Open Pit Read Online Free PDF Page B

Wait — is it them? Has one of the former squatters dreamed up these demands out of sour grapes? Mitch strains towards the window, examining his land, asking himself whether there really could be dead bodies here. Fifteen years ago, this was a war zone. But if you go back far enough, isn’t every place? There’s probably traces of conflict covering every square inch of the planet. Why should he be the one railroaded into putting the innards of his property on display?
    â€œIncredible,” says Carlos, admiring the mountain.
    Mitch beams. Even now, Carlos looks handsome, more or less composed. The man is 1 , 200 feet above ground, flying against his better judgment, all to help out a friend. Comfort zone breached!
    When the blades come to a stop, the pilot gets out and opens the door. He offers a hand to Carlos, who looks unsteady. Mitch invites his friend inside for coffee. “We’ll save the champagne for the launch,” he says, winking.
    Carlos doesn’t return the smile. “El Pico will be a great achievement, Mitch. But today, it is only an idea. It can only succeed if you handle this abduction.”
    Mitch smoothes his hair against the hot breeze. Any fear Carlos felt up above has apparently burned off. His voice is rock solid, and his warning strikes Mitch as overly dire. Usually they’re too busy dreaming of the future — of the Pico expansion, of how they’re going to help this shithole of a country grow — to get bogged down by obstacles. “Someone is trying to hurt me,” he says, feeling wounded by the change in his friend’s demeanour. Then he realizes. “It’s not the squatters. It’s that Committee!” Mitch doesn’t like to use the full name of the group that’s had it in for him since day one. The Committee for the Environment — like they know anything about it; he’s the one with environmental science Ph.D.s on staff. “From Los Pampanos. The ones who are always bad-mouthing me,” he says, recalling every trick, every ruse those nuts have tried against him so far — none successful. “They want to derail El Pico.”
    Carlos gives him a long, assessing look. “It is important to find out who took the hostages, obviously. But maybe not as important as it seems. The Canadians have to live, regardless of who is responsible. That is the priority. Your ambassador has already understood this. Her own reputation is at stake.”
    â€œThe ambassador? What’s she got to do with it?”
    â€œOne of my contacts tells me she’s requested meetings at the top political levels. She’s nervous about casualties if the police intercede.”
    â€œBut she can’t really — she’s not a factor here.”
    â€œOh?”
    Just the way Carlos says it, Mitch begins to doubt.
    â€œIt would be worth deciding for yourself,” Carlos adds as they begin walking towards the portables.
    He often drops hints like this, morsels that Mitch will later conclude are in fact good ideas. Mitch recalls the first time he ever saw Carlos Reyes. He received an invitation out of the blue to a speech Carlos was giving and thought, why not? Carlos showed up looking elegant and told his audience that countries like El Salvador are being forced onto new ground, politically, that no one can afford to dwell in the past. He emphasized that El Salvador needs large-scale investment to survive. And then he used the example of Mitch’s mine, saying the name, Mil Sueños, making it an example. Mitch was so pleased he proudly elbowed the man seated beside him. Carlos ended his speech by saying that too many Salvadoran ex-guerrillas are afraid of the future. But he isn’t. He will be the first to take the leap, wear the brave face. Mitch approached him afterwards to shake his hand. They’ve been in touch ever since.
    A guard opens the door. The air-conditioned hallway feels cold after the noonday