorry she didn’t make it. I’m sorry you lost her.”
Ezra didn’t know how to react, until he remembered Susan had sent him out west to be with their daughter. To heal their family. It was a miracle to be standing there with her again. Instead of trying to think of a profound response, he pulled Grace to his chest and held her tight.
After a short period of time, a young man tapped him on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, sir. Sorry for disturbing you, but you two should move in front of the truck, rather than next to it. There are still a few guys shooting from their shipping containers back there.”
Ezra looked over to the guy. He was a park ranger, like Grace. Or, he remembered, he was dressed to look like one. “You must be Asher Creighton. I’ve heard a few things about you on the calls with my daughter.”
“All good, I hope?”
Grace separated herself from Ezra. She looked at Asher, laughing. “You were with me the whole time. You know what I said to him.”
“Oh, right.” Asher turned away as if embarrassed, but he kept looking at the other person who was with them. He soon pointed to the boy’s leg. “You’ve been shot!”
They all gathered around a boy they introduced to him as Logan. His left pant leg was covered in blood, but he continued to stand up, and only seemed a bit bothered by it.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve had worse wounds. I fell off a horse once. You know, it’s not true what they say about Crow being natural riders. Calvin Tames Horse, my butt. His instructions sucked.”
Grace made him sit down on the front bumper, but on the opposite side from the dented and bloody portion. At the same time, Butch and Haley came around, apparently intrigued by the family reunion.
“E-Z, is that your daughter? I see the family resemblance.”
Ezra gave him the “shut up” sign across his own throat, which Grace noticed.
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m fine with it.”
“You are? You always hated it when people pointed that out.”
“Not always,” she said in a reasonable voice, also tending to the boy. “Just in my angry teen phase. I’m happy to be your daughter again. Especially today.”
He’d never heard a better sentence in his whole life.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am this is over,” he said with satisfaction.
Outside Boulder, WY
“It’s not over, Dad. Not by a country mile.” Having grown up in western Kentucky, she was fond of using the phrase.
Her dad looked around. “We stopped the men in the trucks. The shooting is dying down. Soon your friends in the town will have complete control of this place.”
On cue, her phone meowed. Her dad’s friend, a guy bigger than anyone she’d ever met, laughed out loud.
She answered it. “Hello?”
“I see you’ve survived the battle. Good job.” It was the same mystery man as before. She looked around the area, wondering if the man was spying on her from nearby. However, when there was nothing obvious out there, she looked up. A helicopter swept low about five miles away. There was also a little airplane flying high above, making no sound that she could tell.
The man chuckled. “Yep, I’m watching from up here. I can see you, the Native kid, and your boyfriend. I don’t know the others.”
“What do you want?” she asked, not wanting to give away her dad.
“You need to move fast. Petteri is sneaking his asteroid out of the valley right this instant.”
“How do you sneak a five-story asteroid out of a flat valley with no trees?”
“Who is it?” her dad whispered.
She held her hand over the mic. “It’s someone who’s been helping us. I don’t know his name—”
She let go so she could speak. “Who are you, by the way?”
The man hesitated. “I’m Jake Ray.”
She’d heard the name before. It was someone Misha had mentioned. “Jake Ray?”
Asher tapped her on the arm. “He’s the guy Misha told us about!”
“You’re Misha’s friend. He said we should look for you when we got to the dig site. Did you know he sent us?”
“I know now. He and I have, uh, done some work together. I gave him some pointers about how to conduct his security at Petteri’s dig site. Let’s simply leave it at that.”
“Well, Mr. Ray, if Misha trusted you, I’m willing to trust you as well. If you say Petteri is sneaking his rock out of this valley, I’ll believe you. But what can we do about it?”
Ray sniffed. “To stop him, all you need to do is go north and block the highway. There’s nowhere else he can go with it. But you’ll have to leave now. He’s already on the move.” A disturbance took place on the other end of the line. Jake spoke to someone, then hung up.
She held the phone for a few seconds, then let it drop.
“What happened?” Asher and Dad asked at the same time.
“He had to go. Sounded like he was with someone else.”
“What did this person want?” her dad asked with skepticism.
“We have to go north to stop Petteri from sneaking his rock out of the valley.”
“North?” he asked. “I know this will be hard to believe, but I spent some time this morning south of here at a railroad terminal. TKM has hundreds of hopper cars lined up, ready to take ore on the rails. We were part of the defense of the place, in fact. Honey, I think Jake might be playing you.”
A huge red SUV skidded to a stop next to the semi, catching everyone’s attention. A man shouted from the passenger seat. “Logan!”
Grace stood up, recognizing the voice immediately. “Your son is fine, sir. He’s injured, but not too bad.”
Shawn Runs Hard came out of his truck and hobbled over to his son. The driver, Logan’s mother, Tyressa Runs Hard, came out at a run.
“I’m okay!” Logan said, trying to stand.
Grace didn’t bother stopping him. She’d torn a piece of Logan’s shirt to make a bandage and seen Nerio’s bullet had only grazed the outside of his shin. He’d be fine.
While everyone took turns introducing each other, and Logan’s parents doted over their wounded son, she kept thinking about Jake’s message. Why would he send her north when, to her logic and her dad’s, it would make far more sense that the ore would go south, by train. After a few minutes of the meet and greet, she got them all back to business.
“Mr. Runs Hard, I have to share a phone message I got just now. A TKM spy told me Petteri Tikkanen is stealing the ore by driving it north. I’m not sure how, but it’s what he said.”
Shawn seemed to think on it for a few seconds, then he lumbered over to the front of the big rig, so as to see to the west. After seeming to mystically commune with the land, he made an observation. “See the dust?” He pointed southwest.
Many miles away, dust hung in the air as if a great storm of it had kicked up in that part of the valley. It looked like the dust plumes created by the trucks coming out of the mountains earlier. It was probably why Shawn noticed it.
“I see it, yeah,” she said dryly.
“Petteri is going south toward his railroad depot. My brother was supposed to attack it, though I have no idea if that ever took place.”
Her dad interrupted. “You’re Shawn Runs Hard! We ran into your brother.” He hesitated. “Actually, I’m embarrassed to say this, but we almost got him killed.” Her dad went into a short explanation of being picked up by Calvin Tames Horse, him stating he was Shawn’s brother, then being attacked by TKM. He went on to explain how they barely survived when he and his friends were swooped up by the m
ining team since they thought the three of them were employees of the company. Butch and Haley both added how her dad had personally saved the lives of Calvin and a young girl named Fern.
Shawn seemed relieved. “I know Fern. I will have to learn more about those who perished when the time is right. However, if my brother is still alive, then perhaps the attack is still happening. I must help him. That’s where I have to go.”
“There was an attack down there this morning. I don’t think it took the place over, though. At least not in the time I was there. It was a near-run thing. However,” he looked to the dust clouds to the southwest, “I have to admit the attack might have failed if that dust storm is any indication. TKM is still taking their trucks south.”
She didn’t like where things were headed. Both her dad and the Crow leader were in agreement where the point of the attack was taking place. Should she believe them, or a guy on the phone?
Grace turned to Asher. “What do you think we should do?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been hanging with you since Yellowstone. You’ve made some good calls, and some bad ones, but you’ve always put thought into your plans. I’d say you keep doing what you’ve been doing. Trust your gut. I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
She steeled herself for disagreeing with her dad.
But when she turned to him, he was all smiles.
“What?” she asked.
He pointed to Asher. “I like this young man. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. If you think we need to go north, and he does, too, then that’s where I’m going.”
She shared a knowing look with Ash.
“Let’s go north,” she declared.
Grace felt elated to have her father’s support, but she could tell by Shawn’s expression he wasn’t convinced. He quietly walked over to be with Logan and his wife, then he turned to her. “I’m sorry, but the Crow Nation cannot operate based on an anonymous source on your phone. I have to lead my people to the south. I must help my brother and the men and women expecting me.”
“I totally understand,” she replied.
Shawn and his wife nodded to each other, then gently held Logan’s arms. Shawn turned to Grace. “Our son has behaved honorably since you found him in Billings. We are grateful you came into our lives. The Crow Nation thanks you for showing us what was possible fighting against the powerful TKM corporation. However, this time we’re going to physically restrain him until you drive over the horizon.”
Logan figured out he was being held back. “Aw, Dad, come on. You’re embarrassing me.”
Shawn chuckled. “That’s what fathers do.
Petteri’s Mobile Headquarters, WY
Dorothy was giving him a report as he watched the natural gas field pass by in the window of his oversized RV. “It looks like all the trucks are on the move. We’ve got two hundred regular-sized dump trucks, five Caterpillar 797s we brought in from one of your local quarries, and two dozen long-bed haulers. Those, plus the rock we’ve already cleared out on other shipments, means we’ve gotten all but the rump of the asteroid.”
“The engineering team has outdone themselves,” he replied, feeling better than he had in days.
“And, as instructed, the orbital repositioning is almost completed. Up until this point, it only looked like we were moving our maintenance ships as part of our normal operations, but now they’re spreading out and heading for their drop windows. I figure we have about two hours until they strike.” Dorothy seemed to consider what to say before adding. “Do you think now is the time to put out a press release saying we’ve been hacked and are unable to stop what’s taking place up there?”
“How would you word it?” he asked, truly curious how her mind worked.
“I would immediately condemn Ms. Torres as the culprit for this terrorist attack. Make her the target of the world’s ire. Make yourself into the hero.”
“That’s what I tried to do for the other rocks. I sent supplies to shield what we were really doing at each one. I suppose it could work for a while. Old tricks are the best ones, right?”
“This is the time, sir. I see on my screen that our troops are giving up near Boulder. They’ve been stopped.”
“What?” he said with surprise. “And Nerio?”
“Dead. We have drone footage showing it. I’m pulling it up now.” She clicked some buttons on her laptop, then showed him a ten-second overhead video of a big rig slamming into his assassin.
“A shame,” he said, partially meaning it. “But we can use this to our advantage. Go with your press release. Mention we’ve already stopped the terrorist leader in our ranks, but we’ve lost control of the spacecraft thanks to Ms. Torres and Deidre Creighton in mission control. We’ll pretend to throw all our resources behind the recall procedure.”
They laughed together. One minor setback allowed him to take two powerful steps forward. It was all coming together.
He relaxed in his leather chair. The RV had a small table surrounded by comfortable benches. It was built as part of some Wyoming politician’s re-election campaign, which Petteri contributed to heavily, including some off-the-books help against his clueless opponent. He didn’t feel bad demanding its use while he was in the state.
Aarons was in another compartment up by the driver, so for the moment, he and Dorothy were alone. Thinking about the political hit-job made him realize it was becoming his modus operandi. He’d run the same con on a much larger scale with someone familiar to his helper.
“You know, you asked me once about Mr. Stricker. What I have over the idiot that keeps him in my pocket?”
She nodded, suddenly interested.
“I have many subsidiary companies under the TKM umbrella. Finance. Marketing. Art. Transportation. The needs of a global business empire are insatiable. None of it can be left to chance when dealing with the government. Especially when locking horns with the federal gorilla.” He didn’t think she noticed his mixed metaphor.
“Makes sense,” she agreed.
“So, in the case of our mutual enemy Stricker, I waited until he took a trip to a third-world country, had my friends find the right people there, and then I set him up.” He said it with excitement, as if revealing his methods would thrill both him and Dorothy.
“How?” she said, jaw hanging open. “He’s, like, one of the most powerful men in the government.”
“Resources, my dear. All of this comes down to resources. No one on Earth has more of them than I do.” He leaned over the small table, speaking quietly. “I had some intel operatives run a sting on him. We drugged him, dumped him in a local brothel, sprinkled in some young-looking women, and a few young men for good measure, then took a million pictures of him.”
She seemed disappointed. “So, when he woke up, you convinced him he’d done some bad things the previous night. It sounds ham-handed, like a TV show. He was innocent, right? A guy like him would know for sure he didn’t do anything illegal. He’d know it was a setup.”
Petteri knew Dorothy was about to have her mind blown.
“I didn’t tell you the best part.”
Chapter 23
North of Boulder, WY
“You sure about this?” her dad asked, once they were on the road. “That dust storm down south sure looks juicy. A whole fleet of dump trucks could be underneath. Your Crow Nation friends might end this battle after all.” He pointed to the second giant plume of dust, which was created by the speeding trucks of Shawn and his people as they raced into the middle of the valley both to reclaim the dig site as well as confiscate the ore in those trucks.
Secretly, she hoped they would find Petteri and put an end to him, but Misha wouldn’t have put them in touch with Jake Ray if it wasn’t for a reason. She had to trust her old enemy wouldn’t steer her wrong. “If they don’t show, I’ll be the first to say I’m wrong. However, I don’t think I am.”
Asher touched her dad on the shoulder from the back seat. “You probably don’t know this about your daughter, but sh
e can be very stubborn.” He cracked up as soon as he said it.
Her dad chuckled, too. “I did know that, in fact. It seems hanging out with you has made her even more hardheaded, so thanks.”
Haley and Butch sat directly behind Grace. Butch, perhaps sensing the mood had lightened after leaving the deadly fight for Boulder, reverted to his old self. “I want to commend you on what you’ve got going on with this truck. It reminds me of Susan’s Grace, in fact, which makes sense given the family ties.”
The big guy laughed, but Grace did not. She looked over to her dad. “Susan’s Grace?”
Dad bowed his head. “The pontoon boat. I named it after your mother. She watched over us as we traveled out here. I’m sure of it. Unfortunately, I lost the boat back in Kansas City. It was blown up, actually.”
She didn’t want to get him down, so she half turned toward Butch. “Thanks for keeping an eye on my dad. We all need good friends during these weird times. Asher is my number one, but this truck is my number two.”
Asher and Butch laughed uproariously. Dad was laughing quietly, too.
“Oh, come on!” she complained. “Not everything is a poop reference!”
Dad sobered up. “I believe you, Gracie. Always. What’s up ahead? Where do you think Petteri might go?”
They were headed for the pass. There was still no dust on the gravel road in the northern part of the valley, so it became easier to doubt Jake Ray had been correct about where Petteri had gone. If the trucks were already over the top of The Rim, it would be hard to stop them since there was only one road through Jackson, the Tetons, and Yellowstone. To get in front of them, they would have to turn around, go back through Boulder and Green River, and then drive in a huge arc around Yellowstone. With luck, they could meet up with them somewhere in Montana, but it would not be easy.
“The pass up there,” she replied. “We have to reach it first. If not, we’ll never get him. It’s not far up this road.”
Impact Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 117
