Chapter 5 #2
Hurrying into the bathroom, she washed her face, ran a brush through her hair and pulled it back, twisting it into a long, thick braid. Without her own makeup and a flat iron, she couldn’t do much more with her appearance. And she’d be wearing the same outfit as she had the day before.
Which reminded her…
Liliana checked the time. With three minutes to spare, she called her assistant, Rachel.
“Oh, thank god,” Rachel answered. “Why didn’t you call me last night? I was so worried until Amanda texted me to let me know you’d arrived in West Yellowstone safely.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve been in touch a lot sooner. A lot has happened, and I’ll fill you in when I see you, but first, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Anything. You want me to drive out to West Yellowstone? I can be there in two hours.”
“No. That won’t be necessary. Since Cody has been postponed, I want to get a head start on Jackson. We’ll likely get on the road in the next hour. Have you heard from the bomb squad? Is my vehicle safe?”
“Yes. I called the tribal police. They say the bomb squad cleared your car. No explosives were found.” Rachel laughed, though the sound wasn’t filled with humor. “Sounds funny to say that. Funny, but not funny. Kind of sobering, if you ask me.”
“Yeah. I need you to swing by my car, get my overnight bag and the suits I had hanging in the backseat and bring them to Jackson today. Better yet, you can drive my car rather than put miles on yours. We can regroup and go over everything once we get to Jackson.”
“Good,” Rachel said. “I’m feeling out of the loop with you disappearing to West Yellowstone. Next time you fly off in a private jet, remember me, will ya?”
“You know I will. Before you leave Riverton, could you stop by campaign headquarters and let everyone know I’m all right and thinking about them?”
“Will do.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rach. See you in Jackson in about four hours…?”
“You bet,” Rachel said and ended the call.
A minute past the ten Dax had given her, Liliana tucked her cell phone into her suit jacket pocket, pulled open her door and dashed through the doorway, slamming into a rock-solid chest.
Hands came around her to steady her.
“Whoa, there,” Dax said. “I really didn’t expect you to make it out in ten minutes. Are you okay?”
Breathless from close proximity to Dax, Liliana laughed shakily. “I’m fine and a minute late, according to my cell phone. Have you been waiting long?”
He shook his head. “I just stepped out of my room when you came barreling out of yours. Good timing. I smell bacon. Are you hungry?”
As the scent of bacon reached Liliana, her stomach rumbled. “Starving.”
“Let’s see what Cookie has on the menu this morning.”
“Lead the way. I’m still a little turned around.”
He offered her his elbow.
Liliana should have ignored it and walked on her own, resisting temptation completely. Instead, she hooked her arm through his and walked with him down the corridor, through the lobby to the lodge’s dining room.
A buffet had been arranged at one end of the dining room. Guests served themselves.
Stone greeted them as they entered, handing them each a plate. “Help yourself and join us at the main table.”
After selecting yogurt, fruit and a boiled egg, Liliana poured a small glass of cranberry juice and hurried over to the table where Stone, several other team members and the lodge staff had gathered.
“Good morning, Miss Lightfeather,” John Jacobs’ booming voice filled the room.
“Good morning, Mr. Jacobs. Please, call me Liliana.” She found an empty seat and set her plate and glass down.
Stone held her chair as she sank into it.
Kyla carried her plate to the table and waited as Stone held her chair for her. She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Liliana envied their open display of affection. How wonderful would it be to love someone so completely that showing it was as natural as breathing?
Her own breath caught as Dax settled in the seat beside her, his plate full of heaping helpings of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage with a side of pancakes. He tucked into the food, washing it down with a full cup of steaming coffee.
Kyla cut into a piece of ham and held it up on the end of her fork. “Swede and I did some digging last night.” She popped the ham into her mouth and chewed.
Stone chuckled. “Well, are you going to tell us what you found?”
After she finished chewing, Kyla swallowed. “Your opposing candidates are Ronald Merritt and Brad Benton.”
Liliana nodded. “Merritt leans far left and Benton far right.”
Kyla nodded. “Benton promises to halt further oil pipelines from crossing into Wyoming. He wants to end coal mining. He’s also pushing for green energy and electric cars all the way.”
“That’s right,” Liliana said. “He doesn’t quite understand that we’re a nation highly dependent on fossil fuels.
If we limit our production and transfer of those fuels, we become reliant on foreign sources.
Not to mention that some electric plants use coal to generate electricity.
Until we make green energy cheaper and more accessible, we need fossil fuels, and why not let the people of Wyoming benefit from the jobs that are part of the pipeline industry?
We can route them around the sacred lands and national park. ”
“Merritt agrees with you,” Kyla said.
“And he leans far right,” Liliana said. “He’s also backed by the oil industry as well as some big land developers.”
Kyla nodded. “One developer, Tate Harris, wants the government to allow THEnterprises to build mega-resorts, bordering on public land in Yellowstone National Park and on the edge of Wind River Indian Reservation.” Kyla snorted softly.
“I use the term bordering loosely. The plans show the access to the resort cutting through the national park and WRIR lands.”
“That will never happen,” Liliana said. “I won’t let it.”
“If Merritt, the GOP pick, is elected, he’ll push for Harris’s project to go through,” Kyla said.
“Is stopping a land development project from going through enough to warrant the complete elimination of an opposing candidate? In that case, why not take out Benton while he’s at it?” Liliana shook her head.
Kyla’s lips twisted. “Sweetie, you’re more of a threat to Merritt than Benton is, based on the preliminary polls.”
Liliana’s chest swelled. She’d come a long way from a relative nobody to tying and potentially moving ahead of the incumbent.
“Did you find anything about who might have gotten a hold of C-4 explosives?” Dax asked.
Kyla nodded. “The ATF provided a list of individuals or corporations who have purchased C-4 in the past.”
Dax leaned forward. “Is THEnterprises on that list?”
Kyla shook her head. “No, but we haven’t narrowed the list down to a manageable level yet.
There are several mining corporations that use C-4 close to Riverton.
One is RFR Mining Corporation. The other is Buffalo Mining Corporation.
There are others in the state that also purchase C-4 for their mining operations.
They have strict guidelines for the use and storage. ”
“Seems like picking a needle out of a haystack,” Liliana said. “Even if we find the source of the C-4, we’d have to find who would have taken it from that source.”
“One step at a time,” Kyla said. “Swede is rooting through their online systems to check inventory statuses. We’ll keep you informed if any companies show signs of misuse of the controlled items.”
“The source of that C-4 could prove to be key,” Stone said. “And there has to be a connection between where that source is and who would’ve taken the C-4.”
Kyla nodded. “We’re working that angle. It might take time.”
“Are there any particular cases you tried that might’ve left someone with a grudge who might want to get back at you for ruining his day?” Stone asked.
Liliana frowned. “There are a number of people who might be disgruntled by the outcomes of some of my cases.”
“Names?” Kyla asked, pulling out her cell phone to take notes.
“Jason Monahan,” Liliana said. “I shut down his meth lab and sent him to jail for six years. He’s out already on good behavior, from what I understand.
” She frowned. “There’s Nolan Farley, a white supremacist I had sent to jail for a hate crime for an unprovoked assault on a Shoshoni man.
He spent three years and was freed a few months ago.
” She shook her head. “Right off the top of my head, I can’t remember the names of the others.
I only remember those because I was notified of their recent releases. ”
Stone gave his fiancée a nod. “You got those?”
She nodded. “We’ll work those names as well and any others you come up with.”
Stone turned to Dax and Liliana. “Will one protector be enough?”
Liliana nodded. “We’ll make it work.”
“Just don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Stone said. “And stay close to Dax at all times.”
“I will,” Liliana said. “Though, how will he protect me from another explosion?”
Stone grinned. “You’re in luck. Hank has his man Kujo on the way with his bomb-sniffing dog Six. They should be here any minute. They can run through wherever you’re giving a speech prior to your arrival to check for explosives.”
The tightness in Liliana’s chest loosened. “That is good news. I need to thank Mr. Patterson for all he’s doing for me.”
“Thank him by winning the election,” Stone said. “Hank and his wife don’t ask for anything in return. They just want to help where they can.”
“I feel honored their assistance is channeled in my direction.”
A commotion at the entrance to the dining room made everyone glance in that direction.
A tall man with black hair and blue eyes entered with a large, sable German Shepherd on a lead.
“Speak of the devil…” Stone stood and met the newcomer as he approached the table. “Kujo, good to see you.” He held out his hand and took the other man’s in a tight grip. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”
“The timing was right. Molly, Sadie and Kate are taking the kids on a train ride to Seattle to visit the aquarium.”