Дэвид Балдаччи - Walk the Wire

“How far down do you go?”

“About two miles vertically, and then you move sideways, or horizontally in a series of carefully monitored stages. That could be quite a few more miles. All told, you’re talking about twenty thousand feet or more of drilling and piping.”

“Then all these rigs I see around are over deposits of oil and gas?”

“Yeah. You pretty much always find one with the other. It takes anywhere from one to five million gallons of fresh water to frack a single well. And a couple thousand truckloads of sand. Each well from site prep to readiness for production takes about three to six months. But then the well could be productive for twenty, thirty, or forty years. When all the oil and gas have been gotten out, they plug everything, clean up the surface, and the owner who leased the land goes back to using the property.”

“What’s your job in all this?”

“When I first came here I was just a run-of-the-mill oil field hand. I ran pipe and worked drilling rigs with all the youngsters. Then, when they found out I had real experience, they put me in charge of monitoring operations at some of the rigs. I get to sit in a trailer and watch computer screens. I’ll show you sometime if you want.”

“That’ll be great, Stan. I appreciate that.”

Baker smiled.

“What?” asked Decker.

“This is the most I’ve seen and talked to you since you graduated from college and went pro.”

“Right,” said Decker. “So tell me about Caroline Dawson.”

Baker looked embarrassed. “I know, you’re thinking what is a rich, smart, beautiful, young gal doing with a big old lug like me?”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“You’re a bad liar.”

“So?”

“So I came into this bar one day and there she was. Hell, she was mixing drinks. I thought she was just a bartender earning her daily bread here.”

“Why would she be mixing drinks?”

“Her father owns the bar.”

“I didn’t know that, but I guess it makes sense. But surely, she doesn’t need the money.”

“She likes to get her hands dirty with all the lines of work they’re involved in. She’s done maid service at some of the hotels and apartment buildings, cashiering at some of the stores, even drove a semi. She has her CDL,” added Baker, referring to a commercial driver’s license.

Decker looked impressed. “Okay. That speaks well of her.”

“Anyway, I ordered a beer from her, not even knowing who she was. Of course, all these young, drunk punks were hitting on her all night, but she kept her cool. She seemed interested in me, maybe because I wasn’t hitting on her. And also because I knew some of the punks and told them to back off. She asked questions and I told her a little bit about myself. Showed her pictures of the kids. Then she told me what time her shift ended.”

“Why did she do that? Did she want to meet up with you later?”

“No. And she only told me because I asked. She seemed a little put off by that, like I was hitting on her. But then I told her I just wanted to make sure she got home okay because those punks were not leaving well enough alone. She told me she had her car outside. It’s a sweet ride. A Porsche SUV with these special wide tires and fancy tread. Her father bought it for her birthday. Of course, I only found out about that later.”

“Okay, what happened?”

“I was waiting across the street from the bar when she came out. Just to be sure. Two of the punks who’d been harassing her followed her out. She told them to get lost but they were drunk and wouldn’t listen. It started to get dicey. Them pawing her, and I was afraid it might move on to something really bad. So I ran across and... well, persuaded them to leave her alone.”

Decker smiled. “And how exactly did you do that, Stan?”

“Mostly by knocking them out cold. I don’t think they expected that from a guy my age. Anyway, Caroline was really grateful, and... and, well, she asked me out. Couldn’t believe it. Never had a gal do that, not even Renee and she’s no shrinking violet. So we see each other from time to time. I’m not in her league, but, well, she makes me feel good about myself, I guess. And she’s fun. I guess everybody deserves to have some fun, right?”

“Absolutely. Have you met her father?”

“No. And we’ve never, I mean we haven’t, you know.”

“Slept together?”

“Right. We’re just friends.”

“Full disclosure, I followed you here that first night. She was hanging all over you.”

“The gal likes to have fun. But I’m in my fifties. Hell, I could be her father.”

“Hasn’t stopped people in the past.”

“Yeah, well.” Baker hunkered down over his drink.

“You both disappeared when I wasn’t looking. Thought you might have, well...”

“Nah. Caroline keeps a room over the bar. She went up there. She had a headache, she said. I went home.”

“Okay.”

Decker pulled out a picture of Irene Cramer that Kelly had provided and slid it across. “You know her or ever seen her?”

Baker picked up the photo and studied it. “She the gal that got killed?”

Decker nodded. “Irene Cramer. She taught over at the Brothers’ Colony.”

“Schoolteacher, huh? Who’d want to kill a schoolteacher?”

“She also had a sideline. An escort. Went by the name Mindy.”

“Okay,” exclaimed Baker, sliding the photo back. “I’ve never seen her. And I don’t mess with ‘escorts.’ I’ve got four kids. I don’t want any more by accident. I’d rather just drink my beer and watch movies.”

“Know any young punks that might have seen things differently?”

“Oh, yeah, more than a few.”

Decker slid the photo back across. “Then show this around and see what comes up. Now, what do you know about the Air Force station?”

“I pass by it every day going to and coming from work.”

“I went out there and spoke with the commander of the place. Tight-lipped.”

“Yeah, they take things seriously over there, or so I’ve heard. Lots of security.”

“He told me it was a pretty safe place to work, no accidents. But they had a line of ambulances there, so it didn’t make sense.”

Baker took this in, and his features slowly clouded.

“What is it?” asked Decker, who had noted this.

“Well, some of the guys from there used to come into the bars from time to time. I wore the uniform, so we speak the same language. They’re Air Force and I was Army, but still, I did enough joint ops and training to get along with them.”

“Okay.”

“Well, I was drinking with some of them one night. And one fella, think his name was Ben, said something odd. Stuck with me, see? Memorable what he said.”

“So what the hell did he say?”

Before answering, Baker finished his beer and then looked directly at Decker. “That we were all sitting on a fucking time bomb.”

Decker and Baker each had another beer and split a plate of chili, chips, and jalapeños, and then headed out of the saloon. Neither one had noticed the knot of young men who had been closely watching them at the bar. It was dark now, and the streets were emptier than they had been, not only because of the late hour but also because of the fine rain that had begun falling.

They hadn’t gone more than a block down a side street where Baker had parked his truck, and which was also a shortcut to Decker’s hotel, when Decker slowed.

“What’s up?” said Baker, noting this.

“We have some company. And I don’t think they’re friendly. Look.”

Baker gazed ahead where three young men stood, blocking their path.