Chapter 16 - The Unopened Envelope From Dallas
Inside the black sedan sat a man wearing a dark suit, watching the lights of the Vance homestead through a pair of high-powered night-vision binoculars.
He pulled a secure phone from his pocket and pressed speed dial, holding the device against his ear as the line connected.
"The ranch is secure, sir," the man reported in a low, professional voice. "Caleb Vance has fortified the perimeter with former military personnel."
On the other end of the line, a sharp, aristocratic voice answered from a high-rise office in Dallas.
"Caleb Vance thinks he defeated a local real estate scam," the voice sneered over the speaker.
"He has no idea that his late father's ranch sits directly above the primary shale oil reserve for our northern pipeline project."
The man in the sedan looked back through his binoculars, seeing Caleb step off the porch to check the barn doors.
"What are your orders, Mr. Sterling?" the man asked.
"Send the second team to San Antonio," Sterling instructed coldly.
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"If we can't buy the land from the Vance family, we will activate the eminent domain clause through our contacts in Washington."
The call disconnected, leaving the man in the sedan to watch the peaceful homestead as the wind howled through the oak trees.
