Page 28 of A Rebel's Shot

She was so brittle, if one more crisis got thrown on her plate, she’d break.

She pushed a little harder on her eyes, then slid her fingers up and over her eyebrows, hoping the pressure would relieve the headache she hadn’t gotten rid of since she got the news her father had died. It didn’t help. Nothing helped.

“Rough day?” Tiikâan bumped his arm already pressed against hers with a soft jab.

“Yeah,” she replied with a humorless laugh. “You could say that.”

As she scanned the snow-capped mountains they flew through, she took a deep breath and pulled her cracking edges back around her. She was letting Joni and Rachel’s pettiness get to her. Yes, if the graphite mine failed, the company would struggle, but it wouldn’t collapse.

Her dad was all about taking big risks for even bigger rewards, but he was smart. He wouldn’t have risked everything. He was too calculating for that.

With that reminder, she let the doom of the world slide to the back of her mind and focused on what she had to do next, at this moment, to move toward a solution. She pulled the note with the list of villages she needed to visit out of her satchel pocket.

“I’m going to need you to take my uncle Nolan and me to the villages Kobuk, Shangnak, Ambler, Klana, Noovik, and Kotzebue Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.” She folded and unfolded the paper. “We’ll visit two each day starting with the Shangnak and end out at Kotzebue.”

“Sure thing.” His reply came quick, but his voice was hesitant. “Why the meet and greet?”

“Some of the communities have raised concerns about the safety of the mine. I’m going in to let them know we’ve done a ton of testing, have every safety measure in place and the approval of the EPA, at least at the moment, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

She sighed. “I’m flying in blind, though. I don’t really know anything about the villages, their customs, or dynamics. I’ve got two days to learn all I can about themandcreate a presentation that eases their concerns.”

“Is there?” Tiikâan’s voice lowered. “Something to worry about, that is?”

“That’s just it. I haven’t been able to figure it out.” She turned with her back against the door so she could face him in the tight space.

“Supposedly, my dad hired a geologist, and he’s got concerns he’s telling the villages. The only problem is I can’t find any documents, emails, nothing between my dad and this geologist. I don’t even know who the man is.”

She huffed out a frustrated breath and focused her rant. “What I do have are multiple reports from other geologists and the EPA saying we’ve done what is needed and are good to go.”

“So, that’s what you’re going to tell the villages?” He darted his eyes to her, then back out the windshield.

“Yeah. I mean, until I get more information or the EPA makes us shut down, we move forward with the mine.” She sighed and faced forward. “There’s just too much at stake to push back drilling based on rumors when we’ve got evidence that we’re good to go.”

An uneasy quiet settled between them, and she mentally ran through what she just said. Had she offended him with her determination to move forward? Was that the right decision when there were allegations that the mine wasn’t safe?

She’d seen firsthand the devastation pollutants in the water could cause. Did she really want to risk it? Could she afford not to?

Dad, why did you put the company’s future up to me?

“So… I overheard a conversation between Silas and the HEAS guy.” Tiikâan’s cautious tone had all the muscles in her neck and shoulders tensing.

“What about?” She hated the tremble in her voice.

He glanced at her, an apology in his gaze. “Silas wanted to know why the geologist that was supposed to be ‘taken care of’ was suddenly making problems.”

Tiikâan’s use of air quotes made her want to vomit.

What the heck did that mean?

Had Silas wanted the geologist taken care of the same way her dad had been? Had the man she once considered her best friend changed so much he was willing to do anything to make money, including killing the only father he’d ever known?

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered and clutched her fingers around her necklace.

Tiikâan squeezed her knee before quickly jerking his hand back to the yoke. “Maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“How do you suppose that?”

“Well, what if this mystery geologist’s claim is bogus or overblown? Maybe he’s anti-mining and is grasping for any excuse to shut the operation down.” Tiikâan shrugged. “That kind of stuff happens all the time.”

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