Chapter 18
The February air was warm on Blake’s arms today. It was going to be a great day. A call had come through from Governor Amelia
George’s aide this morning that she was bringing her grandson Jackson to the park. There would be photographers along as well
as security. The governor was running for reelection, and the park would make a great photo op for her to show her family
side. Blake didn’t mind because it would also be a great promo for the park.
He had told his mother about Nicole’s offer to purchase the property last night, and she had refused to discuss leaving The
Sanctuary. The excitement of today’s visit would help ease his constant dithering about what to do.
He stood next to the ticket office with Paradise and waved in the entourage as they entered. The stink of gasoline burned
his nose. The governor had requested a private safari, and she’d given a large donation to offset the disturbance her visit
would cause.
“Why am I here?” Paradise whispered.
“She asked for the vet to come along in case Jackson had questions. I guess he has an interest in becoming a zoo veterinarian.” He gave her a quick hug. “I was quick to say yes as long as she came when you were done in town. We don’t get time like this together very often.”
She smiled and adjusted her hat. They both wore shorts and safari shirts with the accompanying hats. They might as well look
the part for the pictures.
“Has the governor ever been here before?” she asked.
“Not that I know of. I’ve never met her.”
“Me neither, and it’s exciting to have all this going on.”
A black SUV cruised to a stop, and the driver stepped out to open the door for an elegant woman in her late fifties. A boy
about Levi’s age climbed out behind her. Blake had only seen the governor on TV dressed in a navy suit and sensible pumps,
but today she wore designer jeans with boots and a long-sleeved blouse. Gray streaked her dark hair, and her green eyes were
striking. She’d accomplished a lot of good in Alabama, and she was often on the news expounding measures she supported. She
didn’t seem to mind the reporters lining the vehicle.
She extended her hand with a warm smile. Her voice was a husky purr that was easy to listen to. An orator’s voice. “Good to
meet you, Blake. This is my grandson, Jackson.” She touched the boy’s dark hair. “He’s eight.”
“My brothers are five and seven.”
The governor’s eyes lit. “I should have asked if there were children who could come along. I suppose your brothers are in
school though.”
“Mom homeschools my brothers. I’m sure she’d allow them to accompany us.
I’ll text her.” He tapped out a quick message to his mother before resuming his conversation with the governor.
“We have a fun time planned, Governor. I’ll show you around the park as well as behind-the-scenes areas that most guests never see.
We’ll break for lunch at one and let the kids help feed the animals.
Later this afternoon there will be an educational time with our ring-tailed lemurs. ”
“I love lemurs!” Jackson said, beaming. “I told Gram I hoped you had lemurs.”
Squeals of excitement came from behind them, and Blake didn’t have to turn to know his brothers were rushing their way. They’d
be thrilled about spending the day at the park. The boys reached the group, and Blake introduced the kids. Jackson began to
pepper them with questions about living on an animal preserve.
Blake glanced around at the adults. The governor had brought two bodyguards, a photographer, and a woman the governor introduced
as her aide, Angela Burns. He clasped her hand. “Ms. Burns.” He guessed her age to be around sixty with her soft white hair
that lay in a cap around her angular face.
Her shrewd blue eyes took in everything around her with keen interest. “Thank you for accommodating our last-minute request.
Jackson is very excited. A visit here was the one thing he wanted for his eighth birthday.”
“We’re honored to hear that.” He waited a few minutes while members of the press snapped pictures as well. “Everyone here?”
“Yes, we’re ready when you are.” The governor nodded at the man with the camera and tripods. “Make sure you get plenty of
pictures of me with Jackson.”
“You got it, Governor.”
Blake led them to his best safari truck, though that wasn’t saying much.
The seats were cracked from use in places, but he kept the vehicle clean and in good running order.
He put the steps into place alongside the high door on the vehicle.
Three long rows of seats ran from front to back.
The governor ascended with no assistance and took a place on the middle one once the children commandeered the seats along the window openings.
Blake had already loaded the truck with a cooler packed with snacks as well as a box of green leaves for the Serengeti animals.
So far the governor seemed pleasant enough.
She wasn’t putting on airs or ordering him around.
He exchanged a glance with Paradise, and she inclined her head in approval before she climbed into the back with the guests
while he got behind the wheel. He clicked on the intercom. “First off, we’ll visit a small version of what you might see in
the Serengeti. You’ll get a chance to feed giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest. They’re very friendly, but don’t get too close
to the zebras. They can bite if you aren’t careful. Toss the leaves to them and don’t give them a chance.”
With the rumble of the big engine and the vehicle jolting over ruts in the road, Blake wouldn’t be able to hear questions
well until they stopped, so he didn’t try to make conversation. He drove to the first gate, and Paradise jumped out to open
and lock it again after he rolled through before letting him in the second gate.
Once they were inside the acres devoted to the Serengeti wildlife, he cut the engine and turned on his mic. “The giraffe on
your left is Carla. She’s our oldest giraffe at twenty-five. She’s also our friendliest. She’ll lick you if you give her a
chance. If you’re brave, get a photo of her sloppy kiss.”
He cut the mic and listened. The governor appeared to be on a call with someone, and he overheard the term rare earth. Should he take the opportunity to ask the governor what she knew about the valuable resources that might be under this property?
Rare earth. Paradise’s head swiveled at the term, but the governor didn’t notice her interest. She caught Blake’s wide eyes in the rearview mirror. He gave a nod, and she nodded back. Maybe she could dig up some information.
Governor George ended the call and dropped her phone into her Hermès bag. She leaned close to her grandson for a photo op
as Jackson shrieked with laughter when Carla stuck her head through the glassless window and licked him with her enormous
tongue.
Her smile still in place, the governor moved out of reach from the dripping saliva. The photographer dodged the seats to catch
shots from different angles and even stood on top of the back of the seat opposite the giraffe. Ms. Burns jotted several things
down in a leather notebook.
The photographer looked at his camera and gave a thumbs-up. “Great pics, Governor.”
She smiled and settled back on the middle seat, leaving the boys to clamber from opening to opening with food for the animals.
Her grandson was enthralled with the peafowl spreading their feathers in a brilliant display.
“What do you call a group of peafowl?” Paradise asked.
Jackson frowned. “Peafowl?”
“Peacocks.”
His brow cleared. “I don’t know.”
“They’re called an ostentation or a muster. The female is called a peahen, and the male is the peacock. He’s the most colorful
one.”
“I wish I could get a feather.” Jackson leaned back on the seat.
“I’ll see if I can find one when we get back,” Paradise promised.
Blake started the engine and rolled slowly through the various wildlife to exit the enclosure. “We’re going to stop at the
lemur enclosure next.”
“Yay!” all three boys yelled. They high-fived one another and rushed to the windows.
Blake drove to the next stop while Paradise tried to figure out how to ask the governor about her call.
The older woman consulted her phone several times and tapped out a few texts while the children chattered around her.
They’d quickly become friends and had exchanged a few Pokémon cards from their pockets.
Isaac had even brought his card holder, and Jackson had bargained for Isaac’s favorite card and succeeded in getting it just because he asked.
Isaac was like that—his heart was as big as his big brother’s.
The vehicle stopped before Paradise could ask the governor about rare earth. Maybe it was a sign she wasn’t supposed to pry,
but it felt like their best chance to find out something about what might be under the soil here. A woman like Governor George
would know all about trade, worth, uses, and everything else they didn’t know.
Paradise followed everyone out and prayed for the woman to mention the term again. The strong odor of the primates made her
eyes water. The males must have had a stink fight.
Governor George posed for several pictures with her grandson, who was excitedly admiring the lemurs, before she settled on
a bench and pulled out her phone when it rang. Paradise hovered close and nodded for Blake to keep an eye on the kids. She
overheard that phrase again, and once the call ended, she sidled over and sat on the bench too.
“I couldn’t help but overhear you mention something called rare earth. It sounds exotic.”
The older woman smiled. “Rare earth elements are not as fancy as the term sounds. REE is used in things like batteries and magnets. They wouldn’t be terribly important if China wasn’t cornering the market on them.
Such necessary elements put the US at a disadvantage for energy independence.
Alabama is in a good position to be able to extract it from REE feedstocks like coal.
We need new technology to do it though. It’s costly to dig up and extract.
We have to figure out cheaper ways to remove it from the earth and get it to market.
It’s one of the things I’ve been working on. You seem very interested.”
“Just intrigued. I’d heard the term and wondered what it was.” She wanted to reveal what they’d discovered, but it wasn’t
her news to share. If Blake or Jenna wanted to talk to the governor about it, they could. She’d make sure they knew Governor
George had a particular interest in REE.
Paradise rose. “I have a surprise for the kids. There are new pups old enough to be handled. With your permission I’ll let
Jackson hold one.”
“Wonderful!” The governor snapped her fingers at her aide and the photographer. “Get ready, she’s getting a baby lemur for
Jackson.”
Paradise went to the barn where the babies were in a pen with their mother and grabbed a crate. “We won’t hurt your little
ones, Mama. You can come with us to make sure.” Loki adored Levi. She would probably leave her babies to be with him.
The boys’ eyes widened when they saw the pups in the carrier and Loki loping along with Paradise into the petting arena.
Levi leaped to his feet and made a call that sounded amazingly like the noise Loki made the instant she saw him. Paradise
opened the gate for the boys to come in, and the mama lemur immediately loped to Levi.
He petted Loki with a gentle hand. “I haven’t seen her in forever, Paradise. She didn’t forget me.”
“Of course she didn’t. You’re her favorite.” The other boys squatted by the pups, who proceeded to crawl onto their shoes.
The photographer was snapping pictures constantly, and he gestured for Governor George to join her grandson.
Paradise let her in, and she settled on the ground with the pups around her.
Paradise spotted the grin on Blake’s face and knew he was thinking about the great PR this segment would bring.
They might weather this storm after all.
“Paradise, this has your name on it,” Levi called.
She turned to see him holding a music box with a monkey on top with cymbals. Her name was scrawled on a note on the side.
“Where’d you find it?” It looked like one she used to own from The Phantom of the Opera, and it sent a sinister shudder down her back even though she’d loved the movie for years. She supposed there were many replicas.
“Loki found it and gave it to me.”
Paradise hesitated before she took it. “Thanks.” Opening it would have to wait until she was away from the children in case
it contained something dangerous. For an instant she wanted to toss it into the bushes, but she couldn’t do that. Why did
it frighten her so much?