SuperNova Afterglow

Take The Bait

A purple-heart decorated veteran elected sheriff of a small Arizona region gets in over his head when a team of weapons experts arrive with a score to settle.

The sheriff gently bent down on one knee to swipe his hand through dirt, careful not to dust his new uniform. He considered dress uniform a soldier’s resume, and it was about to be stained with blood.

In the abandoned area west of an old mining region, Kerry Seaver had arrived after a curious report from a town local. The grey-bearded man had driven his scrap hauler through the passage to hunt for metal, when he came upon patches of fresh red blood. It had been nearly 18 hours. Seaver found the location easily, tracking the old man’s gps at about the reported time.

The wet, sandy soil felt gritty when rubbed between his two fingers. It did not maintain its shape in the normally arid area of Arizona. When it formed into a ball he knew blood lay beneath, based on his experience. Seaver could see individual sand particles with the naked eye — something beneficial that came from his unique military training. Compared to other soil textures, this sand had low surface area and low charge, and was not the type to attract and retain water or nutrients.

First Resource (my old b. ball buddies…)
https://network.expertisefinder.com/search-experts?query=military+intelligence

P.S., take the bait. (I typed it here before I titled it there. I titled it in my underwear.)
Good title?

5.15.24