#CHAPTER 108: Payment

Sarah POV “We here CBS News have reached out several times to Abrigan Mine’s project manager, Marge Tellis,” the beta female news correspondent told the camera with great earnestness. Behind her rose a thick plume of gray smoke. “But we have yet to hear from her or from anyone in authority at the mine.” “But Zane called you?” I asked Travis over the phone. “He’s OK?” “He said he was fine but that conditions at the mine are deplorable. He sounded pretty angry about it.” “I can imagine.” “I’m standing here with a Millie Resnik, who used to work at the coal mine but was let go last year after she was injured in a cave-in,” the reporter said as the camera zoomed out a bit to show a frail-looking human woman with gray hair and rheumy eyes. It was clear she had only her right arm. “Now, Ms. Resnik, you told me you’d never seen something like this smoke cloud before?” “That’s right,” the woman wheezed. “Not this big, anyway.” “This big?” “Well, it’s a coal seam fire, but for