Page 26 of A Rebel's Shot

She raised one eyebrow at him and cocked her head in challenge.

Nolan shuffled papers on his desk. “I’m heading up there as soon as I get off this call to clean up this mess and will be in Barrow by tonight.”

Merritt’s heart dropped. She didn’t need a babysitter. And she definitely didn’t need him swooping in to rescue her.

She shook her head. “That’s not necessary.”

“We’ve got it covered,” Silas added, surprising the heck out of Merritt.

“Obviously, you don’t.” Nolan’s rebuke snapped through the computer, and Silas’ jaw clenched. “And even though I’ve got all the oil assets of the company to take care of, I have to come up there to make sure this silly experiment of Clay’s doesn’t destroy everything we’ve built. I refuse to let all my hard work collapse over schist rocks.”

The online meeting room abruptly closed. Guess the meeting was over. Silas slammed his computer closed and stormed out with muttered curses about stupid geologists. She slumped into her chair with a long exhale.

What was she doing there? As much as she hated to admit it, Joni and Rachel were right. She didn’t know nearly enough about oil or graphite mining to be in charge. She definitely didn’t have the knowledge needed to ease the concerns of the locals.

Maybe she should turn the company over to Nolanso she didn’t accidentally destroy everything. He was a better choice for CEO with him being with her dad for years. He’d helped Dad expand from just drills in the Texas desert to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, then later up to Alaska’s waters and the North Slope.

Aside from Dad, Nolan knew everything there was regarding mining and their business. Yet the thought of giving up and disappointing her dad turned her stomach into a heavy pile of schist.

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 Tiikâan 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 Tiikâan 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.

Tiikâan 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.

Tiikâan’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 concernsabout 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.”

Tiikâan’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?”

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