Chapter 2
TWO
B laine couldn’t take his eyes off her as she spoke. And not just because she was stunning up there in that deep purple skirt suit that hugged every line of her long, lithe body.
With poise and an air of unshakable confidence that only came from years of experience with public speaking, Dr. Xanthe Lazos had complete command over the entire room and everyone in it as she went through her presentation slide by slide. Including him.
He hadn’t expected this.
She’d caught him off guard with the amount of firepower she’d brought to the fight and to back up her arguments.
Graphics. Graphs. Charts. Data and statistical analysis that surely went over the heads of most people in here.
All backed up with citations from scientific and other professional journals, along with evidence from her own research.
Damn . Her doctorate was in marine biology, but she would have made one hell of an attorney. And a formidable one at that.
She was impressive as hell up there, methodically attacking their project from every conceivable angle, from environmental to economic to social.
He found himself even more interested in her than before.
Even though she’d made it clear the first time they’d met that she hated his guts and everything he stood for.
Beside him, his business associate Don shifted to prop an ankle on his opposite knee, frowning as he rubbed a hand over his chin in clear concern.
Understandable. Because Dr. Lazos was killing it so far, making their proposal seem like an imminent, borderline apocalyptic disaster that would destroy life on the island as the locals knew it.
It was a huge exaggeration. But an effective tactic to charge people’s emotions. A solid strategy to get what she wanted.
“As you can see from the data, this proposed resort would be utterly catastrophic for Skeleton Island, setting a dangerous and irreversible precedent aside from the ecological disaster it would cause.” She looked his way again, clear challenge in her expression .
He hid a smile, his competitive nature kicking in. Game. On.
He might not agree with most of what she was saying.
The resort would create jobs both during and after construction and stimulate the local economy.
Still, he had to respect her dedication to her cause and the effort she’d put into her opposition.
Most people would have given up once the property sale had gone through. Not her.
She had singlehandedly and continually made a point of being a thorn in their side ever since the proposal was announced.
Putting up posters all over the island. Spearheading online petitions.
Orchestrating social media campaigns. Organizing live protests of more than five hundred people that had been picked up by national news networks on the mainland.
Blaine had to respect that level of passion and dedication.
His group had the land. Unfortunately, they also needed city council’s approval to move forward with the resort proposal.
Without it, the project was dead. From where he was sitting, it was clear Dr. Lazos was intent on not only killing the project, but had also singled him out as the villain.
“As all of you are well aware, our Southern Resident orcas are critically endangered. A commercial development of this scale would not only cause more pollution and erosion into this part of the National Marine Sanctuary we all fought so hard to create.” She shot him and his colleagues another hard look.
“It would also destroy more than two hectares of irreplaceable temperate rainforest habitat that our endangered endemic fauna call home.”
“Jesus Christ,” Don muttered under his breath.
Blaine didn’t respond, all his attention on her. She had pulled out all the big guns for this. The force of her arguments and intelligence were formidable weapons.
Even if she was dead wrong about this project being a mistake.
“Therefore, I ask the city council members to carefully consider all this risk of harm to our island and its fragile ecosystem as they prepare to vote on this issue. Approving this project would open a Pandora’s box that could jeopardize everything we hold dear about our island home.
Once that land is developed, it and the habitat standing on it are gone forever.
And once that door has been opened, more development will inevitably follow.
“If that happens, Skeleton Island as we know and love it will disappear along with part of our beautiful rainforest, and with it, our majestic orcas.” She paused a moment to scan the room, her expression determined.
“Please think carefully about all of this before you make your decision, and vote no to stop this project before it’s too late. Thank you for your time and attention.”
A burst of enthusiastic applause and whistles erupted throughout the room.
Don glanced at him, graying eyebrows raised. Blaine read his thoughts clearly. Are we seriously at risk of losing out on this half-billion-dollar project because of this radical environmentalist and a bunch of hippies and tree-huggers?
Not if he could help it.
“Thank you, Dr. Lazos, that was quite informative,” the mayor said, then looked at him and gave a polite smile that was just this side of frosty. “Finally, I invite the project’s chief financial officer to give his remarks before we open up the floor to questions from the audience.”
“Go get ’em,” Don said as Blaine stood and walked toward the stage.
Facing the audience from the podium, it was clear he was waging an uphill battle. There were set, hostile expressions everywhere he looked. Crossed arms. Some people even held protest signs they’d made.
The only friendly faces he saw were his buddy Tripp, off to the right with his fiancée, Willow, his expression neutral. But that was totally on brand for Tripp in pretty much any situation.
This wasn’t Blaine’s first time facing a hostile audience, and it wouldn’t be the last. His career in military intelligence had ensured he remained calm under pressure.
“Before I begin, I’d like to thank all of you for taking the time to attend tonight’s meeting. And especially to Dr. Lazos, for that incredibly detailed presentation.”
She sat stock still in her seat in the front row on the right, skewering him with that incredible silver stare.
“What she said is true. This island is special. Irreplaceable. It’s a truly incredible place to call home, and that’s why I feel so lucky to live here. As a fellow local, I share in Dr. Lazos’s concerns for the environment and economy.”
Her expression turned sardonic, her gaze locked on him in a way he felt like a low-level electrical field all over his body.
“Of course, a resort like this comes with certain risks, but let me assure you, all measures will be taken to mitigate the impact and damage to the environment, both during and after construction. Dr. Lazos has eloquently given you a list of reasons to vote against this project. Let me tell you why you should vote for it.”
In under five minutes, he outlined the pros of the resort, from planning and execution, to the long-term economic boost that influx of money and tax revenue would bring the island. Then he methodically addressed all of Dr. Lazos’s points one by one, punching a hole in each of them.
“This resort would not only provide a reliable revenue stream for the island. The taxes alone generated each year from a property that size would help fund critical infrastructure such as improvements to the hospital, roads, and repairs and upgrades to facilities across the island. We could have an MRI machine here instead of having to go off island, and enough money to fill potholes and pave more roads in the spring.”
He could see the hostility starting to drain out of some faces in the audience as they considered his points. Some people even grinned when he mentioned the potholes. But everything he’d said was true.
“The number of visitors staying there and the amount of money they inject back into the local economy will bring increased visibility to ecological issues like the orcas. Visitors will be able to experience them firsthand in their natural habitat.” He looked directly at her.
“You said yourself we need to make more people care and get involved in their conservation. Giving more people from around the world front row access to them in the wild is exactly how you do that.”
Her eyes narrowed, as he looked away before continuing to the wider audience.
“I moved here almost a year ago, and though I haven’t lived here as long as many of you, this island is my home too.
I don’t want to see it disappear or ruined any more than you do.
But the fact is, this project will bring necessary vitality and a much-needed injection of cash to our economy that will benefit everyone. ”
He paused for a moment, letting them chew on that before continuing.
“Change is never easy, but it is inevitable. Without economic stimulus, this island will wither and die, while your taxes go up exponentially in the meantime. Approving this particular project means that change will be carried out by people who care about Skeleton Island and have the best interests of its people in mind. Thank you.”
Silence filled the room when he finished. But at least it wasn’t jeers and shouting or a chorus of boos. He felt optimistic as Don joined him on stage.
The mayor gave him another polite smile and took his place at the podium. “Thank you, Mr. Slater. Now, he and the company’s CEO have agreed to take questions from you.”
They came hard and fast. Aggressive at first. Then more measured as his and Don’s answers seemed to calm or at least mollify their concerns. He didn’t look at Dr. Lazos during the barrage, but he could imagine her expression and thoughts well enough.
A little over thirty minutes later, it was done. The mayor closed out the meeting.
“Thank you to all the presenters for the time and effort they put into this. I assure you that we, as your elected city counsellors, will take everything into account and consider all the evidence carefully before we vote on this matter on Monday night. Good night, all. Be good to each other.”
Don and the other members of the development group filed out of the room as soon as they adjourned.
Blaine followed them out into the lobby.
From the way people parted around them like the Red Sea, giving them a wide berth without stopping to interact at all, it was clear they hadn’t won all hearts and minds tonight.
“They better not fucking kill this deal,” Don muttered.
“The island desperately needs that cash flow, and the city council knows it,” Blaine said. Without a sizeable economic stimulus, to cover basic costs, the island would eventually go bankrupt even with large increases to residents’ tax rates.
Don’s expression tightened as he stared at someone behind Blaine. “That whale scientist cherry picked all her data, skewing everything against us.”
“She’s following her convictions and doing what she thinks is right.”
“She should stick to her job, if you can call it that, counting whales or whatever the fuck else our tax dollars are paying her for ‘research.’” He shook his head in disgust. “Her speech could turn the council against us.”
Yes. She’d come here ready to do battle.
The level of Don’s animosity toward her was a concern, but he wasn’t the only one on the island who had a problem with her. Others had friction with Dr. Lazos and her group as well. “The vote’s happening soon enough. We’ll know then.”
The crowd filtering through the doors slowed to a trickle. Her dark head appeared in a gap as she talked to someone near the open double doors to the council chamber. The mayor.
The older woman smiled at whatever the good doctor was saying and patted her on the shoulder before heading off to speak to someone else. Dr. Lazos started toward him, her male colleague who Blaine had met at the research station once before walking beside her.
Blaine inclined his head in acknowledgment as she neared. “Dr. Lazos.”
She speared him with an icy glare from those incredible silver eyes and walked by without a single word.
That was reply enough. The battle lines of this fight had been drawn. They were on opposite sides, destined to be enemies.
Blaine watched her walk away while Don and the other members of their group grumbled around him, trying to figure out their next move.
He had underestimated her. They all had.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again.