Page 122 of False Flag

Now it was Gerard who was rattled. He didn’t know what to make of her composure.

He cleared his throat, a sign he was trying to get back on track and reclaim the audience that wasn’t actually listening. “It’s been a week since we began this conversation. In that time, we’ve spent several days together in the field.”

“We were outside, but it doesn’t meet the standard of being in the field. Fieldwork—whether it’s a survey to look for sites or an excavation to gather data—is done with a goal to learn something.”

“My apologies. I forgot you were the word police.”

“I’m not policing anything. I’m the archaeologist you hired to ensure a professional investigation. To that end, I won’t let you call what we’re doing something it isn’t. We have yet to begin fieldwork.”

“Fine. A week ago, when we spoke, we hadn’t yet explored the island and filmed. But now that we have, I’m more excited than ever to begin our fieldwork.”

Right. If that were the case, he’d be working on research questions. “And why is that?”

“Because I’ve seen artifacts—like the Hepburn Stone—from this area that I’m convinced were made by refugees from Mu. There are parts of this island that have remained untouched since European settlers came in the 1850s. The land is pristine, and, thanks to Casper Osborne, we have the most cutting-edge technology for finding sites. Tomorrow, fieldwork will begin in earnest.”

Ah, so that’s what this was about. No doubt Casper had procured lidar or 3D terrestrial scanning equipment or some other kind of advanced mapping technology. Was Casper also importing experts who knew how to use the equipment? Because Staci certainly didn’t. Nor did Gerard.

But then, who needed an expert if it was all a sham designed to make a pretty picture of something underground that absolutely was not there? Any so-called site couldn’t be ground-truthed because they didn’t have a permit.

She was certain that Gerard was setting the project up to fail in a way that could only be blamed on her. Or maybe he planned to end it due to her untimely death.

Chapter Forty-Three

Vicki would not let the man standing behind her throw her off her game. This was important, and he wasn’t worth it. But she also couldn’t fool herself into believing she and Teague were on the same side. Sure, they were both on team Staci and Jake, but that wasn’t his true reason for being in her apartment.

Don’t lose sight of that and don’t reveal anything. Use him, then kick him to the curb.

Teague had information she needed, but she wasn’t about to quid pro quo to get it.

She pointed to the post on the screen. “So you think exBmil is Beau Sommerville, not Lloyd Burns. They’re both ex-military. They both have a name that begins with B.”

“Yes, but exBmil has posts that date to last December.”

“So? Lloyd could have joined the group then, and Beau would know about the Truther attacks. Lloyd is newer to the team, and exBmil is probing for information on AT.”

“You’re assuming Beau was behind Staci’s attack. We don’t actually know that. It wasn’t the crime he was convicted of. Maybe Beau really didn’t know the details, and Lloyd used that to his advantage. He could have manipulated Beau into asking the questions they both wanted answered. I think you aren’t giving Lloyd enough credit. He could be cunning, like Jake. Beau, on the other hand, is as subtle as a sledgehammer.”

Teague leaned down and spoke softly into her ear, sending a frisson down her spine. “Besides, this isn’t the conversation that got Lloyd killed.” The words were a bucket of cold water.

“What am I missing?” Her voice was hard. This asshole was doling out information when Staci’s life was at stake.

He tapped the screen. “The day Jake arrived on the island, exBmil posted a question asking why a SEAL was allowed on the island. But Lloyd knew why. Meanwhile, Beau was pissed because Jake nearly broke his arm.”

“Asking the question could have been Lloyd’s cover.”

“No. Lloyd was smart enough to let Beau do the questioning. Again, Lloyd, for all his faults, was clever. Beau, not so much. Still, I think both men were trying to figure out who was calling the shots for AT.”

“Everyone knows it’s Gerard Campbell.”

Teague shrugged. “They might know it, but no one has or will ever confirm it. From what Jake said, I don’t think Lloyd ever believed AT was real, let alone that Gerard would condone the violence. Then he met Staci, and she got him questioning. Next thing you know, he’s on the forums and nudging Beau to get others to reveal themselves.”

Vicki stared at the screen and reread a post by Ace—who she was certain was Riley. “Ace wants everyone to think he’s the leader. He acts like he has all the info.”

Ace: When Ghost gets here, BigA will be put in her place.

Neither Ghost nor BigA were in the chat, but they were mentioned often enough. Ghost was almost certainly Casper, because well, ghost. BigA presumably stood for Big Archaeology, or the A could be a reference to Staci, whose initials were AAA.

KingCrab: When does he arrive?