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Book: Wet Desert: Tracking Down a Terrorist on the Colorado River by Gary Hansen
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Authors: Gary Hansen
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unrealistic goals. Who was he anyway, to think he could pull it off?
As he passed over the bridge, however, and looked down on the dam, the hatred resurfaced. After all, this wasn't the first time he had argued with himself over this issue. Yes, there was risk that his plan wouldn't work. In fact, he admitted it was a long shot. But he had to try. The upside was too good. Unleashing the
Colorado River
would be a historic event, something that would be talked about for generations. And when it came down to it, there was no other way. No one else was willing to take the risk. Besides, how could he live with himself if he did not even try?
He turned into the visitor center parking, and reached over on the seat and touched the clipboard, making sure it was still there. He drove past the visitor center, and then almost a hundred yards farther until he reached the west access road to the dam itself. A solitary guard walked out of the guard shack. He stopped the truck and rolled down his window.
The guard shined a flashlight in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
He shoved the clipboard toward the guard. "I'm from Jensen Industrial Elevators in
Denver
. You know, to service the west elevator." He pointed toward the dam.
The guard skimmed through the pages of the work order. "Nobody said anything to me about--"
The skinny man interrupted. "When I talked to Dan last night, he told me to get here early, so I'd be gone before the visitor center opens at 8:00 a.m." He looked at the guard's badge and saw the name Brian. What a lucky break. He knew Brian was the graveyard shift supervisor.
He reached his hand out the window. "You're Brian, aren't you? Dan told me you'd be in charge when I got here."
He had learned all of the security personnel's names from the scanner radio. He lied, of course, about talking to Dan the night before, but if he could convince the guard that it was approved, he might have a chance.
The guard stared at the work order. "Well, Dan didn't say anything to me."
The skinny man was ready for this comment. "Call him," he said, although that was the last thing he wanted him to do.
The guard looked at his watch and grimaced.
The skinny man knew what was going through his head. The guard did not want to call his boss so early in the morning and wake him up, not for something routine like elevator maintenance.
He finally looked up. "When did you talk to Dan?"
"He called us yesterday morning. Said the west elevator wasn't lining up correctly at the top. Said people were tripping over it. He wondered if we could fix it before the tours started this morning. I drove straight through from
Denver
last night."
The guard shook his head and looked back down at the work order. "Yeah, but he usually tells us when to expect somebody."
He could tell the guard was weakening. "It's kinda weird he didn't tell you. Like I said, feel free to call him and verify it if you need to."
The guard looked around as if he hoped someone might walk up and make the decision for him. He glanced down at the work order again, then shook his head. "Naw. I ain't gonna wake him up over this. Everything looks legit." He took a pen out and noted a time on the work order then handed it back. "How sure are you that you can be done and outta here before eight?"
The skinny man felt goose bumps rise on his arms and he wanted to yell out in exhilaration, but kept his voice monotone. "I won't know for sure until I get down there, but I don't see any reason why not."
He watched the guard walk over and unlock the huge metal gate and swing it open. He then put the truck back into gear and started through.
"Hey, wait a minute," the guard said.
His heart skipped. What had he seen? He stopped the truck. "Yeah?"
"Didn't your company used to use vans?"
He relaxed. It was a question he had anticipated. "Yeah, we just got these rigs. Now we don't have to take the trailers on the small jobs. Besides, this truck does a lot better on long hauls . Those
As he passed over the bridge, however, and looked down on the dam, the hatred resurfaced. After all, this wasn't the first time he had argued with himself over this issue. Yes, there was risk that his plan wouldn't work. In fact, he admitted it was a long shot. But he had to try. The upside was too good. Unleashing the
Colorado River
would be a historic event, something that would be talked about for generations. And when it came down to it, there was no other way. No one else was willing to take the risk. Besides, how could he live with himself if he did not even try?
He turned into the visitor center parking, and reached over on the seat and touched the clipboard, making sure it was still there. He drove past the visitor center, and then almost a hundred yards farther until he reached the west access road to the dam itself. A solitary guard walked out of the guard shack. He stopped the truck and rolled down his window.
The guard shined a flashlight in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
He shoved the clipboard toward the guard. "I'm from Jensen Industrial Elevators in
Denver
. You know, to service the west elevator." He pointed toward the dam.
The guard skimmed through the pages of the work order. "Nobody said anything to me about--"
The skinny man interrupted. "When I talked to Dan last night, he told me to get here early, so I'd be gone before the visitor center opens at 8:00 a.m." He looked at the guard's badge and saw the name Brian. What a lucky break. He knew Brian was the graveyard shift supervisor.
He reached his hand out the window. "You're Brian, aren't you? Dan told me you'd be in charge when I got here."
He had learned all of the security personnel's names from the scanner radio. He lied, of course, about talking to Dan the night before, but if he could convince the guard that it was approved, he might have a chance.
The guard stared at the work order. "Well, Dan didn't say anything to me."
The skinny man was ready for this comment. "Call him," he said, although that was the last thing he wanted him to do.
The guard looked at his watch and grimaced.
The skinny man knew what was going through his head. The guard did not want to call his boss so early in the morning and wake him up, not for something routine like elevator maintenance.
He finally looked up. "When did you talk to Dan?"
"He called us yesterday morning. Said the west elevator wasn't lining up correctly at the top. Said people were tripping over it. He wondered if we could fix it before the tours started this morning. I drove straight through from
Denver
last night."
The guard shook his head and looked back down at the work order. "Yeah, but he usually tells us when to expect somebody."
He could tell the guard was weakening. "It's kinda weird he didn't tell you. Like I said, feel free to call him and verify it if you need to."
The guard looked around as if he hoped someone might walk up and make the decision for him. He glanced down at the work order again, then shook his head. "Naw. I ain't gonna wake him up over this. Everything looks legit." He took a pen out and noted a time on the work order then handed it back. "How sure are you that you can be done and outta here before eight?"
The skinny man felt goose bumps rise on his arms and he wanted to yell out in exhilaration, but kept his voice monotone. "I won't know for sure until I get down there, but I don't see any reason why not."
He watched the guard walk over and unlock the huge metal gate and swing it open. He then put the truck back into gear and started through.
"Hey, wait a minute," the guard said.
His heart skipped. What had he seen? He stopped the truck. "Yeah?"
"Didn't your company used to use vans?"
He relaxed. It was a question he had anticipated. "Yeah, we just got these rigs. Now we don't have to take the trailers on the small jobs. Besides, this truck does a lot better on long hauls . Those
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