Chapter 17 - The Limestone Quarry
The old limestone quarry was a jagged scar on the Texas landscape, its deep white stone walls reflecting the heat of the afternoon sun. Arthur and Vance moved along the upper rim, using the high mesquite bushes for concealment.
Below, in the center of the excavation floor, three heavy-duty tactical vans were parked around a portable satellite command terminal. A dozen operators, armed with high-caliber rifles and thermal imaging gear, were preparing for an evening deployment.
At the center of the command tent stood a man who didn't fit the profile of a mercenary. He wore a pristine gray suit, his silver hair neatly parted, his expression completely detached as he reviewed a digital map of the Miller Refuge Center.
"Silas Sterling’s chief of staff," Vance whispered, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the man through his binoculars. "That’s Raymond Cruz. He’s the financial architect who managed Vanguard’s black budgets before the liquidation. He’s not a ghost, Arthur. He’s the executor of the estate."
"They aren't planning an invasion," Arthur said, pointing toward two large, pressurized tanks attached to the back of the lead van. "Those are chemical dispersal units. They're going to pump industrial contaminants into the quarry's limestone fissure lines. Within six hours, our artesian wells at the refuge center will be poisoned."
"That’s mass murder," Vance said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
May you like
"That's how they ensure silence," Arthur replied. "We don't wait for sunset, Vance. We drop the walls on them now."
Arthur pulled two tactical smoke grenades from his vest. "On my mark. Disarm the vehicles first. We cannot let those tanks leave the quarry floor."
