Free ACV's 1 Operation Black Gold by J Murison, Jeannie Michaud

them.’
     
    Fritz grinned, ‘you got it.’
     
    Abie smiled smugly, ‘so if they convert, the next President of the United States could be a farmer?’ he asked me.
     
    I shrugged, ‘well that’s one way of looking at it.’
     
    He eyed Nommy sceptically.  ‘Like Nommy?’  That brought forth a guff of laughter.  ‘Fuck that he’d have us raising coos in Pittodrie.’  He ducked as Nommy took a playful swing.
     
    ‘I’m beginning to lose the plot here, fits it a’ got to d’wí the yanks bumping us off?’  Ali asked me.
     
    ‘I suppose you could put it a down to justifiability.’
     
    ‘Is that a real word?’  Abie gasped.
     
    ‘I don’t know Abie, if it wasn't- it is now.’
     
    ‘I see where you’re coming from,’ the young officer butted in. ‘Most of our technology comes from these patents which were originally bought by these big power companies.’
     
    ‘Allegedly aye, the patents were bought for a small down payment and promises of shares in most parts.  Then the companies that bought them just disappeared.  Right up until we started using them.  The next thing you know they’re back screaming their heads off in congress, hitting us with trade bans, the lot.’
     
    ‘Nae brownie points again then.’  Abie muttered thoughtfully.
     
    ‘That’s right Abie.’  I agreed.
     
    The young man interrupted, ‘OK but I know for a fact there isn’t enough oil being produced in the North Sea to keep them going.  Even with the new fields in full production, we couldn’t keep them going with the rigs we have and it would take more than three years for them to build enough platforms and get them on site.’
     
    ‘Aye, you’re right,’ I agreed, ‘they’ll need that oil, bit no for themselves.  We sell most off most of what we produce to Europe; they’d have to do the same to keep them off their backs.’
     
    ‘I’m getting a sair head,’ stated Buff.
     
    The young officer agreed, ‘I am too, so if our deep sea wells are no good to them where will they get the oil to save their economy.’
     
    ‘Right here,’ I stamped a foot.
     
    ‘What!’ He jumped off the table.
     
    I pointed at the floor.  ‘Right under our feet is a vast oil field that stretches from John Ó Groats to the Pennines.’
     
    He shook his head, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of that.’
     
    ‘Come on Jim, you’re taking the piss.’  Gigs blurted.
    I eyed Gigs stonily.  ‘No I’m not taking the piss; it’s no secret for fuck sake.’
     
    ‘Oh shit,’ Grizz groaned, ‘Is that the one that killed 3 men on the west coast?’
     
    ‘Aye that’s it, they drilled a test well years ago.  The pressure was that intense it kept blowing off the wellheads.  Eventually they had to get one in from America, and for insurance they buried it under a pyramid of concrete.’
     
    ‘Hells bells I ken where that is, I had my team running up and down it a couple ó years ago until we found the plaque.’  Abie looked sick; he wasn’t the only one.
     
    ‘Why haven’t we developed it then?’  Asked the officer.
     
    ‘I already told you; we don’t have the technology to deal with the immense pressures involved.  It cost the government billions to clean up that mess.  Wiped out at least half a dozen salmon farms, best of stuff to.’
     
    I could see in his eyes the penny was beginning to drop, ‘I suppose the bad news is the Americans do have the technology.’
    I nodded.
    Disbelief was written all over his face, ‘I still can’t believe the Americans would invade Scotland.  They are the world’s biggest democracy.  Common sense says it can never happen.’
     
    I laughed.  ‘Common sense decency, freedom, democracy, what the hell have they got to do with anything.  We’re talking about money here, money greed and power, the maintaining of a dynasty and the way of life of the biggest and most powerful nation the world has ever known.’
     
    The peeping of a horn