Chapter 6
Making Progress, Not Perfection
TRE
There’s only ten minutes left on the timer.
Did I plan this wrong? If I have to take the lasagna out before she gets here, it might cool off too much, and she’ll hate it.
I look from the clock on the oven to my watch.
It’s not far from the clinic to here. Did I miscalculate how long she’d take to close up?
Maybe I shouldn’t have opened the wine to let it breathe already.
This entire plan was stupid. I don’t really know when she’ll be here.
Assuming she will be here. Well, I can’t put it back in the fridge now.
It’s better if it sits a little too long than not long enough, which would make her think I’m clueless.
I check my watch again. Yup, still six-twenty. I look around. I spent all afternoon tidying up the main rooms, but I took so long cleaning the bathroom that I ran out of time to vacuum the living room rugs. I should wipe down the countertops again.
Man, I hope I cleaned everything well enough.
She’s going to point out every flaw. I take a steadying breath.
No, this is my place. I don’t have to let her dictate the conversation.
I’m going to make things better between us, and we’re going to work together.
That’s the best way to fight these bastards.
It doesn’t hurt that if I can convince her, then I can spend the night picking her brain—that clever mind that’s usually focused on finding new insults to hurl at me.
We can do so much good if I can find a way to defuse this feud.
Assuming she shows up. She might have changed her mind.
She probably wouldn’t bother telling me if she did.
BZZZZZ blares from the door buzzer, and I jump. I fly to the speaker and press the button to ask, “Carson?”
“So. If we were going to work together? What would that look like?”
Yes! She’s in. I can’t quite keep my mouth from curling into a grin, and I take a bite of lasagna to buy myself a few seconds. Fiona lifts another forkful to her mouth as she waits for me to respond. After I swallow, I begin, “Well, I figured we’d go after the Hay Creek development this time.”
Fiona frowns. “I don’t need you to come up with that brilliant plan. I wouldn’t go back to the scene of the crime—so Bridal Mountain is out—and construction on the new resort won’t even start until later this summer. Hay Creek is the only option.”
I take a deep breath and bite my tongue. Just because I resolved to make peace doesn’t mean she did. “You asked a question. I’m trying to answer it. I have to start somewhere.” I pause, waiting to see if she’ll respond or if I can continue.
“Okay. Fine. Go on.” Fiona returns her attention to the lasagna.
“Since the condos were started first, there are a lot more options at Hay Creek for us to go after. We can’t do everything in one night, which is why I was hoping we would pick the best targets tonight.
I’m being vague because this is why I asked you here.
If we pool our knowledge and skills, we can figure out the best plan to ruin the condo development.
We’ll only get one shot at it, and I want it to be as catastrophic as possible. ”
When I pause, Fiona sighs, seeming irritated as she sets her fork down on her half-eaten plate. “I realize all of this… Tre. I’m here, aren’t I? I asked what us working together looks like.”
I huff a breath out through my nose and clench my jaw.
“Fine. End result, I think we bring down the central condo building and take out their vehicles while we’re at it.
We plan the approach tonight, avoid each other as we prepare, and hit it in about a month at the end of June.
That’ll let things settle a bit after last week and give us enough time to get everything ready.
You supply the bomb or bombs. I’ll gather the info we need, bring any gear we decide on, and gain access to the vehicles,” I let out in a rush.
Fiona looks me in the eye and takes a sip of wine. “At least you’re aiming high. I can bomb the building without you, though.”
She is infuriating.
“And I can set the building on fire by myself,” I retort.
“I could even blow shit up without you, but I don’t have access to high explosives.
How are you going to find out how far along the construction will be at that point?
You have to know what’s there, and at least the general layout, to know what bombs to make, right?
Just like Bridal Mountain, if we’re both involved, we can hit multiple targets.
Let’s talk it through, and then see if you like what we can accomplish together.
As you said, you’re here.” I force myself to look away and pretend I’m focused on my food.
The lasagna is suddenly tasteless in my mouth.
I chew mechanically while my mind races, trying to figure out what she needs to hear to realize this is a good idea.
We continue eating in silence for a few minutes. I’m grateful for the distraction making this feel less awkward, although Fiona looks completely calm. Her plate is already nearly empty. For someone who said the lasagna was only okay, she seems to be enjoying it just fine.
“I’m glad you recognize we need to stay away from each other. But if you’re going to gather intel, how are you going to share it so that I ‘know what bombs to make’?”
“Well, I’m open to suggestions on any of this. We’re supposed to plan together. But, off the top of my head, it makes sense that I have a follow-up appointment about my shoulder, right? I can learn plenty in a couple of weeks. That’ll give you two weeks to do whatever you need to do.”
She pauses, tapping her fork against her plate.
“Alright. It’s not the worst idea I’ve heard, but I don’t half-ass anything.
If the plan isn’t airtight, I’m out. And just like you swore to forget Saturday night, if I walk away from this, you can’t attack the site on your own.
I won’t get caught because you mess things up. ”
She wasn’t just jabbing at me. She actually thinks I’m an idiot. Was she gone so long that she thinks everyone living here is beneath her, or is it just me? My plans are at least as good as hers! I’ve already told her what I did—and would have done—before her interruption.
“Agreed. If you don’t like our plan, I’ll leave Hay Creek to you. But figuring out the details is the whole point of tonight, so can we please just work on it? This constant fighting only wastes time.”
Fiona’s eyes widen slightly, and the hard set of her mouth softens. She nods. “Okay. Fine.”
“Since this will take a while, I’ll make us some coffee.” She’s had a few glasses of wine, so I figure she could probably use it.
I move from the island and start the electric kettle. Once I’m facing away from Fiona, I let out a long exhale. Things aren’t going quite as well as I’d hoped, but she might finally be coming around.
“I’m good with your timing. I’ll be gone the weekend of the Fourth,” she declares.
My hands pause, and I halfway turn toward her to comment about my rafting trip that same weekend.
The trip that she nearly ruined when she made her brother abandon his plans with us to join her.
Last week I would have yelled at her about her selfishness almost as soon as I saw her.
But I need her to think well of me. I can’t blow this opportunity to convince her to help.
Saying anything right now would immediately lead to a fight, which would derail everything. I take another deep breath and return to the coffee.
Fiona continues reflecting on the timing, oblivious to my irritation.
“They announced the resort development is supposed to break ground in the third quarter, so any time July or after. If we create enough damage, they may decide not to start that new construction, so June makes sense. Waiting until the last weekend means the heat from Bridal Mountain should die down, and hopefully they’ll give up on watching you by then. ”
I want to tell her that I don’t think anyone is watching me, but she’d probably assume that meant I was clueless.
“Great. Will two weeks after my clinic visit be enough time for you to make whatever explosives you need to take out the central condo building? It’s a lot bigger than a gondola column, and I don’t know what goes into whatever you have to do. ”
“I’ll make sure I’m ready. You said something about their construction vehicles…”
“Right. One of the things I learned at my family’s construction sites is how unsecured heavy machinery truly is.
Sure, they need keys for the ignition, and nobody leaves those in the vehicle, but each manufacturer basically uses the same key for all of its machines.
Whatever equipment they’re running—John Deere, Cat, Komatsu, Bobcat—I can get my hands on some keys before we go.
If the building isn’t walled up already, we could drive them inside the structure before we take it down.
If it is, maybe we park them right next to the detonation points.
But if you don’t like that, we’ll figure out something else.
I couldn’t drive those massive earthmovers they have up at Bridal Mountain, but I’ve run lots of front-end loaders, small cranes, and skid-steers. ”
Fiona tilts her head slightly, considering the possibilities. She’s not immediately arguing. I’ll count that as a win, I think as I carry two steaming mugs of black coffee to the island. “I don’t know how you take yours. Do you want cream or sugar?”
She shakes her head without even looking at the mug. “I’m not against the idea, but how are you going to get keys to the vehicles? More importantly, can you get them without leaving an electronic or paper trail? If you buy some ‘replacement’ keys online, you’ll be in jail the day after we do it.”
“I told you, I’m friends with most people around here.
Tony’s a great mechanic. His shop handles more commercial equipment than cars.
I’ll stop by and hang out. He keeps a drawer full of spare keys—construction crews aren’t super careful with those things—so I can swipe a couple for the right make while he’s distracted.
Not everything needs to be a mastermind plot out of the movies, Fiona. ”
Despite ignoring the coffee when I brought it to her, she absentmindedly takes a sip as I explain my idea. Her eyes linger on the mug for a few seconds.
“As long as you don’t just ask him for them, and you make sure there are no cameras inside facing the keys, then fine.
I’ll leave that to you. But this highlights my problem with your approach, Tre.
” Fiona narrows her eyes and stares directly into mine.
“If I’m involved, you don’t get to be relaxed about any of this.
Being sloppy means you get caught. If they catch you, they’re one step closer to me, and spending twenty years in prison is not on my to-do list. Let me explain the mistakes you made this past weekend… ”
Fiona tells me—in excruciating detail—all the ways I screwed up before moving on to explaining how to avoid leaving a trail as I gather info and acquire our equipment.
She also lectures me about ways to spot cameras and the problems with getting multiple items from the same store at the same time.
Ultimately, listening isn’t enough, and she makes me repeat her instructions back to her.
Eventually, she seems satisfied that I heard what she was saying, and she stops talking.
“I’ll set my appointment at the clinic in two weeks,” I tell her. “Zero contact until then. I got it.”
Fiona stands to leave. “Alright. If you can do everything you say you can, we’ll see how it goes. Don’t screw this up.”
I roll my eyes once her back is turned but don’t respond.
She pauses with her hand on the doorknob. “I have to know. If I didn’t go along with your idea, how were you going to take out an entire building without explosives?”
“I already told you I can set a fire easily enough. Gas and a match isn’t too complicated. I don’t need a high-tech bomb. Even I can load a truck with fertilizer and diesel fuel.”