by Aimée Thurlo
“Celebration? Tonight? What’s the occasion?”
“I survived. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Not giving him a chance to answer, she climbed out of his SUV, waved goodbye and walked to the front porch.
Chapter Four
As the owner of TechTalk Incorporated, Holly was her own boss, but she still had to answer to her clients. Martin Roanhorse wasn’t as difficult as most, but he could be demanding, particularly when things weren’t flowing as smoothly as he wanted. Right now, from the look on his face, she could tell that something had upset him.
“I heard about the incident last night,” he said as she took the seat he offered. “You shouldn’t have been wandering around alone outside, particularly after what happened here yesterday.”
Since it was barely eight in the morning, she was surprised to find out he already knew of the attack. “I was on my way to meet someone,” she said calmly. “In case you’re worried, I don’t think it had anything to do with my job.” She paused then added, “How did you find out so quickly?”
“I spoke to Daniel Hawk this morning.”
She blinked. “He’s already here?”
He nodded. “Down the hall. He’s going over a scheduled training op with our security team. The briefing started at daybreak,” he said, then quickly got back to the matter at hand. “Have you heard anything from the Hartley police?”
“No, not yet.”
“Your work is important to the tribe, Holly, so I’m authorized to provide you with protection if you think it might be necessary. Just say the word,” he said.
Martin’s offer caught her off guard. She’d worked all night to convince herself that what had happened was the result of an unlucky set of circumstances, nothing more. Having to once again face the possibility that she might continue to be a target made a cold shiver race up her spine.
She took a breath, trying to calm herself down. Forcing all doubts and fear from her voice, she answered Martin. “Thank you very much, but that’s not necessary. I really think it was an isolated thing.”
“But you can’t be sure,” he said, voicing the thought that whispered from the dark corners of her mind. “Let’s keep the offer on the table for now, just in case.”
She started to argue, then stopped. Creating problems or encouraging needless confrontations wasn’t her style.
“When you called this meeting, you mentioned that you had a new assignment for me,” she said, bringing him back to the business at hand.
Martin nodded. “Some of our investors are still concerned that this facility will be vulnerable to sabotage, especially after it became clear that our new exploration and recovery operations are being challenged. So I’d like you to go meet Daniel Hawk and observe today’s special training exercise. A team of ex-police officers acting as terrorists will mount an assault and our own security people will have to counter it. It’s meant to test the effectiveness of the protective measures we have in place. Afterward, I’d like you to present our investors with the results of the exercise, which I believe will be positive. Just don’t give out details of the actual tactics we use here. Those have to remain classified.”
“Is the exercise going to include this building?” she asked.
“No, that would disrupt other business. The target is the new building behind this one, which is still just a shell at the moment. Arthur Larrabee will be directing the assault team. Do you know him?”
“The name sounds familiar…” she said, trying to place it.
“He’s running for city council over in Hartley.”
She smiled and nodded. “Now I remember. He started campaigning early. Elections are six months from now.”
“Larrabee’s an ex-police officer who also teaches police science classes at the college. We needed someone who could seriously challenge Daniel Hawk’s strategies and tactics, and that was tough to find. Most of the top people in that field are already at work in other facilities.”
“Hawk—he’s that good?”
“You better believe it,” he said without hesitation. “Larrabee’s his equal, though—at least on paper.”
“Better at the job?”
“No, not better,” Roanhorse said slowly. “Their methods are different, that’s all. Larrabee’s strategy is to deploy large, heavily armed security forces. Hawk…” His voice trailed off as he thought about it. “Hawk’s tactics call for small, highly trained teams.”
“Size doesn’t always matter,” a familiar voice said from behind Holly. As she turned, Daniel smiled and entered the office. “A handful of highly trained experts can block access to the most vulnerable targets and neutralize any intruders.”
“That sounds logical,” Holly said.
“Larrabee hasn’t made his move yet, but everything’s in place,” Daniel said.
“Then take Ms. Gates with you and brief her, Daniel,” Martin said. “Make sure she knows what parts of the operation need to remain secret.”
“Roger that.”
Daniel led the way out of Martin’s office and walked with Holly down the hall. “My observation post is at the far end of this building. We’ve got an extensive camera network there that will help me monitor each phase of the exercise.”
She followed him into a small office and saw a myriad of screens mounted on shelves. He pointed to the only seat, an office chair on casters. “Go ahead, sit. I prefer to stand.”
She took the chair. “Can you give me a rundown on what you expect to take place?”
“No time. It’s starting,” he said, pointing to one of the screens as he adjusted his small headset. “Vibration detectors in the ground have picked up footsteps outside the back fence. Those men at the front gate are probably only a diversion meant to misdirect our security officers.” He used the mouse to open a second view of three other, armed men scaling the perimeter fence with a ladder.
“They have guns. I thought this was only a drill,” Holly said quickly.
“It is. Everyone’s wearing sensors, and those tubes on the barrels are lasers. They’ll be shooting light, not bullets.”
“Like laser tag.”
“Pretty much.” He checked the other screens and saw two men approaching a camera alongside the key building. One stood on the other’s shoulder and placed a piece of tape over the lens. Immediately another camera across the compound focused on the act, covering and recording it. Next, one of the men brought out a handful of keys and began trying them on the lock.
“The bad guys wouldn’t have keys, would they? Wouldn’t they just blow the door?” Holly asked.
“Yeah, but we can’t afford to keep buying new doors and locks just for a training op. The amount of time needed to find the right key is a variable, just like the time it takes to place the explosives.”
There was a tone that came over a speaker, and the man covering the one with the keys turned around, shaking his head.
Holly saw a small device strapped to his chest, now blinking. “He’s been shot, right?” Holly asked.
There was another beep. The one with the keys turned around, mouthing an easy to recognize curse. “Yeah, and we just got the other one, too. Snipers are covering the building exteriors and the walkways between structures. Our tactics funnel any assaulting personnel into capture or kill zones.”
“What about those men out front, creating the diversion?” Holly looked back at the front gate.
“They’re locked out. Another gate will swing shut if they somehow get past the first team of guards. There’s also a metal plate in the road that’ll keep anyone from crashing through in a vehicle.”
“What if somebody comes over or under the fence and is unarmed? If you’re dealing with a zealot or someone who’s disturbed, will they get shot, too?”
Daniel shook his head. “If we don’t see firearms or suspicious packages, then the guards use Tasers, gas or rubber bullets—normally nonlethal weapons.”
Ten minutes later, Daniel’s phone rang
. He spoke for a moment, hung up and looked at Holly.
“Every intruder has been neutralized. They didn’t get inside the building,” Daniel said, smiling. “Larrabee’s going to be spitting mad. You’ll meet him soon. He’ll be coming in to debrief. Now that he knows where the cameras are, he’ll be asked to mount another exercise in a few days. Meanwhile, our security people will meet and work out any potential weaknesses in our tactics. I don’t play a more active role because this is their test.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then. I’ll pitch this as exacting security measures that anticipate trouble and protect against all manner of intrusions. Sound good?”
“Yeah, that’s precisely what it is.”
As he stepped forward to hang his headset on a hook, she stood and their chests touched. Her skin prickled, but she stopped short of sucking in her breath.
“Sorry. It’s a tight fit,” he said, stepping back but bumping into the desk.
“Which is why I’m leaving,” she said, turning just as a dark- haired Anglo man wearing a desert camouflage suit, boonie hat and leaf-green camo-creme face paint appeared at the door.
“Larrabee,” Daniel said, nodding.
“You’ve got observers?” Larrabee said, standing in the doorway.
“I’m Holly Gates for TTI. The tribe’s corporate partners wanted some additional information on security measures here,” she said. “I’ve got what I need now, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Don’t rush off, pretty lady,” Larrabee said, giving her a wink.
“We’ve got a debrief to take care of right now, Art,” Daniel said. “Let’s not get distracted.”
Roanhorse came up behind Larrabee just then. “Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but I need to see both of you in my office.”
Daniel motioned Larrabee to the door, then followed him out.
Holly was the last to leave the room. She closed the door behind her, then stopped by the water cooler as the others continued down the hall. If she’d read Martin’s expression right, there was a new problem brewing. She had a feeling she’d find out what it was before she left this morning.
In the interim, there was another person she wanted to see. She walked down the hall in the opposite direction.
As she entered the last doorway to her left, Jane Begay looked up and smiled. Jane was a beautiful Navajo woman with long black hair, normally fastened at the nape of her neck while at work. Today, she wore a nondescript brown wool pantsuit with a plain white turtleneck sweater beneath, but what set it off was the beautiful turquoise-and-silver squash blossom necklace around her neck.
“It’s good to see you, safe and sound. I heard that you’ve been having all kinds of trouble lately,” Jane said, offering Holly a seat.
She and Jane were good friends. She’d been the one who’d recommended Holly for the job here at the new natural gas processing plant. Jane served as the local IT person, maintaining the computer network and training employees to use their specialized software and electronic systems.
Briefly, Holly explained what had happened the night before. “Years ago, this kind of attack would have been unheard of in the Four Corners, but now….”
“Yeah, progress,” Jane said in a hushed tone. “Are you being extra careful?”
“I’ll be looking over my shoulder a lot more, sure,” Holly admitted, “but I refuse to hide in my closet and cower.”
“I hear you,” Jane said, “but don’t let pride or bluster get in the way of common sense. I know you like your independence, but you might need a little extra help right now.”
She had a feeling Jane already knew about Martin’s offer of protection. “Maybe the guy isn’t after me specifically. It could be that he was out looking for a victim, and there I was.”
“You can’t be sure of that,” Jane said, then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “I just came out of a top-level meeting. The tribe is considering requiring you to accept protection, at least for a while.”
“If anything else happens, I’ll accept, but I think it’s too early to make that decision.” Holly paused then added, “Do you know if they have anyone in particular in mind as my bodyguard?”
“At first they considered Arthur Larrabee—the ex-policeman. He works for us on a contract basis, and could have fit it into his schedule. He also has the skills to keep you safe, but he’s been taken off the list.”
“Why?” Holly was curious, but not unhappy.
“This is all off the record. You’ll keep it confidential?”
Holly nodded. “Sure.”
“Arthur’s former girlfriend, Megan Olson, has disappeared, at least according to her relatives. Arthur and Megan dated for a while, then recently split up. There’s nothing to indicate that Arthur’s got anything to do with her disappearance, but Arthur’s a person of interest because he was supposedly one of the last people to see her,” she said. “Her family’s influential and they’re demanding answers. It’s just politics, but Martin has decided not to renew Arthur’s contract with us. He doesn’t want any negative publicity spilling over onto us, not right now.”
“That explains why Martin didn’t press me harder to accept the offer of protection this morning. He normally doesn’t give up so easily.”
“Your real problem is that you’re too independent. You don’t want anyone telling you what to do and when.”
“Am I that transparent?” Holly asked with a rueful smile. “No, don’t answer that.”
“Regardless of what you want, if there’s another incident, the tribe will insist that you accept their offer of protection. We need you right now. My advice is don’t fight it.”
“Nothing else is going to happen,” Holly said, hoping that was true, and stood. “Right now, I need to get some materials ready for the upcoming job fair in Hartley. The plant is ready to hire additional staff to work here and out in the field. I’ve also got to study my notes and get another presentation ready for a new group of investors.” Holly checked her watch. “Time for me to head over to my office in Hartley.”
Chapter Five
Holly was soon on her way, driving down the long graveled road toward the main highway. As the road stretched out her thoughts drifted to Daniel. He seemed like a force of nature, always active, even in stillness. He clearly didn’t take challenges lightly, either.
She’d seen the spark of competitiveness in his eyes when Larrabee had entered the room. Of course Larrabee had more than his share of machismo, and even in nature, alpha males clashed. Some things were just hardwired into the species.
Holly was halfway to the highway when she saw the fast rising plume of sand and dust behind her. Her skin prickled even as she told herself to relax. She wasn’t likely to be the only human being leaving the plant, even between shifts. Someone was just in a hurry to reach the highway. She couldn’t afford to overreact every time she saw a person traveling in the same direction she was.
Realizing how isolated she was out here, she decided to play it safe. Holly took the next right, moving toward a new Rez housing area. She’d expected the vehicle behind her to continue directly to the highway, but it took the same turn she did and continued following at a distance.
Holly made a few more random, last minute turns down residential streets where there were more homes than vacant lots, but the vehicle remained on her tail, taking the same turns.
Her heart began beating overtime. There was no way she could go to her office in Hartley now and lead whoever was back there right to her door.
Holly tried hard not to give in to panic, but the possibility that this was the same guy who’d attacked her at the coffee shop was terrifying. What if he already knew where her office was, or where she lived?
She pushed back her fears, forcing herself to think clearly. If this was the same guy, she needed to get a description without further endangering herself. She considered pulling over as soon as she rounded the next curve in the road and waiting for him to pass, but then changed her mind. That
was too risky. If he was really stalking her, he’d likely stop, as well, and then what, shoot her? Trying to force the other driver into making any kind of move at all wasn’t a good idea, and if she headed back to the plant, any hope of catching him would fade away. He’d be stupid to follow.
Then it came to her. What she needed was backup. The tribal police department was badly undermanned, and getting a patrol cruiser to her location could take hours. There was only one other logical option. Holly used her Bluetooth and called Daniel. He answered a moment later and Holly quickly told him where she was and what was happening.
“Keep driving through that residential area and stay on the phone. I’ll be there in a few minutes to back you up. If he closes in, find a house where you think someone’s home and run for the door.”
“All right.” As Holly continued circling, the other driver stayed with her.
“He’s still there and keeps his distance whether I speed up or slow down,” Holly said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. “He knows I’ve spotted him. Why doesn’t he take off?”
“Get back on the plant road so I can catch up to you sooner. I’m not too far from your current location, maybe three min utes. Once I have you in sight I’ll let you know. Keep the phone line open.”
Three minutes later, Holly spoke again. “I’ve turned onto the plant road, heading north toward the highway. I’m about a quarter mile from the three-way intersection before the big arroyo, the one with the irrigation ditches on either side. There aren’t any other vehicles around except for the guy following me. The oncoming lane is clear.”
“I’m at the top of the hill and can see you now,” Daniel said. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
Following his directions precisely, Holly sped up, then, just before the intersection, swerved into the incoming lane. Braking at the last possible second, she cut to the right and slid in the gravel, blocking the road.
Her heart was beating overtime as she looked over her right shoulder and saw the oncoming sedan. He’d have to leave the road and drop into the ditch to get around her now. Or ram—
