A Dangerous Identity by Russell Fee

Author:Russell Fee [Fee, Russell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780998511931
Publisher: Boreas Press
Published: 2019-04-15T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 41

Gallagher was celebrating, at least internally. From the outside, he appeared as taciturn as a bronze statue in a courthouse square. Inside, his stomach churned with excitement as he ate a second sugar-encrusted dollop of fat that passed for a donut at the Dock Café. The stars had aligned over the Ledger yet again. Zakaryan, from the biological station, had told him of the governor’s threat to terminate the station’s funding if it published its annual ecological evaluation of Lake Michigan shoreline tracts. Zakaryan wanted this information made public, very public.

Gallagher received this intelligence at the same time he learned that there were eleven other secret test wells along the Michigan coast. His story of drilling on the island had stirred up interest on the mainland, and investigative reporters from a major news agency had discovered other secret wells. Citing Michigan law, the Department of Environmental Quality steadfastly refused to reveal any information concerning the wells. The press had so notified the public. The oil spill woke up the environmental groups, and the uncloaking of the secret wells alerted them that the lake might be further threatened. Rumblings about Big Oil plundering the lake had already begun.

Gallagher’s reportorial instincts told him that Zakaryan’s news and the drilling of secret wells were connected, and he sensed another scoop for the Ledger. He grabbed his recorder and digital camera from his desk drawer and lifted the false bottom. He then counted out one hundred and fifty dollars from the hidden roll of cash before he headed for the door.

* * *

Gallagher planned to talk his way onto the rig’s worksite on Egan’s property in order to find out what he could from the workers there, paying for information if it came to that. What he found when he got there surprised him. There were no workers. Instead, a high chain link fence topped by razor wire surrounded the rig. Inside the fence paced a large German shepherd. Outside, a hut with a stenciled sign that read SECURITY blocked the entrance. A man emerged and approached Gallagher.

“Is there something I can help you with?” said the man whose tone and demeanor indicated that he was not about to offer any help. Gallagher noticed that he wore a blue uniform with no insignias of any kind. Trim, fit, and muscular, he was not the type of security guard Gallagher usually saw: flabby, out-of-shape, and in an ill-fitting uniform.

“I’m with the Nicolet Ledger, the local newspaper,” said Gallagher. “’I’m interested in who’s drilling here and for what.”

“Can’t help you there,” said the man. “I’ve no idea.”

“Then who do you work for?” asked Gallagher. “Perhaps they could tell me.”

“That’s none of your business. And you’d best be running along now,” said the man.

“When was this fence put up?” said Gallagher.

“I said run along.” The man made a lunge toward Gallagher who instinctively jumped back, almost falling. “Now get going,” he said.

The dog had stopped pacing and was standing stock-still, its teeth bared and its eyes locked on Gallagher.

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