Zephyr Chapter 5
I got my chance to see Everlyn again, a handful of days after the coffee shop, but not intentionally. I’d been trying to figure out how to make it happen. Fenrir offered to dig into her, but I was hesitant, so I said not now.
Over the weekend, the local waste management facility three towns over had a major mainline rupture.
It spilled human waste into the surrounding ground.
They had to quickly assess the impact on the water table, wildlife, and humans, and implement clean-up efforts.
People weren’t happy, though, and who could blame them?
Rumor had it that the facility could have prevented it if it had replaced its old pipes, as the plant had been advised to do a few years earlier. However, they said it cost too much and ignored the warning. It had come back to haunt them.
I overheard Raider and Pirate talking this morning in the longhouse before work about riding over to see what was happening. A company had been brought in to contain and clean up the site. Even if it didn’t impact us directly, they were still curious. I was, too.
“Pres, VP, I couldn’t help overhearing what you plan to do today. Mind if I ride along?” I asked.
“Sure. We should’ve asked. We know you’re big into these kinds of things,” Raider added.
It was true, I’d always been someone attuned to nature, and I hated when things threatened the delicate balance. Humans were often the culprits.
At eight forty-five, we rode off together. The ride was under an hour, and the day had started sunny, and the high was seventy, with it expected to hit eighty, not bad for the third of November.
Pulling up to the rupture site, three miles from the waste treatment plant, we saw a hive of activity. Trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and other equipment were scattered around the scene. People worked, moved around, or huddled in small groups, talking.
Faces were filled with stress, anger, and grim determination. As we took it all in, I was struck by how much of a job it would be. The smell of raw sewage wafted on the breeze, stinging my nose and making me almost think about gagging. We moved closer.
Suddenly, Raider’s name was called. Glancing to the right, we saw a man approaching. It was Andy Roby. He was the manager of Asgard’s waste treatment facility. He came to the Asgard Chamber of Commerce meetings, the same as Raider and those of us who oversaw the club’s businesses.
We made some people uneasy when we did, but Andy wasn’t one of them. While we committed illegal acts, we still had legit businesses. We kept out entities that would be bad for the town. And Andy refused to shun us based on what he thought was a rumor. He was a good man.
“Hey, Raider, Pirate, Zephyr, it’s good to see you guys.” He held out his hand as he said it. We shook.
“I see you came to see the debacle,” Andy added.
“Hello, Andy. Yeah, we came to see how bad it is. I guess accidents do happen,” Raider stated.
Andy’s expression turned into a scowl. “This shouldn’t have happened. Stupid fucks,” he muttered.
My brothers and I exchanged glances as I asked, “What do you mean?”
Andy seemed to realize he said it aloud. He scanned around us before answering. I assumed he did it to check if anyone was close enough to overhear us. There was no one.
“I mean, this didn’t have to happen. The plant manager and the city council were told three years ago that something like this was inevitable.
They had a company come out, and their top engineer completed a comprehensive assessment.
The findings were that the sewage pipes through this town were ancient.
They were told to replace them, but the council voted that it was too costly, and they ignored it. ” His disgust was evident in his tone.
“How do you know that’s what they did?” Pirate asked.
“Because it was brought up at one of our private city council meetings. There was concern that Asgard’s was in the same shape and posed the same risk.
Unlike these dumbasses, we had the assessment done and replaced the items of concern.
Luckily, nothing as extensive as what they have here.
It was the best money the council could’ve spent.
The engineer who did the assessment also headed up the remediation crews who fixed the things. ”
“Exactly how bad is it?” Pres asked.
“Do you think other sections will burst?” Pirate added.
“How long will it take to clean up this spot?” I asked last.
“They’re saying weeks if they’re lucky, maybe months, and that’s assuming nothing else goes wrong. It’s more than replacing the pipe. They had to do what they could to protect the water table and nearby water sources. There’s the impact on wildlife, plants, and people.
“And get this. They hired the same company that did the initial risk assessment and demanded it fix this mess. The engineer is heading up the team. Oh, wait, there she is,” Andy said, pointing.
I glanced toward where he pointed. My heart skipped a couple of times when I saw Everlyn striding determinedly toward a cluster of men. Based on their clothing, they had to be part of the city council or the plant bosses.
She was dressed in rubber boots that reached her knees.
She wore work coveralls and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
When Everlyn came to a stop next to the group, they reluctantly, or so it appeared at this distance, faced her.
I watched her mouth move. Her expression wasn’t happy.
When she paused, one of the men responded.
His face was screwed up in a look of dislike.
He gestured aggressively. I took a few steps in their direction, then stopped.
Whatever he said to her didn’t appear to worry Everlyn.
She spoke back, then pointed behind her, then at him.
Her scowl grew worse. Suddenly, the man began arguing.
He took a step closer to her. I had no idea if he meant to intimidate or worse, but I wasn’t waiting to find out.
I took off at a fast clip. I heard footsteps behind me.
When I got nearer, I heard what he was yelling.
“I don’t give a damn who you are! We’re not shutting down the plant to the other areas. You’ve been hired to clean up and repair here, not to shut everything down. We’re not replacing more pipe on your say-so.” Fury filled his voice.
“Then you shouldn’t worry about fixing this one because the rest will burst and require a bigger cleanup any day now.
You stuck your heads in the sand for three years after I told you this was bound to happen.
You talk of the cost, but it’ll cost you and the city far more after the fact than if you replace them before they rupture. ” Her tone was firm.
The other men stood there saying nothing. The big mouth’s face grew redder, and he moved closer to her again.
“You take one more step toward her, and I’ll put your ass on the ground and my boot up your asshole,” I growled menacingly.
His head snapped in my direction, along with the rest of the group. I made sure to maintain eye contact with the mouthy guy. His anger hadn’t abated.
“This conversation isn’t any of your business. Leave,” he barked.
“If it involves her, and you being threatening, it does,” I countered.
One of the men next to him leaned over and whispered in his ear. Those men had wary looks on their faces. They’d no doubt seen what stupid hadn’t: our cuts. Pirate and Raider moved up to stand on either side of me. I wasn’t sure where Andy was.
The blowhard shrugged at the guy as he loudly proclaimed, “I don’t give a damn who they are.
They have no right to be here or to say anything.
This is between her and us. She’s been running her mouth and prophesying doom for years.
Now that one little pipe bursts, she’s trying to use it as a way to make her company a butt-load of money.
It’s a money grab, I tell ya. These things happen occasionally.
I bet she tells everyone she conducts assessments for this kind of stuff.
We’re not idiots to fall for it,” he blustered.
“If I’m not mistaken, this area is private property.
You only have access to your pipes as needed.
So, unless one of you is the owner, you have no say in us being here.
And if you don’t stop yelling at her, you’ll have more than our club brother to deal with.
We don’t take kindly to anyone threatening or intimidating those they shouldn’t, but especially not women and children,” Raider told him.
The low tone of his voice told me he was pissed. It was when he yelled that you shouldn’t be as worried.
“I’m not scared of a bunch of bikers,” the guy snapped.
“Then you’re an idiot, but that’s been evident for years.
If I were you, I’d shut my mouth, Bishop Reeves.
You’re pissed off because this woman told you this would happen, and you ignored her.
Ms. Forrest, I’m Andy Roby, and I manage the Asgard treatment plant.
We have a meeting next week. It’s a pleasure to meet you. ”
Everlyn stood there watching me, though she did smile and extend her hand to Andy when he introduced himself.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roby. I’m looking forward to our meeting. Zephyr, this is a surprise.”
Before I could respond, Bishop Reeves jumped back into it.
“I’ve got work to do. I don’t have time to stand around doing nothing all day like some people. And there won’t be any closing down and replacing other pipes, Ms. Forrest,” he sneered.
“Then when everything goes to shit, literally, Mr. Reeves, I’ll tell you I told you so.”
Her face showed nothing but contempt. A low growl came out of him, and he lifted his foot, but then he glanced over at us, hesitated, and turned on his heel instead and walked away. The three men with him left without another word.
“Am I wrong, or doesn’t the town own the waste treatment plant, and therefore, as the manager, Reeves answers to them, not the other way around?” Raider asked no one in particular.
Andy answered him. “Yeah, that’s right. But for some reason, they defer to him. I’ve noticed it before. Whatever he says, they do. Well, I gotta get back to work. I’ll see you next week, Ms. Forrest. And I’ll see you guys at our next Chamber of Commerce meeting, if not before.”
We bid him goodbye. After Andy left, I stood there waiting to see if she’d excuse herself or say more. I felt my brothers' questions coming to me over the airwaves. They wanted to know how I knew her. And they were determined to stand there until I introduced them.
“Everlyn, let me introduce my club’s president, Raider, and my VP, Pirate. Guys, Everlyn used Norse Passages for a funeral recently and had a custom casket made.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Do you prefer Everlyn or Ms. Forrest?” Raider asked. He had charm when he wanted.
“Everlyn is fine. It’s great to meet both of you. Passages and Valhalla did fantastic work. It was for my best friend’s grandfather, Jeremiah Moore.”
“Moore, wait, I remember seeing that job. I liked how the casket turned out,” Pirate replied.
“It was gorgeous, and Jeremiah would’ve loved it. He liked to reclaim things and find new uses rather than throw them away,” she said with a smile.
“So you’re an engineer, Andy told us,” Pres slipped in.
I wanted to tell them to go away and leave me to talk to her alone, but I knew to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m an environmental engineer who specializes in things like this, where there needs to be remediation and cleanup. It’s not what most people see as anything interesting, but I do.”
“It sounds like it’s right up Z’s alley. He’s into things like that. It’s why he came along with us today. Our club has always been close to nature. But I believe he’s the closest. He had his house done with reclaimed and environmentally friendly materials,” Pirate announced.
I wasn’t ashamed of my interest, but it felt weird to have them share it openly. I saw the way her eyes widened at the news.
“Really? I had no idea you had an interest in that sort of thing, Zephyr. You’re full of surprises and talent, it seems.”
“You could say that.”
After saying that, Pirate and Raider shifted the conversation.
“We’ve got to get going, but it was nice to meet you. Sorry, that Bishop idiot won’t listen. You should come to our club one day and check out what Zephyr did to his place. He’s had some of us implement his various ideas in other places. Z, we’ll see you later,” Raider informed me.
I knew the next time I saw them, I would be nicely interrogated about her. I let them finish their goodbyes to Everlyn and get back to where we’d parked our bikes before I faced her.
“If you have to get to work, don’t let me hold you up. But if you don’t, and would like to see what we’re doing, I can show you,” Everlyn offered softly.
“I’ve got to admit, I’m curious, especially about how you’re gonna turn this mess around.”
“It won’t be easy. Let me show you.”
And just like that, I was permitted more time with her. I let her take the lead. Phase one was underway.