One Mile Under

One Mile Under: How important and valuable is water? Just how far would a company go to get its hands on so much water and drain a river causing droughts, lack of crops, and loss of products in a small town?

How can officials of a Mining company buy the loyalty of officials, the police, and even townspeople by providing them with what they think they need? Football fields, hotels, other conveniences to blindside them into thinking they were there to help make their lives better.

Enter a small town in Colorado learn just how far mining companies will go to pilfer what others need to survive. Fracking oil fields in Colorado hoping to make millions, threatening the lives of innocent people two groups of men would strong-arm the weak and defenseless unless someone helped them fight back.

Within this story, we meet Danielle Whalen a whitewater rafting guide who is about to take a group of young people and their parents on a run. Seeming quite normal and the rough waves causing everyone to scream, yell, and get trenched, the trip goes smoothly until Danielle discovers something at the end of the river that would drastically change the spirit of the day and the lives of everyone there. Trey Watkins is an outstanding rafter, and when Danielle finds his body at the end of a river, she cannot believe that it was anything but murder.

While Ty is not sure that what she claims is true it does not stop her from convincing him to go and speak with Trey’s parents, namely his father, and what they learn sends them on a path that just might endanger more than just Dani and Ty. Working for Talon Security, Ty uses his position to help him uncover and learn more about Resurgent Mining and Mineral the company responsible for gas and oil exploration and who is employing the method of fracking in order to reap many financial benefits.

But when author Andrew Gross describes exactly what they are doing readers will understand why the river is dried up, just how people are strong-armed and the reason behind Trey’s death becomes clear in a subtle way.

When Hauck went to RMM and received what was supposed to be the tour and was taken to see one of the sights called Hannah One. Learning that a Psy-Ops Special Forces training group was behind much of what was happening and the threats to the townspeople and more about the Alpha Group that supplied the muscle and these men, Hauck would soon learn that even he was not safe from what they had planned.

The entire fracking process is exampled in detail in Chapter 40 and the concept is mind-boggling. As Hauck begins to realize that the football fields, the parks, the town center, and the perks were the incentives to keep doing what they wanted. The author continues using his extensive research to explain how the process works, where the water was coming from, and how Alpha fits in.

But Dani is persistent and Hauck fears for her life and although he tries hard to convince Trey’s father that something needs to be done and that he needs to restart his lawsuit and fight back he refuses until something happens that changes it all. A lawyer in town will take it all on and the result will not only cost lives but will change the complexion of the town forever.

Worried that Dani will be another victim, he insists that she stay with someone to keep her safe. Hauck investigates and then finds himself run off the road by trucks from RMM. Hospital visits warned more than once, Trey’s father who is too scared to fight back and threats that would cost more than one person in the end, author Andrew Gross brings to light what happens when an oil and gas company buys everything they can and locks in long-term supplies and are killing farmers.

No regard for their livelihoods. No real concern for the people of the town. Using cosmetics or aesthetics to hide the truth and encourage the people to back off and not fight back. But, Hauck is not the only victim and a man named John Robertson was the one Rooster saw when Trey was killed and the one man that wants Dani out of the way. Two final scenes are heart-stopping and a young girl that has to fight for her life as she is placed within a water coffin. Hoping that Hauck hears her when she dials his number on her phone and praying that someone safes her Dani finds herself pushed over the edge and in water cold, oily and metallic. Locked in with no way to get out, water rising, the river pouring in, will she find a way to escape or will she be buried within the river and found too late.

The scene is vividly described on pages 261- 262. But what happens will surprise readers, and the result might bring a town to its knees or awaken it to fight back. What happens when the Chief of Police is on the take? What happens when he finds himself in a hopeless situation? What happens when he faces Dani? Will he be the reason for her final demise? A police chief named Riddick who sat on his duff for too long but will he step up to the plate?

An ending filled with surprises, twists and turns, and a town that has been asleep for too long. Will Dani avenge Trey’s death? Will RMM and the Alpha Group win? Ty Hauck: Strong, smart, wise, and not someone you want to come up against except if your name is Dani!

What is the true price of Water? How far will a company go to take it all? Find out when you read One Mile Under! Heart stopping, heartbreaking, suspenseful, interesting, extensive research and one character that I hope the author will bring back again very soon: Ty Hauck: What is next for him now that he has given up his position at Talon since the partners did not approve of all of his time off? What surprises are in store for him?