Page 10 of Dan

“For the last few decades, fracking has caused shifts and changes in the earth’s core. We are inadvertently opening fissures that cause small earthquakes in the most unlikely places,” said Remy.

“Like the 4.5 quake in Oklahoma a few years ago,” said Sophia Ann. “Everyone was so confused by it. Oklahoma is the tornado capital, not the earthquake capital. Yet the tremors were felt as far south as Dallas. This is real, and it’s happening more frequently.”

“How does this work?” asked Luke.

“Well, by definition, fracking is the process ofinjectingliquid at high pressure intosubterraneanrocks,boreholes, etcetera, forcing open existingfissuresso that you can extract oil or gas. People have been trying to limit it, even ban it, for decades now because of the impact on the environment and obviously, on the earth.

“We know these exist in our oceans, gulfs, and even rivers, but most are too deep to get to or are forbidden by the countries that control the waters. It’s not out of the question that there could be some in the Gulf of Mexico and, if mishandled, could create a tsunami-like effect on the Gulf Coast states,” said Robbie.

“What sort of impact would that have?” asked Eric.

“A hundred times the damage done by Katrina,” said Remy. “We’re talking about complete annihilation of the population within two to three hundred miles of the coast. If what she heard is correct, and we have no reason to disbelieve her, my guess is someone was hoping to cut off the submerged lands from reclamation by the U.S. and claim ownership by Mexico.”

“No offense,” said Hex, “but that’s fucking bullshit. Just because it would be submerged, or damaged, doesn’t mean someone could lay claim to it. The U.S. would never give up the lands, submerged or not.”

“I agree, but apparently someone else does not.”

“Wait a minute,” said Tobias. “Let’s think about this a minute. If that were to occur, we’re talking billions of dollars in damage. The U.S. might not be in a position to raise the land again, making it habitable. Someone, say Mexico, sweeps in and offers to purchase the land at a fraction of its worth.”

“But they can’t afford to raise it either,” frowned Dan.

“But I can,” said the tiny voice, standing at the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but your father thought I could be helpful in your meeting.”

“Please come in, Finley,” said Luke. “What did you mean? You could?”

“I was a child when Katrina happened, but I’ve watched hurricanes and tsunamis destroying coastal areas for years now. It was one of the things I was working on, a way to raise floodgates, dams, or barriers in the case of a water attack.”

“Water attack?” smirked Dan. “I think I like that.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “As I’ve said before, my brain doesn’t stop working. It’s always firing. Even lying on that sinking boat out there, my head was seeing all the marshlands and water, thinking if I could raise the water attack gates, all of this would be safe from flooding.”

The dozens of eyes in the room stared from one to another, absolutely shocked by her proclamation. What she was talking about could benefit not only the coastal areas of the U.S. but their own community of Belle Fleur and beyond.

“May I explain on the board?” she asked shyly.

“Of course,” said Luke. He handed her a marker, and she stood at the whiteboard as the room crowded around her. She drew a thick blue line across the center of the board, then a dark brown line, wiggling across the bottom.

“Let’s assume this is the bayou floor. This blue line is the waterline. The bayou is very soft, filled with sand and silt, hard to use as a base. But if I drilled far enough into it, I could put concrete and steel supports, much like they did building the spillway across the Atchafalaya.”

“That makes sense,” murmured several men.

“This becomes complicated with the attachments. I’m not trying to support a road on the pillars, I’m attaching steel and concrete walls between them, that could be raised at the first signs of a flood. Like battlements or a drawbridge in reverse. As you see the water rising to a dangerous flood level, you could raise the barriers to different levels. They could be five, ten, fifteen, even twenty or thirty feet above the waterline, preventing anything from getting through.”

“Or anyone,” said Dan.

“Yes, I suppose it would keep people out as well. I’m sure you have a danger of flooding here, given what I saw. You can see how helpful it would be for you, but it’s cost-prohibitive.”

“Maybe not,” said Matthew, smiling at the young woman.

Finley turned to smile at the older man with the sparkling whiskey-colored eyes. He had lines and wrinkles on his face, but his body appeared sturdy and strong. But it was the kind expression that made her relax.

“You have a brilliant mind, young lady. My name is Matthew Robicheaux, and I own all the land you see around you. I’ve also been in the oil and gas business my entire life, so I understand what you’re talking about. I’d like to test your invention.”

“Oh, well, it’s not fully vetted yet. It was my proposal to my employer, but they didn’t like it. They wanted me working on something else.”

“Well, I like it.”

“But it will cost millions and millions of dollars,” she frowned.

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