It could have been anyone. Steadman wouldn’t put it past Ranson to sabotage his own factory. The lumber business was a dead-end proposition, anyone could tell that. Logging would end, whether the environmentalists won or the companies eliminated all the trees. The insurance would put Ranson in a position to start some other business elsewhere.

The environmentalists seemed capable of burning it down too. Would they actually do it? Sure, what with the dioxins in the river and Lord knows what else.

Steadman knew it would all come out. The truth. But would it be in time? They could wait for the fire marshal to make an assessment of the cause. They could question the obvious suspects and follow the leads. But Steadman knew deep in his brain who was really behind the fire. He’d been blinded by his hatred for the FBI. They told you who it was: Scott Felton and his friends–Yula, Tenner and Xavier, building a bomb practically in front of your eyes. And now you don’t even have their names.

They’d be long-gone, maybe even now. He’d liked Scott and hated to think this of him, but here it was. You’ve been wrong about people before, Steadman admitted to himself. Standing there, lit by the glow of the massive fire, heated by the flames, Steadman felt profoundly stupid, alone, old and tired. He wished desperately that Susan was waiting at home, he wanted to throw the football around with Jim. Will you ever do that again? Steadman wondered.

"Ranson!" Steadman called to the executive. "Could I talk to you a minute?"

Maybe it was the smoke or maybe it was the emotion of seeing a large part of his life-long business burn to the ground, but Steadman thought he detected a tear in the corner of Ranson’s eye as he turned and walked toward the lawman. Instantly, Steadman regretted everything he had thought about the man. So he kills the trees, Steadman told himself. That doesn’t make him a bad man.

To Scott’s surprise, Tenner had their escape all planned. When Scott arrived, after roaring up the road and running up the trail, Tenner had already packed what he thought they could carry easily in the four large backpacks Scott had bought earlier on Tenner’s insistence. Yula filled canteens with water.

"Help us," Tenner said to Scott, signalling him to follow outside. "We can’t take the device, but we can hide it for when we can slip back," Tenner explained as they walked around the cabin to where Xavier put his equipment and the gizmo into one large pile. Tenner poked the edge of the cabin near the ground. Weeds grew several feet along the side.

What the hell’s he doing?

Amazingly, Tenner disappeared. With a puzzled look on his face, Scott wondered if Tenner hadn’t fled off to some other time or dimension. Tenner stepped into view again and gently held back the weeds. There was an opening to a four-foot high crawlspace under the entire cabin.

"In here," Tenner ordered Scott.

Tenner amazed Scott. Scott knew he’d misjudged the boy. It was jealousy, on both their parts, that clouded their perceptions of each other. If Yula wasn’t between you, you could be friends, Scott realized.

"Good, good," Scott said sincerely as he scrambled to the device. He and Xavier moved the machine to the cabin. Tenner and Scott pushed it underneath.

Xavier peeked through the brush at the space, then crawled in.

Scott and Tenner scrambled to pick up all of Xavier’s equipment and put it in with him.

Yula dumped the four backpacks on the ground, canteens tied to each one. She signaled Scott and the two of them walked around the cabin to be sure there was was no way to see under. When they reached the opening, they pushed the tall grass aside. Xavier sat in the darkness, in the lotus position. The contraption and all the parts fit nicely. The generator could go under too. Xavier had found his new workshop.

"I’ll stay here and finish this," Xavier shouted out.

"They won’t see me."

Tenner closed his eyes, summoning the patience of the gods. Yula shivered and bit her lower lip, trying to figure out what to do.

He’s a stubborn old fool, Scott read in Yula’s mind.

Scott took charge. "You have to come with us!" he ordered into the crawl-space.

"I’m almost finished," Xavier croaked. His cough had spread, the infection now wrapped his throat in pain.

"How long?" Scott shot back, knowing the answer wouldn’t be satisfactory.

"One or two hours," Xavier squeaked.

"Really?" Scott asked in surprise. Xavier wouldn’t underestimate–it wasn’t in him.

Yula shot Scott a look of betrayal.

"That’s all," Xavier insisted.

Scott considered. No good. They’re coming now. Scott shook his head, Yula’s accusatory eyes on him.

"It won’t work," Scott said. The dismay on Xavier’s face nearly broke Scott in two. "They’re coming now. I’m sure of it."

Yula sneezed and Xavier coughed under the cabin.

Will he make it? Will any of them? The odds were enormous. Steadman would come with overwhelming force. He and his men knew the woods. And they were healthy.

Isn’t this the way it always happens? In the movies? When the aliens come to warn the planet of impending danger, when they have a plan to save the Earth? And the ignorant Earthlings shoot the little beasties right out of their shiny silver boots because they look funny?

"We aren’t dead yet," Yula told Scott, aware of his eyes on her. "And we don’t look funny."

"Just go," Xavier said. "I’ll be all right here. I’m almost done."

Scott looked at Yula. She held up her hand to tell Scott she’d take care of it. She crawled under the cabin. How will she convince him? He doesn’t love her like you do. Or does he? How could anyone not love her?

Scott wandered away and looked down the mountain. He could see the front fender of the sheriff’s patrol car but that was all. How long had it been? Too long. Any second. We have to go. Now. Scott felt the presence of Tenner beside him. For once, Scott was the nervous one and Tenner the picture of calm.

"We have another three minutes," Tenner assured Scott.

Scott nodded and swallowed. He’d never been alone with the young man and now Scott felt uncomfortable. Scott would have to rely on him out in the woods and he hardly knew him. But the young man had calculated–probably to the second–how long it would take to march up from the road. He’s probably counting off the seconds now.

There was a rustling behind the two men. Yula emerged alone from the tall grass covering the underside of the cabin.

"One should say we should go," she said, picking up one of the backpacks.

"But what about Xavier–" Scott started to protest.

"Come on," Tenner said gently, handing Scott his backpack and throwing Xavier’s through the opening under the cabin.

Scott could see it was no use. Xavier would stay.

"Just a minute," Scott said and ran back into the cabin.

He grabbed the shotgun from behind the door. Should give it to Xavier.

"He can’t use it," Yula told Scott when she saw the indecision on his face. "Probably wouldn’t anyway."

Scott nodded. Still, it might help. Yula and Tenner were already headed for the woods. Scott scrambled to catch up.

"This is his project," Yula explained when they took their first step into the brush. "We are under his orders."

Kerry shuddered to think Gault was involved. She rode in Gault’s car with him in the direction of the flames. She couldn’t help wondering if he hadn’t done it, with the help of the mysterious Max. And where is Raymond? She wished she was with him instead.

They could feel the heat from the flames long before they arrived. The volunteer fire department did its best but it wasn’t good enough. There was a water pressure problem and the big trucks from Gunniston would take an hour to drive up the mountain. There was nothing to do but control the blaze so it wouldn’t become a forest fire.

Steadman assembled a posse in front of the blazing pulp mill. But like every plan in Steadman’s life, it wasn’t shaping up the way he’d envisioned. He looked over to where Gault and his gang stood.

"We want to help," Gault said.

Kerry almost laughed.

Steadman considered calling the whole thing off. He didn’t know enough. This Gault character was certainly a suspect. And so was Ranson.

"Okay," Steadman said, to the consternation of some of the loggers. "You two." Steadman pointed at Gault and Kerry. Kerry touched her heart in a question. She almost shook her head to refuse. Go ahead, she told herself. You came for the adventure, didn’t you?

"Wait a minute, deputy," Big Woody Kellogg spoke up. "We don’t know these creeps weren’t involved in this."

"I know they weren’t," Steadman said. He didn’t want to have to explain it all. It involved Scott Felton and aliens and other nonsense. The FBI boys–where were they?

"They’ll come with me," Steadman told Kellogg. "You go this way."

Steadman spread the map on the pavement. He pointed to the road and drew a line past Scott’s cabin to where the road veered off away from the ridge. "There’s no road there, so–"

"We know," Kellogg interrupted. There was nothing about the forest the loggers didn’t know.

"You’re looking for three men and a woman," Steadman told them. "She’s young and good-looking. One of the men is tall and young. The other’s about thirty-five and the third one’s sixty."

"Ranson," Steadman went on, "you and your men park here. Leave one man with the cars. You have walkie-talkies?" Two were produced. "Good. Leave one with the cars. The rest of you fan out over the ridge. You can spot any activity down by the cabin. If they got past, you can spot them on the other side."

The mill workers took off for their pickups. They were angry, ready to explode at the unfairness of it. They were angry at the environmentalists, the lumber companies, the Japanese and the Canadians. And they were angry as hell at the federal government. Steadman watched them roar off. Would they blow up the mill? Destroy their own livelihood? Out of spite…maybe.

Steadman turned his attention to the environmentalists. Amazingly, Gault was pulling a rifle from the back of his car.

Oh God, Kerry thought. He’s going to kill somebody. That would be just like him.

"Where’s Max?" Kerry asked him bitingly.

Gault’s look made Kerry shiver. He’s going to kill me.

Steadman drove the patrol car. Gault sat in the passenger’s seat, Kerry was in the back. Steadman glanced in the rear-view mirror. A line of six cars followed. Steadman didn’t want it this way. He prayed no one would die. It was possible, this many in the woods at night, but he wouldn’t have Scott and his friends getting away. Not if they bombed the mill. Where was the FBI when he needed it?

copyright 2007 Brenda H all rights reserved.

[tags]Brenda H, sci-fi, ecology, environment, thriller, suspense[/tags]