Chapter Fourteen #2
“You label the direct action I’ve taken against the investors of the resort and Horizon Energy as terrorism.
What do you call the things they’ve done?
” His gaze drilled into hers. “An endangered species was wiped out to build that resort. The lives of every resident of Cedar Breaks are in danger because of the carbon capture facility. Horizon Energy is capitalizing on well-intentioned but poorly implemented tax incentives. Those government incentives and the fees they charge are lucrative, but the pipeline will increase the rate of Montana’s shrinking snowpacks, intensifying wildfires and dwindling summertime stream flows.
The people there are terrified that their water supply and soil are going to be polluted.
And if a rupture of the pipeline happens while the plant is fully operational, who knows how many would be killed or poisoned. ”
“The bombs you planned to set off could’ve had the same effect.”
“Do you think I want to hurt innocent people?” Sitting forward, he pressed his knees to hers and grasped her hands.
“You know me better than that. Don’t you?
I made sure the carbon dioxide was shut down at the plant hours before you got there to prevent anyone in Cedar Breaks from being impacted by the explosion.
It’s true the solvent continued flowing to trigger a chain reaction with the bomb.
But the only ones who would’ve been hurt, who were hurt by what I did, was Horizon Energy. ”
There was an insider at the plant who helped Sean. “I could’ve died if not for Eli disarming the bomb.”
“You shouldn’t have been there in the first place and after I made the phone call, warning everyone to get out, you should’ve left.
” He sighed, his face softening, but his eyes remained hard.
“Chip Whitney and his greedy investor buddies. Horizon Energy. They’re all clients of Aegis.
Don’t you see? By protecting them, you’re serving the devil.
The corruption must stop. I’m starting here.
At home, with a grassroots movement. I’ve got one more target in Big Sky to complete my objective. ”
“And what’s the next target?”
“Not a what but a who.”
Tempted to push him for more insight on the target, she resisted. Too soon. “You’re going to murder another person in the name of activism?”
His brow furrowed. “I’m not the bad guy,” Sean snapped.
“No one ever thinks they’re the bad guy.” Debating his philosophy wasn’t the goal. It was getting any information possible, no matter how small. “What are you going to do after you kill someone else for the sake of your cause?”
“Branch out. My movement is just beginning, getting stronger, more powerful every day, and I want you to be a part of it.”
Fury boiled low in Eli’s gut. “The note said it was nonnegotiable.” He paced in the kitchen of the rented house. “I’ve got to find a way to get the Aegis NOC list.”
A list of every covert operative working under nonofficial cover for Aegis.
Autumn poured another cup of coffee. “But why does Shepherd even want the list?”
“I don’t care!” Eli snapped. Then he caught himself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice.” He strained for calm and failed. “I don’t have the bandwidth to focus on that. We just need to get it, all right, so we can trade it for Olivia.”
“What about going to her boss, Hahn?” Bo asked. “Do you think she’d cooperate?”
“No.” Eli shook his head. “Not even if Olivia’s life depended on it.” And it might. There had been no overt threat made, but it was there, nonetheless. “Any response in the chat room?” Eli asked Takoda.
On the back of the card were instructions on how to contact Shepherd once Eli got the list. Send a notification in the Discord app, in a chat room labeled Survivalist: The Hunt.
Tak was attempting to make contact now, without the list, to see if some kind of negotiation was possible.
Even though the note had been clear that it wasn’t.
Takoda looked up from the laptop with a solemn look. “Nothing. I’m sorry. I thought it was worth a try.”
“Trying everything,” Eli said, “is better than doing nothing.”
And Eli was willing to try anything, aside from involving law enforcement.
Taking Tristan and the others to the FBI to get them to talk wasn’t an option. But for two hundred bucks, Tristan had answered their questions. Although they couldn’t be sure whether he was honest.
According to the kid, Shepherd found Tristan and the other teenagers on Discord.
The kids all knew each other from a wilderness immersion summer camp called Backcountry Adventure.
At the camp, teens explored essential survival techniques, crafting tools, navigating using stars, animal tracking, shooting, and hunting.
It was run by instructors from diverse military backgrounds.
Marine scout snipers, medical experts, and other combat veterans.
The chat room the kids used was for a game: Big Sky Sentinel Skills.
Tristan never met Shepherd in person, or so he claimed, but detailed instructions had been left for him along with cash and a phone in a backpack.
Shepherd called him once to rehearse the script he’d been given.
The harness was already rigged up on the bridge, set to go when Tristan got there with Olivia.
The team tried to figure out why Tristan had been chosen as the leader of that group.
One thing about him stood out as different from the others.
In addition to the summer camp, he also had four years of high school JROTC experience.
Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
The kid had won a slew of awards for service, leadership, responsibility, and athletic achievement.
He knew how to follow orders if nothing else.
“Unless you need me for something, I’m going to drive out to that summer camp, Backcountry Adventure,” Bo said. “Talk to the instructors. Shepherd must’ve known about the camp. There might be a connection between him and one of the instructors.”
“Go ahead,” Chance said, “we’ll update you if anything new pops up.”
“One more thing.” Eli turned to Bo. “There’s probably a connection with the instructions.
But you should also focus on Tristan. That kid was so smooth and cocky.
” Eli clenched his hand into a fist thinking about it.
“Perfect for that woodland distraction. Shepherd didn’t just stumble upon that perfect kid on short notice by chance. ”
Nodding, Bo grabbed his car keys. “I’ll see what I can find out,” he said and headed out.
“What do we do about the list?” Takoda asked.
Eli let out a rough sound that was part groan and part growl. “Shepherd must know there isn’t any way for me to get my hands on that list. It’s like he wants me to do the impossible.”
“Maybe it’s not impossible,” Chance said. “Remember that gray hat hacker we’ve worked with before. He might be able to help.”
Leaning back in his chair, Tak folded his arms. “Orson?”
Chance nodded. “Yeah. But he isn’t cheap.”
Eli recalled. The hacker had been instrumental in cracking a previous case. “I don’t care what it costs. I’ll pay. Whatever the price.”
“Let’s say you manage to get the list,” Autumn said. “You can’t give it to Shepherd.”
“But I have to.” Eli stared at her, in utter disbelief over what she was saying. “I don’t have any other choice.”
“There’s always a choice and you usually make the right one, Eli.” She stepped closer to him. “Giving a terrorist the true identities of every cover agent working for Aegis would jeopardize them, compromise them, if not worse.”
“I’ll have to worry about the ramifications of that later. It’s not the priority.”
Autumn glanced between Chance and Takoda. “Would you excuse us? I need to talk to him privately.”
Both men got up to leave.
“Reach out to Orson,” Eli said. “Make it happen.”
Takoda grabbed his laptop, and they left the kitchen.
“Eli, sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit.” He needed to move, otherwise he was going to smash something, or put his fist through a wall.
Autumn pulled out a chair. “It wasn’t a suggestion,” she said, her brown eyes stern, and her tone brooked no argument. “Sit. Now.”
His muscles tightened, braced for the conversation he didn’t want to have. He plunked down into the chair. Anxiety flooded his nervous system at the prospect of Autumn using her forensic psychologist skills to poke around in his head.
“Explain to me why you’re willing to do the wrong thing, risk the lives of agents who are just like Olivia, for her speedy return. No threat was even made to her.”
“Because she’s everything. She means everything to me and I…” His throat tightened.
Autumn scooted another chair back and sat, facing him. “You what?”
“I’ve never told her that.” He drew a sharp breath. “Not the way she’s wanted.”
“Why not? Since I’ve known you, I haven’t even seen you look at another woman.
When she’s in town, it’s like you can’t take your eyes off her, the two of you move in sync.
After every big mission, you’re off to visit her.
Or to take a trip together. You see each other about once a month now, right. So, what are you afraid of?”
Propping his elbows on his thighs, he dropped his head into his hands.
“That if I tell her, I’ll lose her. Like everyone else in my life.
” He didn’t need to get into his history.
Autumn had slowly pieced it together over the past couple of years, asking well-timed questions here and there.
“It’s like I’m cursed. Telling her would make it real, and then something will happen to her. ”
“Childhood trauma, like parental loss, affects a person’s adult relationships. It can hinder a person’s ability to express their feelings in a healthy manner, leading to challenges in communication and interpersonal conflict,” she said, her tone patient.
Yeah, that sounded like him. “I suck at relationships. I have no idea how to give her what she needs. How to be a father. I can’t even keep her safe.”
“She’s pregnant?”
He nodded.