Page 19 of Cooper
“Then what do I do?” she cried, shaking her head as tears fell. “What? Tell me what to do.”
“Stay here and love me,” said Coop. “Marry me.”
“Are you nuts? I’m hunted by not just a psychotic uncle but by your own government. I can’t marry you.”
“You can. If you marry me, your name will change and then they’ll realize if they come for you, they’re coming for me as well.”
“You’re crazy, you’re all crazy,” she whispered.
“They are crazy sometimes, child,” said the soft baritone voice gliding toward her. “We’re all a little crazy but sometimes this world needs crazy. This one will not end well for anyone.”
“Matthew, what do you mean?” asked Ham.
“I mean there is no happy ending to this story.” Bianca gasped, gripped Coop’s hand. “I don’t mean for the two of you. You will thrive but this story does not have a good end.”
“Matthew, please help us out here. What are supposed to do?” asked Christian.
“Do what you do best. Protect her at all costs but just recognize that she may be forced to sign over that land. It’s the only thing that will allow her to live freely.”
“Then I’ll do it,” she said standing. “I’ll sign it over to them. I don’t want it. Why is it such a big deal?”
“That’s what you need to find out,” said Matthew disappearing from view.
“I’ve got an idea,” whispered Bianca.
“It better involved marrying me,” frowned Cooper. She smiled up at him, touching his face.
“I will marry you but not because of all of this. I’ll marry you because I love you.” The others smiled, give a nod to Coop. “I’ll contact someone in the state department, explain the situation and offer to sell the land to the United States.”
“But you’re just playing into their hands,” said Ham. “They could arrest you on site and take the land either way.”
“No. I negotiate from a distance, from here with the attorneys. Part of it will be the guarantee of my safety or we release everything we know about the land.”
“What do we know about the land?” frowned Gator.
“Nothing,” laughed Bianca. “I don’t know a damn thing other than the village was where I lived. I knew none of this but obviously my father knew that my uncle would kill for whatever is beneath that village. Maybe that’s why my father started the village. Maybe he thought he’d protect it.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” said Ham. “We could send a team down to do some geological surveys, test it for shale but also everything else, oil, gas, gemstones, all of it. Once we have the results, we make them public.”
“Wait. I didn’t say anything about making it all public,” frowned Bianca.
“If it’s public, they can’t make false claims,” smirked Coop. “I like your thinking Ham. We can send Thomas, May, Emma, Lindsay, Rachel, and Dana.”
“Dana? She has a PhD in chemistry, not geology,” said Gator.
“I know. But what if there’s something in the soil that can’t be identified with just Rachel and the others? She’s one more brain that we need down there,” said Coop.
“Well, that ensures that Tristan, Dunc, Chief, and JB will be going with them. We’re going to need a few more,” said Ham.
“I’ll go,” said Coop. “I know the area as well as anyone. I’m going to bet that Manx and Morgan will want to come as well. We’ve obviously got some unfinished business to attend to.”
“Okay,” nodded Ham. “Let’s get this rolling.”
“Um, hello! Do I get a say in any of this? Do I get to say who risks their life for me and who doesn’t? Does my opinion mean anything at all?” she yelled. A few of the women started to walk toward her, Tru, Hannah, and Kat. They glared at the men, frowning at their ignorance.
“We, of course we want your opinion,” stammered Ham. “It’s just that this is our specialty we know what we’re doing.”
“Meaning I don’t,” she said with her hands on her hips. “Let me tell you all something. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to make that trip and find out what the hell is in the ground that’s so damn valuable. When you find out, I, we will begin negotiations with the U.S. out in the open for the land.”
