Chapter 29: The Rumor Mill
"Not just rumors. Truths disguised as gossip," she said, stepping into the glaring light. "The kind of truths that unravel delicate alliances. We expose the Mongols' real business, their body count. We expose Finch's role in their operation, his convenient disappearances. We make Calico understand that their 'ghosts' are just human monsters, and some wear lab coats."
"They're already starting to believe it," I said, the memory of Brody's veiled words a cold shard in my gut. "Brody himself practically confirmed you were the 'Dark Rose,' the real power here."
Maddie stopped, her back to me. A muscle twitched in her jaw. "He's a terrified man trying to stay alive. The Mongols' reach is long, and their fear is their leash."
"Then we use that fear," I said, the plan beginning to coalesce. "We paint a target on Finch's back, make the Mongols think he's a liability, or worse, a rival."
"We use Brody's fear to fuel his part in this and feed the Mongols' suspicion that Finch has his own puppet master," I suggest.
"Brody will do what he's told," Maddie said, turning back to me. "He's scared of them, but he's terrified of what Finch and Chiron represent. We can exploit that. We see the story that Finch is the one supplying them with their victims, that he's selling information to the Mongols, not just to Chiron. Brody will have to act, or the Mongols will think he's compromised."
"And we use the saloon as the stage," I added, picturing the scene. "Whispers in the dark corners, loaded glances over whiskey glasses. We make them think the Mongols are overplaying their hand, that Finch is getting too big for his britches, and that Brody is either a fool or a traitor. By the time they realize it's a setup, it'll be too late."
"We make the town believe the Mongols are using the mine for more than just storage," Maddie continued, her eyes alight with a dangerous glint. "That the 'ghosts' are people, processed and packaged. We leak just enough about The Oracle to make them terrified, and just enough about Finch to make the Mongols question his loyalty. Brody will have to choose sides, and either way, the Mongols lose their grip.
"And if they don't bite?" I asked, the words laced with a growing weariness.
Maddie's smile was sharp, a promise of retribution. "Then they all burn. Together."
"Maddie, what happens if we learn that some of your own are in on this?" I asked, the question a cold knot in my gut.
She met my gaze, unflinching. "Then they burn too, Jack. Loyalty is a luxury I can no longer afford."
The oppressive heat of the desert pressed in, a physical weight. The church was a tomb, a sanctuary that had outlived its purpose. We were the last vestiges of hope in a town drowning in its own manufactured legends. This town loved its ghost stories, and we are about to tell one of our own.
"So, the Rusty Pick. How do we start this whisper campaign?" I asked, the weight of the plan settling in my gut.
Maddie brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, her eyes scanning the dusty road leading back toward town. "We start by making a scene," she said, her voice gaining a dangerous edge. "We make the town believe the Mongols are losing control, that their grip on Calico is slipping, and that Brody is either a pawn or a traitor."
"And you think people will believe us?" I asked, and the doubt left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"They believe anything out here," she said, a grim smile touching her lips. "Especially when it confirms their deepest fears."
Fear… now that's something that I know all too well. I feared losing Sarah, and that fear brought it to fruition. Now Maddie is willing to let everything burn. Is she facing her fear or bringing it to fruition? I needed to understand her motivations, and I needed to do it without revealing how much her own fear—and my own—was starting to sway me.