He raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise. "Really? Because we have full approval. All signed." He tapped the tablet like it was holy writ. "You want to see?"
I held out my hand.
He didn't even hesitate, just brought up the tab. He kept two fingers pinning the corner, so I couldn't really lift it. I scanned what I could. It was a scan of the standard land access permit, signature at the bottom, but blurred. No notary stamp visible, either.
I played along. "And the owner signed this? From his vacation in South America?"
William grinned like the world's laziest con artist. "That's what I was told. Maybe a partner or agent, I don't know. SkyArc just gets signatures, and we roll."
Caden flexed inside me, all claws and instant temper. I planted my boots, not backing down.
"Listen. This creek is off limits. It's registered with the state, flagged for a critical salamander habitat, and currently monitored by the NRCS. You'd know that if you'd checked."
That drew blood. William cracked his gum, real slow, and gave me a sideways look acid enough to curdle milk.
"I'll pass that along," he said. "But as of today, we're within our rights. Cameras only record for insurance and loss prevention. If you want to file a complaint, talk to the landowner. He's the one who's protected at the end of the day, not us."
Under the stink of cologne and new plastic, I caught a hit of something sharp and cold. Mint, again. Then it was gone.
I tried one more time. "Are you planning to leave this mess up all season? Or just until you get enough footage of my family at the water?"
His eyes sharpened for a split second, then the poker face slammed back in place. "Just doing our job, Mr. Meyer. If your family's out here, tell them to wave. We like to keep tabs on people close to our construction sites."
I stared him down, letting the pause stretch. "Have you ever had trouble with trespassers, William?"
He grinned, all fake warmth. "Not yet. But we get a lot of lookie-loos. Best to be cautious."
I barked a laugh. "Keep exercising that caution when you're close to my property. You don't have permission to set foot on it."
He chewed his gum, eyes never leaving mine.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Anything else you want to ask, or are we good here?"
I studied the setup. The cameras were perfectly spaced, every angle calibrated to catch activity along Tash's research site. Not a single lens aimed at SkyArc's own storage shed. Every sensor was lined up with a flagged point in the creek. If Tash or her team so much as touched a sample bottle, it'd be caught in 4K.
I shook my head, disgust building in my throat. "No. I think I've seen enough."
He waited, sizing me up again, as if hoping for a final outburst. When I just glared, he shrugged, turned, and sauntered away. As he left, he popped his gum. Mint sliced through the air, sharp enough to sting.
I watched them for another five minutes to see if anyone would slip, but their routine was smooth. Install, log the position, check the solar panels, repeat. Two of the cameras even had motion-tracking lenses.
Caden prowled in my skull, gnashing and growling, but I tamped him down. We'd had enough drama for one week.
I made a slow circle of the creek, double-checked every new sensor, even snapped a quick shot on my phone so I'd remember the model numbers. Tash would want proof.
The grass was already muddy from all the foot traffic. One spot, under the shady side of the willow, was trampled almost flat.
Unacceptable.
I took a long breath, forced my hands to unclench, and walked the boundary line all the way to the old cattle fence. Even out of sight, I could hear William's voice. He was barking orders at his crew, telling them to pack up and meet back at the main lot in ten.
I'd give it an additional fifteen before I trusted they were gone.
Back at the shoulder, my truck was right where I'd left it. I eased in behind the wheel, fingers drumming the dashboard.
My lunch plans were ruined. Everything about the morning screamed setup. Not a coincidence. They wanted a reaction. Something they could use. Or maybe they just wanted to know how closely we'd defend our space.
My jaw was still locked tight when I hit the bakery lot. Parking was slammed. Two SUVs, a delivery van, and our manager's ancient Corolla. I nodded at her on my way in, just a grunt, but she was too busy fielding a register meltdown to answer.
