“That one was a contract with a clandestine agency actually. The deal also included some other things Ash and I came up with, like a device that made it possible for Elsie to track our location anywhere in the world.”
Her brows rise into arches. “Clandestine? Like the CIA?”
“What can I say? Spooks love their James Bond gadgets. It’s not like we set out to make anything for them. We just needed the stuff for our crazy adventures. We didn’t think much of it, but like you said, Elsie recognized the value and she’s the one who made it all happen. She took a lot of our other gear and started producing it for themilitary. Someday I’ll have to take you on a tour of her little empire.”
“I’d like that, but it doesn’t sound so little.”
“No, I guess it isn’t.”
“So, back to the film crew, what’s the latest? Do they have a plan?”
“Does it matter? After I talk to Elsie, this whole thing is over, remember? I’m not going anywhere except back to Sweetbriar with you.”
She gives me a relieved smile, like she’s as pleased about that prospect as I am. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter. What do you think Ash is going to say about all this?”
“I think he’ll be glad. He was just as miserable without Rhonda these past few weeks.” We pull up to a giant metal building with a small sign on the door that reads National Discovery. “This is it. The network rented this whole complex for their base camp.”
As soon as we step inside, Maddie’s eyes go wide. There are six all-terrain vehicles, each with ten wheels—two in the front and eight in the back. They’re painted army-green and covered with antennas. Together, they look like a small military unit. Next to them are dozens ofblackPelican crates sitting on the concrete floor alongside large cameras on tripods that are set up and ready to go. Two girls are flying small drones around the vehicles. Each drone is equipped with a small camera on the belly. Then there are six fully enclosed trailers designed to be pulled by the all-terrain vehicles. They take up the most space. Two of the trailers have rows of windows on the sides. Those are the sleeping quarters, which are small but cozy inside.
Several people are scurrying about, frantically tending to preparations, adjusting cameras, and staring at their iPadslike nothing else exists. It’s been this way since my brother and I arrived.
Ash and Rhonda are by one of the trailers talking to some men. I lean down to Maddie and lower my voice. “That tall, lean guy talking to Ash is the producer. The two guys with him are his assistants. The producer goes by Top.”
“Top?”
“His real name is Trey Kahlil. Top is what they call a first sergeant in the Army. I don’t know if he chose the nickname, or if it was given to him, but either way, he runs a pretty tight ship.”
Maddie’s brows arch. “That guy is in charge? How old is he?”
“He looks younger than he is. We thought he was in his early twenties, but he’s thirty-three. So far, he’s a nice enough guy to work with. I have no complaints.”
Ash waves us over. As we’re walking toward them, Top shakes my brother’s hand, then Rhonda’s with a pat on her shoulder like they just agreed to something. With their business complete he looks at his watch and says something to Ash before walking away.
“What was that about?” I ask.
Ash turns to Rhonda, like he’s not sure if he should answer or let her tell us.
Rhonda is beaming and blurts out, “They said we could work on the film crew! Elsie set the whole thing up. They’ll be doing five-day rotations, but we can be on the same crew.”
Maddie throws her hand up. “Hold on. Start from the beginning.”
If Elsie set this up, it means she understands how important these women areto us and she wants to help. That’s good.
“It’s complicated,” Ash says, “but they’re going to leapfrog the crews. Each team will go out for five days while the other team goes to the closest city and stays in a hotel to rest.
He explains about a million other details, like how the teams plan on using electric mountain bikes with small trailers to haul equipment up the narrower trails. The all-terrain vehicles will try to stay parked ten to fifteen miles ahead of us. It’s a workable plan as long as their people don’t keep quitting. That’s a different problem altogether.
“Anyway,” Ash says wrapping things up, “the jobs are yours if you want them. You’d be assistants, but you can choose to be apprentices if you want. They’d start teaching you how to do everything they do.”
Rhonda is practically bouncing up and down. “I’d love to be an apprentice, and this way, we’d all get to be together. At least most of the time!”
Maddie crosses her arms. “Let’s talk about this.”
Clearly this isn’t sitting well with her, but before I can figure out why, my phone rings. “It’s Elsie.”
As I bring the phone to my ear Rhonda guides Maddie by the arm toward the door of the trailer next to us. “Wait until you see where everyone sleeps.”
Ash turns to me. “See what she wants, then we’ll take Maddie on the full tour.”
