Chapter 25

As the drone’s camera pointed directly down, Alice and I stared straight up, whooping for joy, our mouths as wide open as baby sparrows awaiting a fresh worm. Our hungry-bird-faces filled the screen as Sheila reviewed her notes while she paused the video.

“Oomph!” I let out an involuntary snort of laughter; we looked fucking ridiculous.

Alice tried to stifle giggles as the audience got the joke. Titters and chuckles filled the hall.

Sheila had a puzzled expression on her face as she looked up from her notes and glanced around for the source of sudden amusement. I pointed to the television screen over her head, and she turned, glanced up, and burst into laughter.

“Sorry,” she chuckled as she pointed her controller at the screen and advanced the video several seconds to a modestly more flattering and less humiliating image of Alice and me.

Like a school kid trying to get the teacher’s attention, I raised my hand and waved it to and fro.

“Yes, Mr. Richards, your question?” she nodded.

I had permission to speak. “Those pictures are amazing, err, no, not those,” I said as I waved at the hungry sparrow image on the screen. “The other ones. We were what? Fifteen-miles out? I didn’t think a drone had the necessary range for extended operation in the mountains.”

“Normally, they don’t. Too much interference for FM line of sight communications, and we don’t want to rely on satellite communications. When the shit hits the fan, they’ll be useless. Either they’ll get knocked out, or the government will shut ‘em down. We solved the problem by running our drones in pairs. One does a ground-level contour search while the twin ghosts along at high altitude and acts as a radio relay.”

I let out a low whistle. The drone operation was much more sophisticated than it appeared at first glance. There was some heavy-duty brain power at work.

“It’s fortunate we spotted you when we did. It was the last mission. We had no trace, no visual, radio, or thermal signature. You had vanished,” Sheila said as she clicked the video to life.

A ground-level view taken by the search party replaced the aerial images from the drone as the rescue party’s camera followed the snow-trail to the entrance of our mine shaft. The camera paid particular attention to downed saplings and the resulting snow shield.

“Alice, that was quite ingenious. What made you think of it?” Sheila asked.

“Not my idea. It was his,” Alice nodded at me.

“Oh,” Sheila said as she changed to a view of our makeshift tent and the heaps of sleeping rattlesnakes slumbering against the back wall of the cavern.

“All things considered, Hunter One did an excellent job surviving the storm,” Sheila said as the last images of our mineshaft survival camp played out on the huge screen.

“We’ve seen how this venture ended. Now we need to know how it all began. What went wrong? What prevented your return to base?” Sheila put her hands on her hips and waited.

I shook off the sensation I was a kid about to give some lame-ass excuse to my mother for missing curfew. They always say discretion is the better part of valor. I sat in silence, leaned forward, wiped my palms on my thighs, and returned Sheila’s gaze. Group questions are a form of verbal volleyball. Not in a good position to answer, I let my partner do the honors.

“I knew there was a storm on the way, but I miscalculated its arrival.” Alice passed to me.

“We decided to shelter in place and ride out the blizzard when we found the mine.” I bumped the question back to Alice.

“Thank goodness we got the revised weather advisory,” Alice answered the volley.

“Then, you also received the recall order I issued?” With that, the Society’s leader spiked the ball into the ground at Alice’s feet.

Bad move. Never put new information in circulation until all the questions are asked.

“So? You’re responsible?” Sheila’s jaw clenched as she took a step forward and glowered at Alice.

Sheila’s expression reminded me of the Death Star sequence from the movie Star Wars. She had acquired Alice as a target. The next shot would be lethal.

“Don’t blame everything on Alice. I also got your message and said nothing. What’s my responsibility for not following your directive?”

I reached over and squeezed Alice’s hand. We were in this together.

The Death Star held its fire as Sheila turned to the sisterhood and asked, “Are there any more questions?”

“Alice! Were you to have sex?” a voice shouted from the rear of the room.

I scanned the room for the owner. Nobody there.

“Yeah! I heard he assaulted you and your daughter in the shower,” said one of the women from the coffee-line, apparently in support of her partner’s sex question.

My pulse quickened as the hair on the nape of my neck and arms bristled. A nasty rumble of anger filled the amphitheater. The burning question was a lighted match dropping into a pool of gasoline.

“Belinda, that’s a fucking lie, and you goddamned well know it!” Alice screamed as she pounded the table with her fist.

“Nothing like that happened! Why are you telling lies?” Starshine pleaded as she rose to her feet, turned around, and faced Belinda.

“Order!” Sheila stood behind the table and slammed the gavel down with an echoing crash. “Enough! Do not speak unless recognized. Is. That. Understood?”

She spit out the last three words, each a complete sentence accented by fury. Pausing to take a deep breath, Sheila continued as her tone softened. “Please direct all questions to the chair.”

The leader surveyed the assembly as she made eye contact with every person in the assembly. Satisfied her statement was understood, she slowly lowered herself into her chair.

“Mr. Richards, would you care to respond to Belinda’s charge?” Sheila faced me and nodded her permission to speak.

“I never force myself on anyone. I don’t attend parties without an invitation.”

I folded my hands in front of me and took a deep breath as a bead of sweat trickled down my back. I searched for the quiet center. Carry on, and stay calm. Darlene’s arm shot into the air and waved as she jumped to her feet and demanded to be recognized.

“Speak your mind,” Sheila waved her hand in recognition.

“Thank you. Two questions. The first is for Alice.” Darlene hesitated and looked at Alice in the eye. “Alice, you were naked and sleeping with him for a week. Did the two of you ever engage in sex?” Darlene waited for the answer, her hands clasped before her like a shy schoolgirl.

Darlene deliberately scripted her body language to appear as a spontaneous display of innocence.

“Your answer?” Sheila turned to Alice.

Silence filled the air as members leaned forward with interested voyeurism. Intimate details are always crowd-pleasers.

“Yes. We had sex. The consent was mutual. We enjoyed each other’s company.” Alice touched the back of my hand.

“Thank you. One more question.” Darlene stopped and waited for the chair’s permission to proceed.

“And your question is?” Sheila said as she waited for her to continue.