equipment.”
“But no weapons, not like the ones that operators in Omaha
or wherever control to drop bombs on targets in the Middle East?”
“Right.”
“So there’s a big diff erence between testing a fl ying camera in
a populated area and testing unmanned weapons. How’d they get
from the fi rst one to the second?”
56
CHILLING EFFECT
Back on surer ground, Joe sped up again. “Conservation of
resources. Th e military bases out in Pendleton and Redmond can
test the weaponry—make sure the bombs work when they’re sup-
posed to—but the politicians decided it was wasteful and redundant
to have to continue to maintain its own fl ight testing capabilities when there was a shiny new civilian one right here. So they entered into a contract with the White Springs Reservation to use the testing facility when the Federal Aviation Administration and the corporate manufacturers weren’t using it.”
“Th is was all in a travel guidebook?”
“No, but it was news back when I was researching the area last
spring. All of the offi cial Central Oregon websites were making a big deal of the partnership. An innovative partnership between a
Native American tribe and the military that would create jobs on
the reservation and save the federal government loads of money—
what’s not to love?”
“Maybe the fact that the military drones have gone missing?”
In the dark, Joe’s face was shadowy, illuminated only by star-
light, but she could see the shock roll across his expression like a wave—starting at his eyes and moving down until he opened and
closed his mouth, gaping like a fi sh.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“Maybe. We’ll fi nd out more in the morning.”
“Why wait?”
“Because Sid’s not going to be happy if I wake him to run it
down and it turns out to be a baseless rumor,” she said.
Th ey sat in silence some more, but this time the power of the
night sky was lost on Aroostine. Judging by the way he was fi dget-
ing, Joe was also focusing on something other than the constella-
tions overhead.
He cleared his throat and pulled her closer to him. “I think we
may be mixed up in something bad.”
57
MELISSA F. MILLER
Th e way he said “we” made her catch her breath. She hadn’t
expected quite so much support. But his point was, unfortunately,
valid. “Th ere’s no maybe about it.”
Th ey lapsed back into silence—not a companionable, awed
silence. A tired, overwhelmed, “what now?” silence.
Th ey crossed the shadowy road and headed for the guest cottage.
Aroostine didn’t need to check her watch to know that it had to
be close to midnight. Her fatigue outweighed the horror of the day
and the puzzling scraps of information fl oating in her mind. She
ached to crawl into bed, pile the covers over her, and snuggle into the warmth of Joe’s body. She’d worry about murderers, and dirty
CFOs, and missing drones in the morning. From the silent way Joe
trudged along beside her, she sensed he felt the same way.
As they neared the Jeep, a rustling sound startled her out of her
tired musings. She reached out a hand to stop Joe, but he’d already frozen in place.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered.
“It’s probably an animal.”
Of course, out here, it was as likely to be a coyote or a wolf as it was a rabbit or a mouse. Still, she’d take her chances against a wolf over, say, Isaac’s killer, any day.
Her dry mouth and racing pulse were making it hard to breathe.
“Who’s there?” Joe called. His hand vibrated in hers, pulsing
with anxiety and adrenaline, but his voice rang out clear, loud, and true in the darkness.
After a moment, a shape emerged from behind the vehicle. A
fl ashlight clicked on in the fi gure’s hand. He aimed the circle of light at the ground rather than their faces.
58
CHILLING EFFECT
“Mr. Jackman? Ms. Higgins? Is that you? I didn’t mean to
frighten you folks. I’m Lee Buckmount. I’m one of the tribal
“But no weapons, not like the ones that operators in Omaha
or wherever control to drop bombs on targets in the Middle East?”
“Right.”
“So there’s a big diff erence between testing a fl ying camera in
a populated area and testing unmanned weapons. How’d they get
from the fi rst one to the second?”
56
CHILLING EFFECT
Back on surer ground, Joe sped up again. “Conservation of
resources. Th e military bases out in Pendleton and Redmond can
test the weaponry—make sure the bombs work when they’re sup-
posed to—but the politicians decided it was wasteful and redundant
to have to continue to maintain its own fl ight testing capabilities when there was a shiny new civilian one right here. So they entered into a contract with the White Springs Reservation to use the testing facility when the Federal Aviation Administration and the corporate manufacturers weren’t using it.”
“Th is was all in a travel guidebook?”
“No, but it was news back when I was researching the area last
spring. All of the offi cial Central Oregon websites were making a big deal of the partnership. An innovative partnership between a
Native American tribe and the military that would create jobs on
the reservation and save the federal government loads of money—
what’s not to love?”
“Maybe the fact that the military drones have gone missing?”
In the dark, Joe’s face was shadowy, illuminated only by star-
light, but she could see the shock roll across his expression like a wave—starting at his eyes and moving down until he opened and
closed his mouth, gaping like a fi sh.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“Maybe. We’ll fi nd out more in the morning.”
“Why wait?”
“Because Sid’s not going to be happy if I wake him to run it
down and it turns out to be a baseless rumor,” she said.
Th ey sat in silence some more, but this time the power of the
night sky was lost on Aroostine. Judging by the way he was fi dget-
ing, Joe was also focusing on something other than the constella-
tions overhead.
He cleared his throat and pulled her closer to him. “I think we
may be mixed up in something bad.”
57
MELISSA F. MILLER
Th e way he said “we” made her catch her breath. She hadn’t
expected quite so much support. But his point was, unfortunately,
valid. “Th ere’s no maybe about it.”
Th ey lapsed back into silence—not a companionable, awed
silence. A tired, overwhelmed, “what now?” silence.
Th ey crossed the shadowy road and headed for the guest cottage.
Aroostine didn’t need to check her watch to know that it had to
be close to midnight. Her fatigue outweighed the horror of the day
and the puzzling scraps of information fl oating in her mind. She
ached to crawl into bed, pile the covers over her, and snuggle into the warmth of Joe’s body. She’d worry about murderers, and dirty
CFOs, and missing drones in the morning. From the silent way Joe
trudged along beside her, she sensed he felt the same way.
As they neared the Jeep, a rustling sound startled her out of her
tired musings. She reached out a hand to stop Joe, but he’d already frozen in place.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered.
“It’s probably an animal.”
Of course, out here, it was as likely to be a coyote or a wolf as it was a rabbit or a mouse. Still, she’d take her chances against a wolf over, say, Isaac’s killer, any day.
Her dry mouth and racing pulse were making it hard to breathe.
“Who’s there?” Joe called. His hand vibrated in hers, pulsing
with anxiety and adrenaline, but his voice rang out clear, loud, and true in the darkness.
After a moment, a shape emerged from behind the vehicle. A
fl ashlight clicked on in the fi gure’s hand. He aimed the circle of light at the ground rather than their faces.
58
CHILLING EFFECT
“Mr. Jackman? Ms. Higgins? Is that you? I didn’t mean to
frighten you folks. I’m Lee Buckmount. I’m one of the tribal
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