Free HeroRevealed by Anna Alexander

for the newspaper lying on the desk then handed
it to her.
    The Chameleon Rescues Sheriff screamed the headline.
The half-page photo captured a black-hooded Kristos as he jumped into the pit.
His multicolored tunic blended into the scenery, obscuring most of his body.
    Jiminy Christmas. They gave him a frickin’ nickname.
    The paper crackled like a dying firecracker in her
tightening grip as she handed it back to Neimi. “No, I’m not here about…him.”
    “Any idea who he is? Did he really lift a two-ton boulder
with his bare hands?”
    “Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good look.” She shifted in
her seat. “Mr. Neimi, I wanted to ask about what type of equipment is required
to dig a tunnel.”
    He arched a blond brow. “What type of tunnel?”
    “Oh, one about”— she stretched out her arms—“this wide and
about four feet tall.”
    “What type of terrain are you digging through?”
    “Mostly basalt.”
    His lips pursed in thought as he scratched his cheek. “Well,
a good ol’ hammer drill will get the job done, if you got nothing but time and
years on your hands. But the most common tool is a continuous miner. It’s a long,
combine-type machine with a grinding log in the front that eats away at the
rock.”
    “How difficult is it to obtain one of these machines?”
    “Anyone with a decent cash flow can get a hold of one. If
they’re a small-end mine, renting would be a more viable option.” He folded his
arms and smiled. “Looking to get into mining, Sheriff?”
    “Perhaps.” She motioned to the window. “You’ve been in
business here a while, haven’t you?”
    “Forty-five years,” he said with pride. “We’re the largest
gravel provider in the state.”
    “I see you’re tunneling as well as digging. Isn’t that
unusual for a copper mine?”
    The light in his eyes dimmed as his smile turned from
curious to shrewd. “Perhaps. But we aren’t just mining copper.”
    “Really? Did you strike gold too?”
    “Better than gold. Something really special.” He stepped
behind his desk and pulled open a drawer, withdrawing a spool of fine silver
chain. “Do you know what this is?”
    She leaned forward in her seat. “Not copper?”
    He laughed and handed her the spool to examine. “This is
molybdenite. This little mineral is used in all sorts of products, but mostly
to strengthen other minerals. But science has discovered how to harness its
strength all on its own. This little chain can hold fifteen tons. And if you
mix it with carbon, it will burn longer and cleaner than any fuel in existence.
Doing more with less material makes it a lot more valuable.”
    The chain was light in her hand and delicate enough to wear
around the neck. She watched the light sparkle off the links as the end swung free
and murmured, “So this is what you’re mining for under the park.”
    He stared at her in surprise for a second before he leaned
back in his chair with a chuckle. “No. That would be illegal.”
    She set the spool on the desk. “I would like to look in your
mine, Mr. Neimi.”
    “Would you now? What for?”
    “I want to look at these.” She pulled a square piece of
metal from her pocket.
    “I don’t know what that is.”
    “Sure you do. This is a plate that’s screwed into the rock
to keep the ceiling from crashing down. They’re supposed to be spaced every few
feet to maintain the integrity of the tunnel. But in the one running under the
park they were spaced too wide apart. I have a feeling your tunnels may have
the same shoddy workmanship.”
    “You’re a mining expert too?”
    “No. But I have a friend who is.”
    He placed his hands behind his head with another laugh.
“Sorry. Can’t allow untrained civilians in the mine. Against OSHA rules. I’m
sure you understand.”
    “Of course.” She got to her feet with a small sigh. “I’ll
just call my friend and come back another day.”
    “Sheriff Briggs, did you know that I was great friends with
your