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Gunn smoothed his fingertip over the rim of his coffee cup, before glancing up at her. “Have you ever thought about looking for something stateside? You have skills that lots of places could use.”
She jogged her eyebrows up and down. “You have any ideas? Any contacts I might reach out to?”
He liked that she seemed amenable to considering a pivot in her career. “Hank Patterson, who’s the head of the Brotherhood Protectors, has friends all over the northwest region. I could put a bug in his ear. Maybe you could shoot me a resume, and I’ll pass it along to him or Stone Jacobs.”
“Is there a reason you want me…in the region?” she asked, her eyes sparkling.
Gunn wrinkled his nose. “I’m being selfish,” he said. “I was serious when I said I don’t want this to end.”
Maddie’s gaze fell away but then came back, locking with his. “I’ll send you a copy of my resume. Then let’s see what happens.”
He nodded, pleased she was thinking about it and hadn’t shot him down. She had a particular niche experience that was likely pretty valuable to people who needed planners and managers who could set up and manage a worksite filled with experts needing to remain free to do their specialized work. He was asking a lot.
Doors opened and closed in the distance. Footsteps sounded, drawing nearer.
“Morning,” Nate said, the first through the door and followed by the rest of the team, who quickly filled the room. Nate walked to the list on the fridge. “It is Thursday, right?”
“Kinda lose track,” Eric said, glancing at his Smartwatch. “Yeah, it’s Thursday.” He looked over Nate’s shoulder. “Breakfast is on you, Em.”
She sighed deeply but padded to the cupboard to take down the box of powdered eggs.
“I made rolls last night,” Nate said. “Want breakfast sandwiches?”
“How about we make some white gravy to pour on those rolls, with eggs on the side,” Hanna said.
“Add some Tabasco, and I’m in,” Perry said.
Everyone laughed. Breakfast came together quickly.
As they sat finishing up their meal, Maddie cleared her throat. “We had a visitor last night.”
Everyone went instantly alert.
She shook her head. “A furry visitor.”
“We had a polar bear here?” Eric said, his eyes rounding.
“Yeah, sometime around three a.m.,” Gunn said.
“We need everyone to go armed whenever they’re outside,” she said. “And when you work in teams, someone has to stay alert to your surroundings while the other works, just in case our buddy is still around, looking for something big to snack on. If you see him near your site, radio the rest of us. We’ll head your way.”
“That means, Hanna, you’re with me and Eric today,” Nate said, frowning. “You’re a shit shot.”
Hanna raised her hands. “I don’t take any offense to that. I am a shit shot.”
Maddie nodded. “I’ll have a Navy SEAL with me. I think we’ll be fine.” She glanced at Perry and Em.
Em shrugged. “We’re good. Both of us can shoot well.”
In the gray twilight, all seven team members headed out. Maddie had found data cards in the office supplies in the garage, so she and Gunn made their way straight to Mateo’s rig.
Gunn kept an eye on their surroundings, looking for any movement, while Maddie pulled and replaced cards. As soon as she was finished, she radioed the others to ask if they needed any help.
Nate responded with an “Affirmative. Have to move that damn drill into place again. I could use another strong back.”
“He’s got three people,” Maddie said to Gunn, rolling her eyes.
Gunn shrugged. “With Eric and me, he can get finished quicker. He’s probably worried about that polar bear.”