Chapter 9 #3
Again, from Ford: “Yes. I’ll explain—”
“When the Petrov Bratva attacked, they made off with two cases before bullets pierced the exterior of who knows how many containers,” Scarlett said.
“The substance inside, obsidite, is a refined magnetic conductor used in the creation of AI hardware and is highly valuable. And flammable when exposed to air. It’s packed in oil so it can be opened, but carefully—and not, by the way, with the sharp end of a jackknife. ” She gave North a look.
He held up a hand in defense.
“Swiss Army. Nothing special,” said Knox.
She turned her withering gaze to Knox.
“Why does the Petrov Bratva want these?” Selah asked.
“As far as we can tell, they’ve engineered their own AI program, are developing their own AI soldiers. And my guess is we have the only supply of obsidite in the world.” Scarlett turned to Selah. “But the question is, how did Alan Martin get his hands on one of these?”
“Me? You’re asking me?”
North very, very much wanted to know what had gone down between Selah and James, but the question felt too…Well, he didn’t exactly know how he’d respond to the answer. Maybe he was better off not knowing.
“I don’t know. I…uh…Wait. He left us to get transportation. Came back with a truck. Maybe he found it on the ground?” Selah said.
“Or got one from one of his Bratva contacts?” This from North.
“Why would he have just one? Separate from the ones the Bratva stole?” RJ asked.
Silence.
“Maybe so he could use it for something else?” Knox.
“Or maybe for insurance, in case they failed?” Reuben.
“Maybe he didn’t know whether they’d succeeded,” said Ford. “Backup plan.”
“I just said that,” said Reuben.
Ford looked at him. “No, you didn’t.”
“Okay—listen. Selah. Tell me about your phone,” Scarlett said. “You said it wasn’t working.”
“Yeah. It wasn’t. I mean, it had a full battery but no bars. At all. Like it didn’t have service.”
“It sure had service when I called you and Martin picked up,” North growled.
She looked at him. “You called me?”
Seriously? “I called you a thousand times,” he said. “No answer, except once. Martin said you were taking a bath.”
She just stared at him.
Okay, that came out wrong. “I mean—”
“I was. Upstairs in my room. While the hostess of the B&B found a charger for my phone. I didn’t know you called, North.” She put a hand on his arm as if…
Okay, down, boy.
“So, it did work. But by the time you got it, it didn’t. And then it did again. Let me see it,” said Scarlett.
Selah handed her the phone. Scarlett turned it over, then took off the back.
“Did you have the SIM card from your old phone?”
“Yeah, it’s right there.”
“Mm-hmm.” She took it out.
“What are you doing?” Selah asked.
“Aw, shoot. What I should have done the minute we got into the RV,” said North, his gut tightening. Stupid, stupid!
“Me too. Wow.” RJ hung her hand behind her neck.
“What are you guys talking about?”
“Selah”—North turned to her—“was there any opportunity for Martin to put your SIM card back into your phone when you got to RJ’s house?”
“Um. I…yeah. He didn’t get out of the RV right away. I mean, that’s why RJ was able to get me into the house and shut the door. What are you saying?”
“He removed your SIM card after the call from North. Probably so North couldn’t track you,” Scarlett said. “And then at RJ’s house, he put it back…so he could.”
She set the SIM card on the picnic table.
Knox took out his Swiss Army knife and stabbed it.
They all stared at the card.
“You think he’ll come after the canister?”
“I think he’ll come after RJ,” Ford said. “And, of course, the canister.”
“Have you heard from York?” This from Scarlett.
“No.” RJ wrapped her arms around herself. “I just…”
Reuben reached out and pulled her against himself, a big-brother kind of hug. “We got you, sis.”
She hesitated for a moment, then leaned into him.
“Ford,” Scarlett said quietly. “How long will it take for you to set up security?”
“We still have the cameras on the barn and the house. We just need to fire them up,” Knox said.
Ford was nodding.
“I’ve kept Dad’s guns cleaned and oiled,” Reuben said.
“How many here can shoot?” North asked.
Silence as they looked at him.
“Dude,” said Knox. “This is a ranch. We’re cowboys. What do you think?”
Ford had crossed his arms and now grinned, looked away.
“Okay. Listen. I have a lot of experience setting up perimeters. I’ll work with Ford, and we’ll figure out how to lock down the house. Knox, I think you need to take your mother and all the grandkids and get them into your house. Keep them safe.”
A beat.
“Um, who put you in charge?” Ford said.
“Me. The guy whose emotions aren’t in this place,” North said. “The guy who can see the big picture and who doesn’t have a family to protect.” He glanced at Selah. “I mean, kids.”
She cocked her head at him. “I get it.”
Good.
“The guy who spent the last year planning for and engaging the enemy on a small unfortified island in the Caribbean.”
“I’m standing right here,” Ford said.
North glanced at him. “No offense, but you’re the tip of the spear. Not the defense force.”
Ford’s mouth tightened.
“And I’m also the guy who drove the RV into your front yard like a freaking beacon,” North said. “So, yeah. I’m in charge. And no one goes down on my watch.”
Silence.
Selah raised an eyebrow, did a poor job of hiding a smirk.
Okay, maybe he sounded a little like the team captain during capture the flag on the playground, but…yep. He was the team captain.
“Knox, the kids—don’t forget RJ’s munchkins.”
He nodded.
“Reuben, that includes your kids and your wife.”
“You don’t know my wife,” Reuben growled.
North met his gaze. “No, I don’t. But I do know the Russian Bratva. I’ve met them, and I know you don’t want your wife to meet them, because what you will need to do to save her might not be a memory she wants.”
Reuben’s mouth tightened.
“If she can handle a weapon, send her with Knox. He might need help.”
Again, Knox frowned but nodded.
Reuben glanced at him.
“I got her,” Knox said.
North turned to Selah. “And you—”
“Not on your life.” She shook her head. “You’ll need someone on lookout and maybe even to reload.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Reload? What are we in—a Western? The shootout at the O.K. Corral?”
“Look around, bub. This is not your regular world.”
Smiles from the cowboys.
“Fine. Yes. I will need a lookout. Scarlett, you have any drones handy?” He meant it as a joke, but—
“We have drones,” Reuben said. “We use them to check on the cattle.”
He smiled. “That works.”
“Do you really think they’re going to attack us?” Selah said quietly.
North looked at her and wanted very much to lie. “I think sometimes, no matter what you do, violence finds you. And you pray that you don’t have to engage, that somehow peace will win the day. But that’s not up to us. Our job is to be ready. We leave the rest up to God.”