They passed under two more mining machines. Kate thought they were the biggest damned things she had ever seen. A few years back, she had gone with her father to Cape Canaveral to witness the final launch of the space shuttle Discovery. The machine transporting the shuttle to the launch site was the size of a small building, a huge, flat tank with twelve treads and four levels. The mining machines here dwarfed even that behemoth. They stood on two enormous sets of treads, spaced far apart, with a bridge-like shaft in between. The heavy end consisted of several engines, an operator's cab, and a huge, round wheel that looked like the world's largest band saw. The wheel had buckets instead of teeth, each caked and chipped with dirt.
“It's called a bucketwheel,” the man said, looking over his shoulder. “World's largest land vehicles. These here are a little bigger than the ones in the states. Not as big as the ones in Germany, though. You ever been to Germany?”
“Yes,” Kate said.
“Really?” He looked surprised. “Yeah, I should guess you'd be well-traveled. I guess you'll be immune to my foreign charms, then.” He smiled at her, showing a row of pearly-whites that could only belong to a well-bred American.
She looked at him sideways. “I think you're about as foreign as I am.”
“Really? Where are you from?”
“Cuántos años ha estado viviendo en Chile, AJ?”
“Uh,” he said, pausing.
“Ningún años. Creo que aproximedente diez meses que han estado aquí. Correcto? Eres un Americano, y un mentiroso pobre.” You've been here ten months. You're an American and a bad liar. She could have said the same thing in English, but somehow, it wouldn't have had the same effect.
“Que coño es esto?” he muttered. What the fuck is this?
“You have an accent,” she said matter-of-factly. “And you look like you'll carry that sunburn for years before you ever tan.”
“Lady, you have one hell of a thing to learn about tact if you're hoping to get something from me.”
“Why would you think I'm trying to get something from you?”
“Why else would you be here?”
He led her up a dirt mound, towards a set of mud-spattered trucks and a mobile office. As they approached, she looked behind her and realized she couldn't see the helicopter any more. She knew her Black Shadow companion had probably gotten out by now, but he was nowhere in sight. Kate felt tension crawl up her back. There was no one else around, no workers, no foreman, no other security agents. The mine was vast, the workers few.
AJ pointed to one of the trailers. “Home base,” he said. “Follow me, Miss.”
“You really don't know who I am, then?”
“Should I?”
“You probably should, but it's good that you don't.”
“Whatever you say, lady.”
He unlocked the door, and she stepped inside. The trailer was small but unremarkable, housing little more than a few desks and computers. It smelled faintly of old sweat. AJ shut the door, and as if on cue, shook out a handful of dust from his hair. He might have been a redhead at one point, but there was too much grunge to tell. He walked over and sat down behind one of the desks, cleaning the inside of one ear with a pinky finger. Kate made a little noise of disgust.
“Now,” AJ said, “are you an assassin, or do you generally need something from me?”
“An assassin? What the hell are you talking about?”
Behind her, Kate heard the sound of a metal click. She'd been to the shooting range enough times in her life to know it couldn't be anything but the sound of a gun.
From the back room, a man came walking towards her, holding both hands in the air. He looked a few years younger than AJ but was wearing the same type of uniform. He had straight brown hair and the kind of easy, unremarkable face that made most middle-aged men look soft, but Kate saw his eyes and knew better. Then her pilot appeared, holding a Beretta to the man's back.
The man in front turned to AJ and shrugged. “He's a sneaky old guy.”
AJ sighed. “Yeah, I can see that. Were you actually dumb enough to get ambushed inside a room this small?”
“Oh no. He caught me sighting you two over by the rocks. I don't know how he found me.”
“Think he saw the scope?”
“Yeah, probably. He's tricky for an old dude.”
“You think?”
And then the man spun, wrapping one arm around the wrist of his assailant and smashing his elbow into the man's face. The twist was like a whirlwind, so exact it looked routine. Two seconds later, he had the gun in hand and the pilot was on the floor, wheezing.
Kate turned back to see AJ holding a pistol on her. He had been easing it out the whole time she had been distracted with him picking his ear. She cursed under her breath.
“You all right, Dutch?” AJ asked.
“Sure,” the man said. “I said 'tricky.' I didn't say 'fast.'”
Kate looked at her pilot and watched as he pushed himself to his knees. His nose was bleeding, but he looked more insulted than hurt.
“You all right, Mister Marten?”
“Yeah. Don't touch me.”
The man called Dutch was looking at her. “Your pilot's good, but he should stick to the wheel. He doesn't have the speed for this.”
“Piss off,” Marten said.
Kate put one hand on her hip. “And I suppose you just let him walk you all the way here with a gun to your head?”
He smiled at her, and in that moment, he looked downright creepy.
“Enough,” AJ said. “Now. You were just about to tell me what it is that you want?”
4
By the time Kate finished, she felt out of breath. She had been talking fast, and she held nothing back.
“Is that all?” AJ asked.
“Yes, now can you put that thing away? Jesus.” It came out sounding braver than she felt.
Dutch glanced at his friend and shrugged, then tucked the gun in his belt. AJ did the same, still regarding her warily.
As soon as they were done, she took a thunderous step towards the desk. “Is that how you treat all your guests? Luring them out here and then pulling a gun? You asshole!” Behind her, Dutch started to laugh, but she spun on him. “Asshole!” she repeated. It was the only word that fit.
“Christ, I'm sorry, lady.” He had an aw, shucks kind of look, as if she were the bad guy in this.
“You have to admit, it looked pretty suspicious,” AJ said. “Your friend there was sneaking around with a gun. He pulled one on Dutch. It's not exactly the best way to start diplomatic relations.”
Greg Marten grunted. “Neither is setting up a sniper a hundred yards from a defenseless woman.”
AJ shrugged. “We didn't know who you were.”
“I'm not helpless,” Kate broke in.
“Clearly not,” Dutch said.
Kate put her hands on her head. “All of you, just shut up.” They did, and for a moment, the room went silent. “Now, can we get down to business or what?” They all nodded. Kate was starting to feel like an elementary school teacher in front of a particularly unruly class, but for now, she had their attention and didn't want to waste it. “I didn't come down here to disrupt anyone's life. I came to offer terms, and that's all. Valley Oil is willing to compensate you for your time. They don't think you'd be gone for more than twenty-four hours. All your transportation is arranged, so all you'd need to do is say yes.”
“How much?”
Kate turned to Dutch.
“How much are they willing to compensate?”