Scratchgravel Road (Josie Gray Mysteries #2)(80)
*
Mitch Wilson entered the conference room thirty minutes after his conversation on the phone with Josie. He was wearing a grease-stained navy blue mechanic’s shirt and pants. With his shaggy black hair, tattooed arms, and deep southern drawl, he seemed more Hell’s Angel than ordnance specialist, but Josie felt confident in his abilities. She hoped the group from Beacon wouldn’t judge his skills by his appearance.
She introduced him to the group, and he apologized for his uniform.
“Had my head under the hood of a plow. Trying to keep those old machines on the road in this kind of mess is a never-ending problem,” he said.
“Please don’t apologize. We appreciate you coming on such short notice,” Paiva said. “I understand you worked as an EOD for the army?”
He nodded slowly. “Trained at Fort Lee. Served six years.”
“I served as an engineer in the army for twenty years. My experience led me here.”
Mitch nodded.
“I believe Chief Gray gave you a rundown on our situation. If the rain keeps up, we’re facing the potential of a mudslide in a matter of hours. And that’s just a guess. We don’t have time for options. Diverting the flow is the best idea we’ve got right now.”
“Makes good sense to me.”
“Are you experienced in laying and detonating explosives?”
“Take ’em apart, put ’em together, blow ’em up.” He grinned. “You name it, I can do it.”
Diego laughed. “It’s good to see your confidence. I’m afraid we’re well out of our comfort zone here.”
“C-4 explosives?” Mitch asked.
Diego nodded.
“You have enough det cord, blasting caps, and so on?”
“We’ve got everything you need. One of our engineers will get you set up,” Diego said.
“Excellent. Let’s do this.”
Paiva nodded, and Josie could see the relief in his expression.
“We’re ready to pull officers in from several different agencies. They’re waiting in the lobby. I’ll just ask that you listen to the briefing so you’re brought up to speed. Then we’ll start making plans.” He stood and placed two keys on the conference table in front of Josie. “For you and Otto to get in and out. Please return them at the end of the day. I’ve got to make a phone call to headquarters in Boston, and return a call to the NRC. Can you get the group organized in my absence?”
Josie nodded. “I’ll be glad to.”
Sylvia left the room and came back moments later, escorting a large group of officers. Smokey Blessings, three Texas Highway Patrol officers, and four agents from the Department of Transportation took chairs around the table. It was a quiet, grim-faced group of men.
“On behalf of Mr. Paiva, I want to thank you all for coming. Mr. Paiva is on a call with the NRC, so I’ll get introductions started.” Josie went on to introduce herself and Otto as well as Sylvia and the engineers. She then asked each officer to introduce himself and describe his position. She knew one of them, Aaron Crowe, a well-respected officer who lived halfway between Marfa and Artemis. The DOT officers were all associated with West Texas, and they were all familiar with the weather conditions and mudslides that were an occasional threat. Aside from one DOT officer who described himself as a “take-charge man,” Josie thought they all appeared levelheaded and ready to jump in where needed.
Josie went on to summarize the notes Sylvia had posted on the projection screen. She had taken several questions when Diego entered the room and returned to his seat. He nodded to Josie and thanked her for stepping in.
Diego spent the next ten minutes efficiently describing the situation and explaining the various risks to the plant. When he’d finished his summary he directed their attention to the projector screen, which was showing a still image of the plant and the surrounding mountain range. “I want to give you a clear visual of what we’re dealing with.” He pointed to a rectangular area dotted with buildings and said, “This is obviously the plant. The range runs along the sides of the plant. The largest amount of runoff comes down this eastern slope.” He ran a finger along the eastern ridge where a V appeared to have been cut into the mountain. “This is a natural valley where rain has eroded the rock and formed an arroyo that captures runoff, and, in the past, has funneled excess rain and floodwaters a half mile to the east of the plant. To date, the plant has never faced a serious flooding issue due to the natural contours of the land.” He pointed to the highest point on the ridge, to the west of the valley. It was a jagged outcropping of rocks that stood precariously at the top of the ridge. “This peak is what’s causing us concern. We’ve been watching this area for years, but the erosion has been minimal. Until now.”
Sandy said, “This has always been a stable range, but the rain this season has eroded it to the point we fear it will collapse. If that happens, the runoff will be significant, and we fear it will change course. Instead of following the arroyo, the water and the potential mudslide could funnel directly through the plant, hitting the barrels in the back parking lot first.”
The sober-looking group of law enforcement officers said nothing as they processed the information and Diego continued. “One of our engineers is filming for us.” He paused and took a sip out of the water glass in front of him. Josie noticed beads of sweat along his hairline, the only visible sign of nerves.