Page 21 of Rescued Duty

If Tucker had written the note, what did he hope to accomplish? It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t let it distract her from the story at hand.

Naya headed to Pine Crest Pinnacle. She spotted Ingram stretching by the curb at the entrance to the park and jogged over to meet her.

“How’d the meeting with Drew go this morning?”

Naya stuck her keys in her pocket and fell in step with Ingram. “He’s going to talk to Tucker. Said harassment of any sort was unacceptable.”

“As it should be. I still can’t believe that guy has the nerve to assert himself like that. Who does he think he is?” Ingram huffed.

“Whatever his motive, it’s not going to deter me from writing this story.”

Ingram smiled. “Attagirl. To help you in that quest, I’ve got news for you.” She pointed at Naya and chuckled.

“About the story?” Naya quickened her pace.

The first part to the pinnacle was a nice walk along a dirt trail, but the second half always proved to remind Naya she needed to stay in shape to climb the steep incline among boulders and other rocks and sticks.

Climbing the hill was like going after everything she wanted, step by step. And it gave her the chance to think through the investigation. Sometimes the exertion combined with a mental break gave her a great idea.

“Bingo. The entire staff got an email today from Mr. CEO himself. A follow-up to our meeting yesterday.” Ingram whistled. “He told us the company is preparing legal action against the Green Warriors for harassment and invasion of private property. They have three days, until Friday, to pack up their things and find another place to picket.”

“Wow. They really don’t want to deal with the accusations or remediate any of the claims.” Naya walked faster, pumping her arms. They entered the forest brush, and her mind spiraled withan array of questions. “Why don’t they make a statement? Or even let a taskforce come in to check their products?”

“Beats me.” Ingram shrugged. “You’d think that would be the logical step to take.”

This new development proved the validity of Naya’s original thought. The one that nagged her like those incessant reporters in other people’s business. They wouldn’t relent until they had their answers.

Oh, wait.

Someone might say she was that person. Although, she hoped not, because Naya tried to be respectful of people’s boundaries.

“Logic might have nothing to do with it.” Naya snapped her fingers. “Unless they have something to hide, in which case they’d have every reason to silence the probing.”

“For the sake of my job, I hope you’re wrong.” Ingram groaned.

“I hope I’m wrong too, Grams. But I’ve got to figure out how the water contamination got to the river in the first place.”

“And this is why you’re good at your job,” Ingram said. “You know how to get to the bottom of something to find the truth.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. We live in a well-developed country with access to top-of-the-line sanitation processes. Something like this doesn’t just happen.” Bile rose in her throat. She’d read through some of the accounts of those whose health had deteriorated because of the chemicals entering their bloodstream.

How could these preventable situations occur here? Waterborne illnesses were only supposed to be found in third-world countries.

Like when her?—

Naya went to step over a rock but missed, and her foot caught on the edge. She stumbled forward and grabbed the topof another boulder to keep herself from slamming into the hard stone.

Oh Lord. Why did you take him?

“You okay?” Ingram extended her hand.

Naya brushed dirt off her leg and straightened. “Life has a funny way of turning out differently than you expect.” Naya let out a breath. “Losing Dom. My parents. Even this story.” The past should have been washed away in the current that had taken her old life with it, but it always seemed to come back like a tidal wave. “I don’t want to forget him.”

“Dom?”

Naya climbed over the next boulder.

The picture on her desk of her brother flashed through her mind. “Sometimes I still hear his laughter. Can still smell the mountain air around our village.” Naya cleared her throat. “When all we knew was innocence and forever.”

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