Page 11

ELEVEN

Patrol duty in the middle of the Brooks Range with nothing around for miles but trees and mosquitoes was by far one of the most boring things Tiikaan had ever done.

It might not even be worth the extra money Merritt was paying him to stand there.

Long hours of waiting for prey to venture into the zone while hunting had nothing on patrol duty. At least while hunting there was the possibility of catching a quick nap in the sun and whispered conversations with his clients.

He didn’t know what exactly he was patrolling against. The likelihood of a person showing up there was thin.

The only landing area within walking distance was at the mine, unless someone was willing to hike for days through mountain valleys, thick forest, and marshy tundra. It could be done, but it would be arduous.

He would not want to be that person .

Since the likelihood of someone wandering into the mine was nonexistent, that left him with nothing to do but stand there and swat at the mosquitoes that seemed to think he was an all-you-can-eat buffet. He’d have to remember to bring some bug spray tomorrow.

Maybe he could convince Merritt to let him do a few sweeps of the area in Darth Maule. At least then he’d have something to do other than be a human sacrifice to the Alaskan state bird.

A shout punched the air, and Tiikaan straightened, his senses on high alert. He scanned the area, trying to pinpoint where the sound had come from. There it was again, and this time he recognized the voice.

Silas.

Tiikaan moved toward the commotion, careful to stay out of sight. As he neared the back of a nearby storage trailer, the voices grew louder, more heated. He pressed his back against the cool metal siding and inched closer to the corner.

Peering around the edge, he spotted Silas in a face-off with another man. The stranger wore a hard hat and a vest with HEAS printed on the back in bold letters.

Tiikaan’s brow furrowed. What had Merritt said about HEAS during his tour? Something about environment and safety, maybe?

He shook his head. She’d thrown so many acronyms and information at him that day, and really, at the time, he hadn’t thought most of it important to remember.

Silas jabbed a finger at the man’s chest, his face twisted in anger. “How can there be sudden concerns about the mine’s environmental impact? We already have the green light from the EPA.”

The HEAS representative held up his hands in a placating gesture, but Silas wasn’t having it. “I just got blindsided at a board meeting because apparently there’s a risk of being shut down. Explain that to me.”

Tiikaan’s eyes widened. Shut down? He leaned in closer, straining to hear the HEAS guy’s response.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Harland, but new information has come to light. We have to investigate these claims thoroughly. If there’s any truth to them, we’ll have no choice but to halt operations until the issues are resolved.”

Silas raked a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched tight. “This is unacceptable. Do you have any idea how much money we’ve invested in this project? How many jobs are on the line?”

Tiikaan’s heart hammered in his chest. His job? His chance to prove himself. To finally prove that his business could soar and he could be successful, too. It couldn’t all be ripped away now. Not when he was so close.

The HEAS representative, visibly frustrated, ran a hand over his face. “Look, Mr. Harland, the geologist your father hired raised serious concerns about the potential for AMD.”

Tiikaan’s stomach churned. He’d heard about the effects of AMD from his brothers during their time in the military. Entire villages left uninhabitable, the water too toxic to drink, the land barren and lifeless. But that was overseas in third world countries. Would that really happen here ?

Silas shrugged. “We have safeguards in place. This is just a bunch of environmentalist bull trying to shut us down.”

The HEAS representative shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we can’t ignore this now, especially if the EPA is aware. We need to conduct a thorough investigation into the geologist’s claim and develop a plan to mitigate any potential risks. Until then, I’m afraid I have no choice but to recommend a temporary halt to mining operations.”

Tiikaan strained to hear as Silas’ demeanor suddenly shifted. The mine overseer lowered his voice, forcing Tiikaan to lean in closer, his ear nearly pressed against the cool metal of the trailer.

The HEAS representative’s response was muffled, but Tiikaan could sense the tension in his voice. He risked a glance around the corner, just in time to see Silas grab the other man by the collar and yank him close.

“Listen to me carefully,” Silas growled, his face mere inches from the representative’s. “You’re going to make this go away. I don’t care how you do it, but you will. Or else.”

The HEAS representative, his face pale and hands trembling, tried to stand his ground. “Mr. Harland, ignoring the environmental risks is not an option. If we don’t address this now, it could lead to catastrophic consequences down the line.”

Silas cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “I don’t want to hear it. You were supposed to take care of the geologist, so… Take. Care. Of. It. We can’t let this guy get to Merritt or anyone else. He’s already created enough of a problem. ”

Tiikaan’s mind reeled. Merritt didn’t know about the geologist? She was the CEO, for crying out loud. And what about the people living downstream? The wildlife? The land itself?

Silas jabbed Mr. HEAS in the chest. “We’re done here. Remember what I said.”

Silas spun on his heel and stormed away. Tiikaan barely had time to conceal himself between two stacks of barrels before Silas passed by, his face twisted in fury.

As soon as Silas was out of sight, Tiikaan darted to the corner to see if the HEAS representative was still there. He stood alone, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The man yanked off his hard hat and ran a shaky hand through his hair, looking troubled and conflicted.

He glanced around before heading toward a nearby office trailer.

Tiikaan’s mind raced. The environmental concerns were serious enough, but Silas’ comment about having “taken care of” the geologist sent a chill down his spine. What exactly did that mean? And why was Silas so determined to keep this information from Merritt?

Tiikaan needed to find out more. Not just for the sake of the mining project, but for Merritt’s safety as well. If Silas was willing to go to such lengths to keep this under wraps, there was no telling what else he might be capable of.

But what could Tiikaan do? He was just a pilot, a hired hand. Going up against someone like Silas Harland was a losing battle that could cost Tiikaan everything. And yet the thought of staying silent, of being complicit in this cover-up, made his stomach churn.