11

 

Alex rolled over and turned off the alarm just before it went off. He checked and there was a message from Max, wanting him to come to his place asap. Alex texted he would be there no later than seven. His parents weren’t usually up before then. He texted Gwen, but there was no answer, which made him smile. She was probably catching up on her sleep. He decided to call her later from Max’s place. He was dressed and gone by six fifteen.

He drove slowly through the reserve streets, enjoying the familiarity, as houses lit up, here and there. He was nearly at the highway when he passed the old residential school, an imposing two storey red brick building. The band used it for administrative offices now.

Both his mom and dad had been students there, and both had given their testimony about the time they spent there. His brother Manny had spent a year there as a student. It closed a few years before Alex started school.

As a teenager, Alex had biked to the school grounds at night a few times. He’d grown up listening to the stories the elders told of how so many children never returned home and how sometimes, late at night, you could hear them crying. He wanted to see for himself if there was any truth to those stories.

One night, alone in the playground, Alex had heard the cries of children. He would never forget that night. It scared him like nothing has ever scared him since.

It was many years later that ground-penetrating radar discovered several hundred unmarked graves. And then, the horror of residential school deniers, coming with their shovels in the middle of the night to prove the graves didn’t exist. He was shaken from his reverie by the highway just ahead, and he quickly signalled and moved into the right lane.

By the time Alex turned onto the highway, there was a dark brown Dodge Ram truck behind him, trailed by a few other cars. People heading to work no doubt. He would be taking the cutoff to Tranquille well before he got to the river. On the highway now, he moved to the outside lane in preparation to make the turn onto Tranquille which was coming up in a few kilometres on his right.

The Ram truck he’d noticed at the highway on ramp was behind him and it started to pull out to pass. Instead, it pulled up beside him, held that position and suddenly drove into his lane, ramming the side of his jeep. Caught completely by surprise, Alex careened into the guardrail. The screech of metal on metal filled the air as he struggled to pull the jeep off the rail, but the Ram stayed on him, slamming into him again and keeping the pressure on this time.

The jeep was off balance now and Alex was sure he was done for. He was careening on the outside wheels and it was pure luck that his jeep didn’t flip over the rail. He would have, but the truck let off briefly and Alex took the window. He pulled left, hard, felt the jeep land on all four tires, then floored the gas pedal, pulling ahead of the Ram by half a car length.

Undeterred, the truck came at him again, catching his back end. He kept his foot to the floor and careening wildly, barely managed by some miracle to pull in front of the truck. The driver tried to pull around him, but Alex swerved from side to side, blocking access, then moved to the centre lane, the truck right on his heels. Alex started to weave in and out of what traffic was present, and the Ram stuck with him. There was no visible plate on the truck, and both the driver and a passenger were wearing baseball hats, pulled low. The exit to Tranquille was coming up fast, and Alex knew his only chance was to get off the highway.

Waiting till the very last minute, he swerved to the outside lane and took the cutoff, unable to slow down as he careened around the curve. Coming out of the curve, he pumped the brakes feverishly on the straightaway, barely able to reduce his speed before he merged into town traffic.

Alex moved into the middle lane. The Ram hadn’t followed him, but there was a grey SUV in his lane. Alex pulled back into the right-hand lane and watched as the SUV pulled into his lane a block later. It was behind him now, about two car lengths back. He signalled a right turn, blocks before he needed to and took it. He drove two blocks and turned into a side street, then did a U-turn further down, before pulling up behind a midsize car. He cut the lights and the engine.

Moments later, Alex watched as the SUV flew past the street he was parked on. He waited, and sure enough, the driver must have realized he’d lost him and doubled back. It slowed down just enough for Alex to know that he’d been spotted, then sped up and kept on going. He waited a few minutes, then started up and took a detour to King’s place, not that it mattered. The SUV probably had Max King’s address. Once at King’s place, he parked in one of the visitor’s spots and called his dad. Ron picked up.

“Just letting you know that I was followed after I left your place. A dark brown Dodge Ram, newer model. The driver tried to flip me over the guardrail, just before Tranquille.”

“What the hell, Alex? Are you okay?!”

“I’m okay, Dad. There was another vehicle, a grey SUV, followed me off the highway at the Tranquille exit. It took a while to shake it.”

“This is tied to the Max King investigation, isn’t it?”

“Most likely.”

“I really wish you’d find something safer to do to make a living.”

Alex said nothing.

“Did you get plate numbers?”

“No plates were visible.”

“Where are you staying tonight?”

“I’ll get a room in town.”

“You know you can stay here.”

“I’m not bringing this heat to your door.”

Ron knew better than to try and talk him out of it.

“Thanks for calling Alex. I’ll let the citizens patrol here know about both vehicles.”

“I think the grey SUV was in front of your house last night. Someone chased it off, probably one of the folks on patrol. A midsized red car.”

“You spotted it last night?”

“I think it was the same car. I didn’t give it much thought at the time. I assumed it was drug related.”

“Okay. Thanks for the call and keep us posted. And Alex, please be careful.”

“Always, dad.”

Alex sent a quick text to Eugene, with descriptions of both vehicles.

 

 

Alex exited his jeep and surveyed the damage. The drivers side was scored from end to end and while the metal had taken quite a beating, both doors were still usable. Doors on the passenger side were done for. Both refused his efforts to open them.

At least it’s still rideable, thought Alex.

He walked the short distance to Max’s door and rang the bell. He and spotted the detachment detail four doors down in an unmarked. They spotted him, and he nodded slightly.

Max let him in, and he followed him to the kitchen where coffee was brewing, and eggs and bacon were bubbling on the stove. Connie was the cook this morning.

“Hi, Connie. Good to see you.”

“And you, Alex,” she said, flashing him a big smile. “Have a seat. Breakfast will be ready in a minute. I hope over easy suits you.”

“That smells delicious and over easy is good,” said Alex. “Is the coffee ready?”

“Help yourself. Do you want toast?”

“Sure, whatever you have is fine with me.”

“Whole wheat only.”

“Gwen will only let me eat whole wheat.”

Alex fixed himself a coffee and sat down across from Max. His phone dinged, a text from his dad with photos taken by a woman at the warrior camp. Three men were shown. He forwarded the photos to Melva with a brief text.

Attached are photos taken by Alisha at Warrior Women’s camp recently. No one at the camp recognized these guys. We’re trying to ID them.

Alex looked them over, then handed his phone to Max.

“Have a look at these Max. Do you recognize any of these guys?”

Max took Alex’s phone and looked at the photos. He shook his head.

“I don’t,” he said, handing the phone back.

“Did you and your mom manage to get some sleep?”

“I slept like a baby,” said Connie, as she dished up three plates.

Alex smiled, then raised an eyebrow in Max’s direction.

“We didn’t finish up till after midnight, but I had a decent nap before that and got in a few good hours after.”

“You needed it,” said Connie, putting a plate loaded with food in front of him and another in front of Alex.

“Mom, I can’t possibly eat all of this,” said Max.

“I’ll do my best, Connie,” said Alex, reaching for his cutlery.

That made Connie smile. The three chatted amiably over breakfast. Alex waited until breakfast was finished before bringing up the attempt on his life.

“The last thing you two need is more on their plate, but I ran into some serious trouble on my way here this morning that you need to know about. I did let my contact at the detachment know.”

He gave them a sanitized version of what had happened on the highway coming into town.

“What the hell!” yelled Max.

“Are both of you now in jeopardy?” asked Connie.

“We will be taking all necessary precautions.”

“Tell me the guys from the detachment are still out front,” said Connie.

“Rest assured, they’re not going anywhere.”

“What about Rose?” Max had done his best, but it was obvious from what was left on his plate that he didn’t have much of an appetite.

“She’ll still have a uniform at her door,” said Alex.

“I’m sure everything is fine at the hospital, son. Surely you would have heard otherwise.”

“You’re right, Mom. But I’m really worried.”

“Of course you are.”

“Rose wants to meet you, mom.”

“And I look forward to meeting her, Max, as soon as she’s feeling up to a visit.”

“If she’s up to it, I’m going to head there this morning. But first, I need to meet with Alex about something. Privately, Mom. I hope you understand.”

“What? Are you afraid I can’t keep a secret? If you knew half of what I know!”

“Mom, you’re a trailblazer and one of my heroes,” said Max. “But I’ve given my word, and I can’t share this. Not till tomorrow.”

“All right. All right,” said Connie, not at all happy with being shut out. “Go have your meeting.”

Max and Alex left the kitchen and headed to the study. Max closed the door behind them.

“First, Mel sent this for you,” said Max.

He handed Alex two sheets of paper with a list of the names of Mountain Metal executives as well as shareholders.

“I noticed there’s a Frank on that list,” said Max.

Alex scanned it quickly. “Frank McGiver. Have you had dealings with him?”

“No.”

Alex texted the name to Eugene with a question mark.

“You’ll also notice that Ray Palmer is on that list,” said Max. “He’s Rose’s uncle.”

“Her uncle?” said Alex. “Interesting.”

Max nodded. “She told me she had an uncle that worked for Mountain, but I didn’t realize he’s Director of Operations for Canada!”

“Hmm.” That can’t be a coincidence.

“Rose is really fond of her Uncle Ray. I’ve met the guy. He seems nice enough. I can’t imagine him involved in any of this. He wanted to take her for dinner Sunday night, but she had already made plans with Meeta.”

That got his attention but before Alex could answer, his burner dinged. A message from Mel.

I just started working on your Global Guard request. Their site is a fortress. I’ll need more time for that.

As for the pictures you sent me, I haven’t been able to ID any of the men.

At Max’s quizzical look. “I asked Melva if Global Guard is working for anyone in these parts.”

“Global Guard?”

“Security for hire, the heavy-duty kind.”

“Alex, please tell me what exactly happened this morning?

“Some goons in a Dodge Ram tried to take me out on the highway. They tried to push me over the guardrail about a kilometre from the Tranquille cutoff.”

“Fuck, Alex!” said Max.

“There were two vehicles in the convoy. I lost the second vehicle about six blocks from here. A grey Nissan SUV. I’m pretty sure I spotted that Nissan in the middle of the night in front of my parents’ place.”

“Do you think they had plans for you and that’s why they were at your parent’s place?”

“I do now.”

“Are your parents safe?”

“I gave Dad a heads-up. We have people on reserve who patrol regularly for drug traffickers. He’ll pull them in.”

The look Alex levelled at Max was very serious.

“If they’re coming for me, Max, they’re definitely still coming for you.”

“Won’t they spot the protective detail out front?”

“You can bet on that. But someone means business, and until we know who we’re dealing with, we’re gonna be very careful.”

Alex knew that Global Guard, or a group with the same skill set, was likely on someone’s payroll and that a protective detail wouldn’t be much of a deterrent.

“In the meantime, I want you to stay put. No hospital visiting for you or Connie.”

Max started to protest but was interrupted when Alex’s burner rang. It was Eugene.

“Frank McGiver; the name is familiar. Then I remembered why. I just talked with our anti-gang rep, and he confirmed that Frank McGiver works for The League.”

“He’s on Mountain Metals list of shareholders as the rep for Solutions Source Inc.,” said Alex.

“What a clever name for a cover company.”

“Hmm.”

“It looks like The League has definitely embraced mining as a revenue source.”

“I’d say so,” agreed Alex.

“I let the detectives know that someone is gunning for you.”

“Whoever is after Max King has turned up the heat.”

“A few more uniforms at King’s place would be a very good idea. The safe house would be even better.”

“The grey SUV was parked in front of my parents’ place in the middle of the night. I think one of the cars that patrol the reserve for drug dealers convinced them there was need for a change in plans.”

“I’d send a couple of uniforms over, but the reserve isn’t going to appreciate being patrolled by a squad car.”

“They won’t, and there’s no need. They have it covered.”

“Okay. Let’s talk later,” said Eugene.

Alex tucked his phone into a jacket pocket and turned to Max.

“Are you familiar with the anti-gang initiative? They have a representative from every RCMP detachment and all other police stations across the country.”

Max nodded.

“The rep here just confirmed that Frank McGiver works for Solutions Source.”

“Whoa… You think that might be the Frank?”

“It’s a possibility. So, we’ve just moved from being very careful—to lockdown.”

“Got it.”

“When are the lawsuits going to be filed?”

“We’re aiming for everyone to file tomorrow.

“How many lawsuits are you bringing?”

“Thirty-two, last count,” said Max with a grin. ‘That’s if everyone makes it to the finish line. Kind of like a peaceful protest, but with legal teeth. At least, I like to think so.”

“This is all just common sense,” said Alex.

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you. Didn’t you say your partner Gwen is interested in environmental law?”

Alex smiled. “Gwen’s going to love this. When I have the go-ahead to tell her about it, of course. She’ll be very pleased that Mountain Metals is on your list.”

“We have always planned that Mountain Metals will be served with two lawsuits: One for the New Directions and one for Copper Mountain.”

“But why not just make the case that these owners are not living up to their environmental responsibilities with regard to the earth? They aren’t!”

“Our constitution—like the constitution of forty-four other nations—is completely silent with regard to environmental responsibility. Those forty-four nations, by the way, include most of the English-speaking nations of the Americas.”

“That’s no surprise. So, Canada, the US…”

“And other English speaking nations, like the UK.”

“What about the rest of the countries?”

“More than three quarters of the world’s national constitutions include explicit references to environmental rights and/or environmental responsibilities. All of which mining companies have largely chosen to ignore. And that’s because—in spite of these clear references—most countries don’t punish mining companies for their failure to operate their mines responsibly and with care for the environment.”

“Canada included.”

“With regard to the lawsuits we’ll be bringing forward in other countries, the teams have been able to use constitutionally enshrined environmental rights and the rights of the individual as the backbone of their legal arguments. And that will be our second line of attack.”

“If you have a country where there’s no case law, no precedent, then what recourse is there for those countries?”

“And that’s our third line of attack. Sixty percent of mining companies in the world are Canadian owned. A few years ago, Nevsun, a BC company was charged with failure to protect miners in one of their mines in Eritrea from slave labor practices. A Canadian court agreed to hear the miners’ case. As soon as that happened, Nevsun quickly settled out of court.”

“Nevsun.” Gwen had been talking about that case just a few weeks ago, thought Alex. “Canadian mining must have taken notice.”

“Of course they did. Thanks to Mel and her contacts, we have an extensive list of Canadian mining companies and their subsidiaries whose mines in other countries are damaging or have damaged the environment. When we were in the planning stage, we did our best to line up individuals willing to bring cases against these companies to Canadian courts. We were able to find a few, but we had to make sure it was people we could keep reasonably safe. That has taken months.”

Alex said nothing, but his face spoke volumes.

“We can’t guarantee that we can keep them safe, can we?”

“Please share with your people that you all need to be realistic with regard to safety right now,” said Alex. “We need to dig deeper and find out who is pulling the strings behind the scene and how far they’re willing to go to shut you down. Right now, I’d say all bets are off.”

“That’s not going to stop us.”

“Even after what happened to you?”

“Mel says everyone is still on board.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Our plan is to keep mining on the run for years. And this will be supported by a media campaign highlighting the how, the when, and the why.”

“Max, I’m asking you once again: Is there any chance at all that there’s been a leak?”

“I don’t see how. We’ve been very, very careful. No information has been sent by regular email. We only use proton mail, only send information from our home computers, using virtual networks, and absolutely no exchange of information by phone. And all meetings are on the IRC that wikem set up a few years back.”

“Is there anyone else in Kamloops working on the lawsuits, besides you and Ari Rosen?”

“In Kamloops, just us two. In Canada there are eight lawyers involved. Five are Indigenous.”

“Where did you work on the lawsuits, I mean, your physical location?”

“We worked from our offices downtown, and Ari and I both worked from home.”

“Did you check for bugs?”

Max looked at Alex, uncomprehending at first.

“Bugs… Dammit, how can we have been so careless!… I just didn’t think… ”

“You’re clear at home, I’ve already checked, but I’ll check your office space, and Ari’s, and his home address. I’ll do that as soon as I leave here.”

“Ari’s at home now finishing up because I’ve been out of commission.”

“I’ll check your offices first, then his place.”

Alex appraised Max and his face was dead serious.

“Do you think you have any chance of winning any of these cases?”

“Honestly, Alex, I’ve no idea. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but everybody involved feels the same. This is about saving mother earth. Saving the planet.”

Max’s phone dinged and Alex silently put out his hand. Without a word, Max handed it to him. It was a message from Ari.

“Tell him you’ll talk with him later.”

Max sent the text.

“We have to assume that this phone is no longer safe for you to use. Is there anyone, besides Rose, that you need to contact?”

“No.”

“Call Rose and tell her you’re not feeling great and that you’ll try to come by to see her later, or tomorrow. And anything else you think she’d like to hear,” added Alex, with a smile. “I’ll try to get a burner to her at the hospital.”

“Meeta could take one to her.”

“I’d rather leave Meeta out of this.”

This is a job for Eugene, thought Alex.

“After you speak to Rose, don’t use this phone under any circumstances. Unless you have one, I’ll pick up a burner for you.”

“I don’t.”

“I’ll get you a burner. And just so we’re clear… ”

“Don’t leave the house, no phone calls, and I guess that means no takeout orders.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“In that case we’re going to need groceries. I’m not much of a cook.”

“We’ll figure that out. Are you okay for the moment?”

“We probably enough to get by for today. I’ll see what I’ve got in the freezer.”

“I think Ari should be here. It will be easier to keep an eye on him.”

“That’s a good idea, but where’s he going to sleep?”

“I’ll get him here first. Then, we’ll figure something out.”

 

 

One of the partners approached Shannon Simmons first thing Wednesday morning with a legal brief he needed for the next day. She’d worked with the firm for nearly a year as a paralegal, and because she was a fast and efficient worker, she had earned a reputation amongst the partners and associates as careful and reliable.

She smiled and took the file from him, but her heart sank when she opened it. She’d just gotten off the phone with Mr. McGiver. This file was going to take most of the day, but he had seemed very desperate, and she wanted to get him something he could use.

She worked steadily for several hours. Then, grabbing a handful of files from the corner of her desk, she headed for the break room. It was noon by then, most people were at lunch and the office was nearly empty. She walked past the break room and headed left, down the hallway where the associates and name partners had their offices. She walked the length of it, but only one lawyer was bent over her desk. Violet Grimes, the workaholic, didn’t look up.

Shannon turned and walked back towards reception. The coast was still clear. She ducked into Ari Rosen’s office first, moved to his desk, and started searching. There was nothing of note on the desk.

As she moved behind the desk, a temp walked by in the direction of reception. That gave Shannon a start. She hadn’t noticed the temp before. Maybe she’d been in the washroom. She busied herself pulling one of the files from the pile in her arms and placing it on Ari’s desk, but the temp paid no attention to her. Seeing this, she dumped the rest of the files on top of his desk and quickly checked the desk drawers. They were all unlocked but her search turned up nothing but office supplies, shaving gear, and a stack of business cards.

She dropped down and checked the placement of the bug. It was still in place. She stood up, to find a man wearing a baseball cap at the door to Mr. Rosen’s office. Somewhat rattled, she grabbed the files and started around the desk just as the man pulled the door open and stepped inside.

“Who are you?” Shannon demanded. “You don’t work here.”

The man smiled and pushed his cap up a little higher.

“Hi. My name is Alex. Ari Rosen asked me to pick up something for him.”

“Oh. I see. Well, I’ll get out of your way then,” she said with a smile.

“And you are?”

“Shannon, one of the paralegals.”

“Nice to meet you, Shannon.” Alex smiled and stood to one side.

She brushed past him and left the office, heading in the direction of reception. Alex watched her go, then moved to the credenza along the wall to the right of the desk to start his search. Finding nothing, he checked the corners for the room for placement, the plant by the door and a bookshelf to the left of the desk. The pictures and diplomas on the wall also yielded nothing. Alex moved to Ari’s desk last and quickly found the bug attached to the underside. He left it in place. He grabbed a ledger from one of the desk drawers and tucked it under his arm. Seeing that the coast was clear, he moved to Max King’s office.

A similar search revealed just the one bug, in much the same place on the underside of Max’s desk. He left it in place.

One bug in each office, placed by someone in a hurry, thought Alex. Probably staff; possibly Shannon.

Alex left the offices and headed downstairs to leave. From the entranceway, he spotted a grey Nissan at the far end of the lot, two guys in the front seat. He stepped back inside, pulled up Uber and called for a car, asking for a pickup at the side entrance of the building.

Eight minutes later, his ride arrived. Alex got in and directed the driver to Ari’s address. He took off his hat and slouched down low, pretending to catch a nap. Eugene could bring him back later to pick up his jeep.

 

 

Ari answered the bell, but before he could speak, Alex held a finger to his lips and went inside. He leaned into his ear.

“Show me to your office space, then go back to work without saying anything.”

A frightened Ari led the way, then took the seat at his desk.

Alex did a thorough search of the room but found nothing.

“The room’s clear,” he said.

“What’s going on Alex?”

“Is a paralegal named Shannon working on any of your cases?”

“No. Not me.”

“So, there would be no reason for her to be in your office picking up files?”

“There would be no files for her to pick up!”

“I found her in your office. She pretended to be picking up files from your desk.”

“She has no business in my office,” said Ari. “What’s going on?”

“Do you know her last name?”

“Simmons, I think.”

“When did she start working at your firm?”

“Close to a year ago, I think. Did you find anything in my office?”

“Your desk was bugged.”

“Shit.”

“So was Max’s.”

“Oh boy!”

“I left them in place. They’re not a threat, since you’re both working at home. The good news is both you and Max are clear at home. It could be Shannon was the one who planted the bugs.”

Then Alex told Ari what had happened to him on the way to Max’s. Ari’s face was ashen when he was done.

“They tried to kill you!”

“They did. I think it best for you to be at Max’s place. Unless there’s been a direct threat to your life, the detachment probably won’t consider putting a detail on you. I want you to pack a bag and come with me now. All things considered, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“But Max’s mom is at his place. There’s no room for me.”

“We’ll have to work that out. Bottom line is whoever this is, they’re playing hard ball and you’re not safe here. I want you to call your office. Do that now, and tell them that you’ll be working at home for the rest of the week. Tell them you think you’re coming down with a cold.”

Ari called the office and spoke with the office manager and did exactly as directed, coughing a little as he spoke with her.

“Is there anyone else you have to call?”

“No one I can think of.”

“We’ll leave your phone here. That’ll buy us some time.” Do you have a burner?”

“I do,” said Ari. He’d purchased one months ago, a just in case kind of thing.

“Good. Bring it with you.”

“You think we’re being tracked?”

“If not already, then you very soon will be. You can count on that, and we need to get ahead of these guys.”

“I’ll admit that I’m rattled, Alex, especially after what happened to Max and Rose. And now you!”

“I can understand that.”

“The work that Max and his people are doing… this work is so important. I want to be part of it. Even when we go public… we never expected or planned for this kind of reaction… I mean… attempted murder?” Ari stopped speaking and looked at Alex.

“Ari, you have made a significant commitment to this, and I’m impressed. Do you mind telling me what prompted your involvement?”

“Indigenous people are on the frontlines dealing with the devastation that big mining has caused, and that’s worldwide. It’s hidden, but we are all affected.”

“You’re preaching to the choir,” said Alex, not unkindly.

“Sorry, of course I am.”

“No judgement here.”

“I have a lot of respect for Max King. We come from very different backgrounds, but we have some things in common. We both want to fix what is broken in this world. People are dying because of big mining. We want to save lives. That’s where Max is coming from, and me as well. Those are core Jewish values.”

Alex nodded.

“I am a very angry man. There is so much to be angry about. But I am so very tired of being angry. I want to be more like Max. Max is informed by love first. I want my actions to be grounded in love, in kindness. I want to be that person.”

And so do I, thought Alex. But I’m not that person and haven’t been, not for a long time now.

“Working with Max has brought me a little closer to who I want to be.”

Alex nodded.

“I’ll go pack.”

“How long do you need?”

“Ten minutes will do it.”

“I’ll get us a ride. Is there a back entrance to this place?”

“There is. Tell the driver to enter the complex via the east service entrance and follow around to the back, all the way to the double doors closer to the west side. You can’t miss them.”

With that, Ari headed to his bedroom to pack.

 

 

Norm was getting ready to leave for the hospital.

“My shift starts in half an hour. There’s lasagna in the oven and beer in the fridge. I didn’t have time to make a salad.” Norm was not a fan of salad and hadn’t made one in months.

But Melva, who normally would have pointed that out, was in the zone.

“Thanks Norm,” she said absently. “You’re the best.”

“I am,” he agreed, closely the door to her study softly.

He grabbed his gear and headed out to his car, careful to bolt the door as he was leaving.

Mel had been at it for a while now, and the screen she was staring at was gobbledegook to him. It always made him nervous when she hacked into someone’s server. Alex had requested this, but Global Guard for chrissakes. He’d read up on them, and from the little information he could gather, they were in a lot of countries, mostly solving problems for corporations.

Mel wasn’t the least bit worried, and he tried to follow her lead, but he knew he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace until she was done.

 

 

It was a while before Mel had what Alex needed. She copied the list of all clients for the last thirty days and emailed it to Alex’s Proton Mail address. Then she sent him a quick text on his burner letting him know she’d sent what he needed. She also printed a copy for her files.

While she had access, she decided to snoop around a bit. It was impossible for her to resist the opportunity.

Global Guard projects were arranged by country and went back almost five years. It was an extensive list. She made note of the various countries they worked in and who they worked for. There were no surprises and no new information.

She opened the Canada folder, not really expecting much. Work in Canada didn’t pay the big bills, that was for sure. But there were a few mysteries Mel and friends had been unable to solve—one of them very close to home—the murder of one of their own, a young man named Cameron McLeod.

Cam and his brother, George, lived up in the Peace River area. The brothers were very opposed to fracking and had made a name for themselves in those parts. Three years ago, George had reported Cam missing the first week in August.

It was a search party of redz members that finally found him, almost a week later, lying at the entrance to an abandoned fracking well.

It was pure luck they found him at all, for there were hundreds of fracking well sites that had been abandoned. His death got a single mention in one of the small local papers. There was an autopsy, but no investigation.

The cop who spoke with George said Cam’s death was listed as accidental, because there were no signs of foul play.

Mel started searching specifically for any companies with business in the Peace River area, companies Global Guard had worked for in the month of August, three years previous. There was only one—Mimacor, an LNG firm.

What did Mimacor want from Global Guard? Mimacor had contacted them to hire someone to investigate sabotage attempts at one of its mine sites.

Duration of project: 3 days

Minimal resources utilized

Outcome: Successful.

 

“Sabotage?” mumbled Mel. “And what the hell does successful mean?”

She took down all the particulars, including the contact person for Mimacor, and the name of the Global Guard investigator, a guy named Gerry LePlant.

It took a lot more searching, but she managed to pull up LePlant’s actual report. It was brief, only two paragraphs, and she began to read it. Her breath caught when she read the second short paragraph.

“Oh no, Cam,” she whispered.

She copied the very brief report and got the hell off the site. Then she put her head down and cried.

 

 

Eugene Munroe, Al Bannon, and Angie Strickland were huddled at his desk in the office area at the Kamloops detachment. Eugene was filling them in with regard to the latest move on Alex.

“You’re saying the truck tried to push him over the guard rail?”

“A concerted effort, that was his take.”

“Maybe the truck just misjudged the angle when it was trying to pass him.”

“He’s talking about a truck, Al,” Angie quietly pointed out. “The driver would have a very good view of his peripherals. Nice weather today, and the Yellowhead is clear. I think, as a driver, once you realize that you’ve got a car up against a guard rail, you would probably back off, unless that’s what you wanted to happen.”

Bannon said nothing, and Eugene wondered—not for the first time—how Strickland put up with him.

“There was a second car in the convoy,” said Eugene. “A grey Nissan SUV. When Alex took the cut-off, it followed him. He confirmed it was tailing him when he tried to lose it on a side street.”

“Okay, I buy it now,” said Bannon. “We don’t even know yet who’s bringing the heat.”

Eugene’s phone dinged. He read the text.

“Alex wants you to know that he’s bringing Ari Rosen to King’s place. Both the lawyers’ offices at Brigham & Associates were bugged.”

“There isn’t much else we can do,” said Bannon. “We’ve got around-the-clock coverage at King’s house.”

“There will soon be three people on site,” Strickland pointed out. “The back alley is pretty close to the public walkway along the river. Too close, I’m thinking.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to put a couple of uniforms in the alley for the next day or two,” said Bannon.

“I agree,” said Eugene. “This might seem a little off topic, but I saw an ex-cop who may now work for Global Guard up here, a guy named Gerry LePlant. He used to work with Ian Kennedy, the detachment commander at 100 Mile, so I called Kennedy up a few days back and he confirmed that LePlant’s with Global Guard. At least he was a few years back.”

“What would Global Guard be doing up here?” Bannon was incredulous.

“An excellent question,” said Strickland.

“When did you spot him?” asked Bannon.

“About ten days ago. He was with a couple of suits. It could be that King and Rosen rattled someone’s cage.”

“I mean, they’re lawyers, they rattle cages. Isn’t that in their job description?”

“My understanding is that they plan to file a couple of contentious lawsuits tomorrow.”

“Lawsuits. So what?” said Bannon.

“Normally I’d agree, but Alex is working for King, and after what happened this morning to Alex—which definitely feels like the work of pros—my first question is: Why would pros be involved?”

“I guess a mining company could be behind this, but isn’t this kind of behaviour over the top for them,” said Strickland, “at least here, in North America. It doesn’t track.”

“Agreed. They’ve got the legal thing pretty much sewn up. So no, it doesn’t track. On the other hand, it might not be a mining company that’s behind this.”

“We’re going in circles with this, “ said Bannon. “We still don’t know for certain who’s behind all this.”

“And we don’t know what’s coming,” said Strickland. “We need an extra hand. Eugene, what’s your caseload like?”

“I’ve got a couple of days for this,” said Eugene.

“Good,” said Bannon and Strickland together.

Eugene smiled.

“This would be a good time to move everyone to a better location, but the safe house is in use, and we’ve only got the one,” said Strickland. “We’ve got a family living there, a mom and kids. Mom will be testifying in the drug bust case next week.”

“We’ve got a uniform on Rose Barlow,” said Bannon. “No worries there, but I’d sure like to put Connie King on a plane back home.”

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t want to put her at risk trying to get her home just yet,” said Strickland. “I’d like to wait till we know what we’re dealing with and we have our ducks in a row.”

“I like the idea of putting more uniforms on King’s place,” said Eugene.

“So do I. I’ll arrange it right now with Knightley,” said Bannon and went in search of the detachment Commander.

“I’m thinking we need the ERT team in Surrey on standby,” said Strickland. “As a precaution.”

“Excellent idea,” said Eugene.

She appraised Eugene. He smiled. She smiled back.

“You’re very patient with your partner,” said Eugene.

“My brother is married to his sister. Her second marriage. His first.”

“So, Bannon’s your brother-in-law?”

“He is.”

“Right.” Eugene nodded. “How did I miss that?”

“We don’t talk about it,” she said.

They both smiled. She was still smiling when she headed to her desk to call Surrey.

 

 

McGiver didn’t call Shannon back till mid-afternoon, and she was dreading his call.

“Can you talk?”

“Yes sir,”

“What have you got for me?”

“Well, uh… someone named Alex interrupted me just after I finished searching Ari Rosen’s office. I pretended to be picking up files, and I don’t think he suspected anything.”

“Alex who? What’s his last name?”

“He didn’t say.”

“Describe him to me.”

“Nearly six foot. Not quite because my brother is six foot, and this guy wasn’t quite that tall. Native guy, kind of handsome.”

“Native?”

“Yes.”

“Why was he in Rosen’s office?”

“He said he was picking something up for Mr. Rosen.”

“Fuck,” muttered Frank.

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“I want you to go back into his office and King’s office as well and see if the guy found the bugs you planted.”

“I don’t think he was here for that.”

“Just do as I ask.”

“Do you think it’s safe for me to do that?”

“Is it safe? Listen Shannon, if you want to keep getting your allowance, you’ll find a way.”

“Yes sir.”

 

It was almost seven before the coast was clear. It didn’t take long for Shannon to check that both bugs were still in place. She texted Mr. McGiver with the news.

She searched both offices again but found nothing that could explain what the two lawyers were so secretive about. She went back to her desk and texted him again with that news. Both messages were delivered, but half an hour later, when he still hadn’t responded, she grabbed her coat and purse and left the office.

Feeling down, she decided to eat out. There was a bistro not far from the office that served dinner, and she headed there. She decided to have a few drinks too and take a taxi home.

By the time she was seated and waiting for her dinner, Mr. McGiver still hadn’t responded to either of her messages, and that was not a good sign. He usually got back to her right away, and she had a sinking feeling that it wouldn’t be long before she wouldn’t be able to afford this kind of extravagance.

 

 

Alex had the driver make a stop at Best Buy on the way to Max King’s place to purchase the needed burner phones. He bought three using cash, one for Rose Barlow, one for Max King, and a spare.

Back at Max King’s place, Connie was in the kitchen planning dinner. Lunch was going to be simple fare, beans on toast.

“That’s all Max has in the cupboard,” she said, “but I can put in a grocery order.”

“If I had known I’d be having so much company, I would have gone shopping,” said Max.

Connie gave him a big smile.

Alex gave Max the Nokia burners.

“One for you and one for Rose and a spare. Sorry, talk and text only, but that’s much safer,” said Alex. “I’ll let you deal with adding a carrier. I have to make a few calls. I’ll do that in the study.”

Alex headed down the hall, pulled out his burner and called Gwen’s burner.

She answered on the fifth ring, a little out of breath.

“What’s up my love?” said Gwen.

“I miss you. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Ditto here.”

“Also, I need to catch you up on what’s happening up here. It might be my last chance for a while.”

“I knew it. A burner call. You’ve got trouble up there.”

“There is big trouble up here. I told you that Max King and his girlfriend Rose were abducted a few days ago. She’s still at the hospital and there’s an officer guarding her. At this point, Max and Connie are on lockdown at his place, and I brought another lawyer here as well, for protection.”

“You’re not alone I hope?”

“There are four uniforms here now and two detectives are on the case. Eugene has been brought in.”

“Good to hear.”

“In the meantime, I am very concerned for your safety.”

“Why?”

“I was targeted this morning.”

“What happened?”

“A couple of hires tried to push the jeep over a guardrail.”

“Alex! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. The jeep took quite a beating.”

“I don’t care about the jeep! Any ideas who’s behind this?”

“Whoever’s behind this is professional. I want Jeri to come get you and I want you to stay with her and Jas till this is over. What will you be missing this week if you’re not attending classes?”

“Not much. Just the one class. I can get notes from one of my classmates.”

“They’re after me now, and that might put you in jeopardy too.”

Gwen was silent. This had happened before. Very real threats, with very real consequences.

“You’ll call Jeri right away?”

“I will,” said Gwen with a heavy sigh. “Soon as I’m off the phone.”

“I feel a lot better knowing that.”

“Yeah, I know you do.”

There was a knock at Max’s front door.

“Just a sec, honey.”

Alex moved to answer the door. It was Bannon and Strickland. He let them in.

“We’d move King and his mom, but the safe house is in use right now,” said Bannon. “I arranged for two more uniforms to be posted out back. And we pulled Eugene in.”

“That’s great.”

“Eugene told us you ran into some trouble earlier,” said Strickland.

Alex nodded and held up the phone.

“I’ll be right with you. I’m talking to my wife. Max and his mom are in the kitchen.”

The detectives headed to the kitchen at the back of the house and Alex returned to the den.

“Who was that at the door?” Gwen asked.

“Two detectives who are working the case out of the Kamloops office.”

“You said Eugene is working this case?”

“He is now, officially. The good news is whoever arranged this tipped their hand and now we have some idea of what we’re up against.”

“Who do you think you’re up against?”

“Possibly a private security firm.”

“Is it as ominous as it sounds?”

“It could be.”

“Be careful sweetheart.”

“You can text me on my burner if you need to.”

“What should I tell Jeri?”

“Tell her I suspect Global Guard is involved.”

“I’ll let you get back to it. I love you sweetheart.”

“I love you too, honey.”

“I’m calling Jeri now,” said Gwen, then disconnected.

Off the phone with Gwen, Alex saw a text from Melva.

I got what you asked for. Hope this helps. Check your proton account. Nothing yet on pics you sent. I don’t think they’re local guys.

Alex opened her message, clicked on the attachment and started scrolling the Global Guard file. He found the confirmation he needed. Frank McGiver of Solutions Source, Vancouver, had put in a very recent request for service. Gerry LePlant had been dispatched to meet with him.

Alex texted Eugene, asking him to drop in at Max’s, then headed to the back to speak with the detectives. Strickland spoke first.

“Alex, do you have any idea who’s targeting you?”

“I’m not sure, but they’re pros. I do know that.”

“What makes you say that?” said Bannon.

“Years of experience,” said Alex. His shoulders were still sore from the supreme effort required to keep his jeep upright.

“No need to get smart with me,” said Bannon. “We’re here to help.”

“Hey, I meant no disrespect, and your help is much appreciated,” said Alex, as evenly as he could muster. “But I’ve been targeted before, and these guys are definitely pros.”

“Do you think this is the same crew that targeted King and his girlfriend?” asked Strickland.

“No. They were very sloppy. These guys are not sloppy.”

“What the fuck is going on?” said Bannon, his eyes then lighting on Connie. “Sorry ma’am.”

“No apology necessary, Officer,” said Connie evenly. “We’re grateful you’re here.”

“We’re on lockdown now and we do need some groceries,” said Max. “Can I give someone my card?”

“Keep your card, Mr. King. Just give us a list and we’ll get someone to take care of it,” said Strickland. “We’ll bill you later.”

At that moment, Ari came down the stairs and joined everyone in the kitchen.

“Hi. I’m Ari Rosen.”

“Right,” said Bannon. “You work at the same firm as Max King.”

Ari nodded. “Your voice is familiar.”

“Detective Bannon. We talked a few days ago on the phone. This is Detective Strickland.”

“Hi,” she said.

“I moved Ari here for his protection,” said Alex. “His office at work is bugged, so is Max’s.”

“And their home offices?”

“Both clean.”

“Just to be clear, we call the shots,” said Bannon.

“Understood,” said Alex.

There was a knock at the back door. It was one of the officers stationed in the alley, bringing in two sleeping cots.

“We brought them with us,” said Strickland. “It looks like they might be needed here.”

“Thanks,” said Max. “We’ll need them.”

“I had to leave my jeep at Max’s office,” said Alex. “Someone was following me, and I wanted to shake them. I texted Eugene. He’s on the way. I can ride with him for the next day or two, but there’s gear in my trunk that I need.”

“Gear?” asked Bannon.

“I have a license to carry. I want to pick up my rifle and handgun. They’re locked in the trunk of my car.”

“Good to hear,” said Bannon. “We won’t have to protect you then.”

There was a knock at the front door.

“That’ll be Eugene,” said Alex.

The detectives went with Alex to answer the door and the four had a quick huddle.

“It would be a big help if we knew who up here was interested in hiring Global Guard,” said Strickland. “I think that’s who we’re up against.”

“My two cents worth is it isn’t Mountain Metals,” said Bannon. “Why would a legitimate enterprise do business with people like that?”

“Let’s hope we get the confirmation we need. And soon,” said Eugene.

“No kidding,” said Strickland. “This is wild!”

“I bought a burner for Max and Rose,” said Alex. He turned to Eugene. “There’s a spare, unless you have one.”

“I have one,” said Eugene.

“Max will be with us in a minute. He’s putting phone service on Rose’s,” said Alex.

“You might as well ride with me,” said Eugene. “We’ll get the phone to Rose, and check in with the uniform there. Then we’ll pick up your gear.”

“My guess is, if there’s any action, it’ll be here,” said Strickland.

“Agreed. We’ll stay put for now,” said Bannon.

Max came to the living room with Rose’s burner, and everyone exchanged numbers. Alex and Eugene left for the hospital.