Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Hunter
Lydia Reeves arrives at my house at nine am sharp, carrying a leather briefcase and an expression that suggests she's already had too much coffee and not enough sleep.
"Mr. Turner," she says, shaking my hand firmly. "Thank you for calling me in on this."
"Thank you for making the drive on short notice." I motion for her to come inside. "Coffee? I have a feeling this is going to be a long meeting."
"God, yes."
Lydia has been the pack's legal counsel for fifteen years. She’s one of the few human lawyers who knows what we are and has proven herself trustworthy enough to handle our most sensitive matters. She's sharp, ethical, and absolutely ruthless when it comes to protecting her clients.
We settle in my study, where Ava is already set up with her laptop and organized folders of evidence. Ethan sits in the corner, his own notebooks spread across the side table. Caleb leans against the wall near the window, arms crossed, looking every bit the protective Beta.
"So," Lydia says, pulling out a legal pad. "Gregory gave me the overview when he called yesterday. Environmental contamination, corporate fraud, illegal facility operations. But I need details. Everything you have."
Ava takes the lead, walking Lydia through the evidence with the same precision she showed at the pack meeting.
Water samples, soil analyses, photographs of the barrels, documentation of the active facility.
Ethan adds his comparative data from other sites, showing a pattern of EnvironTech operations across three states.
Lydia takes notes rapidly, occasionally interrupting to ask pointed questions about chain of custody, sampling methodology, dates and times.
"This is good," she says finally, sitting back. "Really good. But we have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" I ask.
"You obtained this evidence through trespassing.
That means it's inadmissible in court, and it could potentially compromise any official investigation.
" She taps her pen against her notepad. "The EPA report Dr. Sinclair submitted will trigger an investigation, but EnvironTech's lawyers will argue that the initial evidence was illegally obtained, which could taint everything that comes after. "
"So what do we do?" Ava asks, her voice tight with frustration.
"We need an independent discovery of the contamination.
Someone with legal authority to be on or near that property who can document the same evidence.
" Lydia flips through her notes. "Do we know anyone in Parkerville who might be sympathetic?
Local officials, environmental inspectors, anyone with jurisdiction? "
"Sheriff Matthews," Caleb says. "He knows about the pack and has been friendly to us."
"Would he be willing to conduct a wellness check near the facility?
Maybe respond to a concerned citizen's report about strange smells or suspicious activity?
" Lydia's mind is already working through the angles.
"If he happens to notice evidence of environmental violations while legitimately investigating a public safety concern... "
"That could work," I say. "He's been looking for a reason to investigate EnvironTech for years. They're technically in his jurisdiction, but they've always claimed everything is shut down and above board."
"Perfect. We give him a reason to look closer, he discovers the contamination independently, and suddenly your evidence becomes corroborating material rather than the fruit of an illegal search.
" Lydia makes a note. "I'll need to brief him first. This has to be done exactly right or it falls apart. "
"I get Gregory to set up a meeting," I offer. "Matthews and he have a good relationship. He'll help if he can."
Lydia nods and turns to Ava. "Your EPA report—when was it submitted?"
"Three days ago. I followed up yesterday and was told it's been assigned to an investigator, but there's a backlog. Could be weeks before they actually do anything."
"Typical." Lydia drums her fingers on the table. "We need to apply pressure. Do you have contacts at Clemson who might have connections to the EPA?"
"My advisor does. Dr. Venkatesan has worked with them on several contamination cases." Ava pulls up her email. "I can reach out, see if she can expedite the review."
"Do that. The faster we get official eyes on this, the harder it is for EnvironTech to cover their tracks." Lydia turns to me. "Now, the sensitive part. How much of this investigation can happen without exposing the pack?"
"That's the question we've been wrestling with," I admit. "The contamination affects a wide area. Not just pack territory. We can frame this as a broader environmental issue without specifically highlighting Willow Creek."
"Good. And the EPA investigation will focus on the EnvironTech facility itself, not on who reported it." Lydia makes more notes. "But what about journalists? Gregory mentioned Rachel has contacts."
"She does," Caleb confirms. "Investigative reporters who specialize in corporate malfeasance. She's been feeding them information gradually, building their interest."
"How much do they know about Willow Creek specifically?"
"Nothing supernatural," I say firmly. "Rachel's been careful. The story is about EnvironTech's fraud and environmental violations. Willow Creek is just one of several communities affected."
"Keep it that way. The last thing we need is reporters digging into why a small mountain town is so invested in this case." Lydia closes her notepad. "Okay. Here's what I recommend. We move forward on three fronts simultaneously."
She counts off on her fingers. "One, I work with Sheriff Matthews to conduct a legitimate investigation that independently discovers the contamination.
Two, Dr. Sinclair applies pressure through academic channels to expedite the EPA review.
Three, Rachel coordinates with journalists to build public interest without drawing attention to the pack. "
"What about EnvironTech themselves?" Ethan asks, speaking for the first time. "Once they realize they're being investigated, they're going to start destroying evidence, intimidating witnesses, maybe coming after the people who reported them."
Lydia's expression turns grim. "That's the risk. Which is why we need to move fast and hit them from multiple directions at once. Make it impossible for them to respond to all the threats simultaneously."
"How long before we go public?" I ask.
"Ideally, we coordinate everything to drop at the same time.
Sheriff Matthews 'discovers' the contamination, the EPA announces their investigation, and the journalistic exposé hits—all within the same twenty-four-hour period.
" She calculates mentally. "If we're lucky and everyone moves quickly, maybe ten days. Two weeks at most."
"That's not much time," Ava says.
"No, it's not. But the longer we wait, the more chance EnvironTech has to notice something's wrong and start covering up.
" Lydia stands. “Let’s set up the meeting with Sheriff Matthews for tomorrow if possible.
In the meantime, I need all your evidence documented and organized according to these specifications. "
She hands Ava a detailed list of requirements. "This is what the EPA will need, what law enforcement will need, and what will hold up in court if this goes to trial. Can you have it ready by the end of the day?"
"Yes," Ava says without hesitation.
"Good. And Dr. Sinclair?" Lydia's voice softens slightly. "I know this isn't what you signed up for when you came here to study plants. Thank you for seeing it through."
After Lydia leaves, we spend the next several hours organizing evidence according to her specifications.
Ava works on digitizing and categorizing all her samples and analyses.
Ethan cross-references his data with hers, building a comprehensive picture of EnvironTech's operations across multiple states.
Caleb coordinates with Rachel on the journalism angle, making sure all her contacts have background information ready to go when the story breaks.
I handle pack business in between, fielding calls and texts from worried pack members, assuring them we're handling the situation, that we're being careful not to expose ourselves.
Marcus calls twice. I let both calls go to voicemail.
By the time the sun starts to set, we're all exhausted and running on fumes. Caleb and Ethan head out, leaving Ava and me alone in my study surrounded by files and laptop screens.
"I need a break," Ava announces, pushing back from my desk. "My eyes are crossing and I've read the word 'contamination' so many times it doesn't look like a real word anymore."
"Food?" I suggest.
"God, yes. When did we last eat?"
"Breakfast, maybe?" I pull out my phone to order takeout, then pause. "Actually, I have a better idea. Come with me."
I lead her through the house and out onto the back deck. The forest stretches out before us, darkening as night falls, and the air is crisp with the promise of autumn.
"What are we doing?" Ava asks.
"Taking an actual break. Not just switching from one type of work to another." I pull her into my arms, and she melts against me with a sigh. "We've been at this for twelve hours straight. We're allowed to stop for a few minutes."
"I feel like I should be doing more. Preparing better, anticipating every possible question?—"
"You've done everything you can do today." I kiss the top of her head. "Lydia was impressed. The evidence is solid. And in two weeks, we're going to expose EnvironTech and stop them from poisoning our territory."
"If everything goes according to plan."
"It will. And if it doesn't, we'll adapt." I turn her to face me. "But right now, in this moment, I don't want to think about EnvironTech or EPA investigations or legal strategy. I just want to be here with you."
She reaches up to cup my face. "That sounds perfect."