[Chapter 211: Spies]
After more than an hour's drive, Linton finally arrived at the long-missed Anderson Farm.
It was the late harvest season at the farm; all of the crops had already been harvested.
Some of the farmhands, under the direction of farm manager Tuck, were busy delivering grain to the local brewery and sugar refinery, while the rest were repairing and maintaining the farm machinery for storage and use in the next year's planting season.
Montana had enjoyed good weather and no natural disasters this year, resulting in a bountiful crop of barley and sugar beets.
According to Linton's decision, no grain was stored this year; the entire harvest was immediately sold to the downstream processing plants.
The sugar beet planting always involved a signed purchase contract with the sugar refinery before planting. Similarly, under Linton's instructions, Tuck had secured a purchase contract with the brewery for the barley during the summer.
Fortunately, prices were good this year. Along with the bumper harvest, although the farm's profits had not yet been finalized, it was certain they would be much better than the previous year.
The farmhands were full of joy, anticipating the bonuses promised by the boss, sharing laughter and happiness all around.
When word got out that Linton was coming, Tuck had early on arranged for the estate villa to be thoroughly cleaned and refurbished.
---
Upon entering the farm, Linton and David agreed to inspect the base in the afternoon; David returned to base early while Linton and Winnie stayed in the villa.
While overseeing room preparations, Tuck accompanied Linton and Winnie to the study to report on this year's harvest status.
This year's total harvest included 215,000 tons of wheat and 85,000 tons of sugar beets. Even though prices for both products had slightly declined compared to last year, plus the income from cattle and sheep on the ranch, the total expected output value would exceed $41 million. The exact figures still awaited confirmation.
It confirmed the year's really had been one of abundance.
After deducting production costs, salaries, and taxes, profits would exceed $11 million.
"When will all the grain be delivered?"
"We're almost done. Everything will be stored by tomorrow."
"Good -- by tomorrow at the latest, have the brewery and sugar refinery haul it all away."
"Understood, boss. Once the harvest is over, our only major task will be repairing the irrigation channels and inspecting the water systems to ensure next spring's planting."
"Speaking of which, remember that snow season runs from November through February."
"Right."
"And what about the machinery and equipment?"
"It's all here. Would you like to review the pre-renovation blueprints?"
"Will the renovation be extensive?"
"It won't harm the existing channels. Haven't we hired that specialist firm from San Francisco? The farm's planting plan will wait until the upgrades are complete."
"Alright. Let's finish the renovations by March 1 next year -- one and a half months should be enough. I know time is tight, so make sure we have enough crew. The real question is: will these upgrades compromise the irrigation system?"
"Not at all -- no damage whatsoever."
After sending Tuck away, Linton rested briefly before lunch, having assistant Meena accompany Winnie to the farm to check accounts while he took Danny and Carter to Thunder Base.
---
The thousand-acre base was enclosed by a two-meter-high wall running a seven-mile perimeter and linked to the interstate by a standard two-lane road ten miles away. Thanks to ample funding, nearly five months of construction had brought Thunder Base close to completion.
After a targeted recruitment drive and two rounds of screening, Linton's cadre numbered 103 -- roughly the size of a standard special-operations company. Their arsenal was substantial but not yet complete: sidearms and rifles; light machine guns up to M2s and M1919A4 heavy machine guns; sniper rifles; and four armored vehicles fitted with two rocket launchers. Aside from air-to-air missiles, the base was armed to the teeth.
Stepping through the gates, they passed a soccer-field-sized training ground. Directly opposite stood the administrative office, with rows of dormitories nearby. Flatland and mountain shooting ranges lay to one side, and various physical-training courses dotted the campus -- each alive with the discipline and energy of hard-working recruits. Several specialized training areas were still under construction, however.
Beyond the main compound, on rolling hills adapted to the terrain, crews were finishing a tactical training ground designed for small-unit drills and maneuvers among Thunder Guards personnel.
In just five months, Linton had poured in \$28 million. Seeing the base and its ranks take shape made the investment feel more than justified.
His next step was clear: further sharpen the Thunder Guards' combat prowess by rotating teams through live-fire exercises in Africa during the second half of next year. Only in the crucible of real battle, he believed, could they truly become an elite force.
---
Before a complicated inspection, the security team set up an office where the newly hired Thunder Guards would be interviewed one by one -- not just for Soul Induction testing, but to identify any loyal insiders, corporate spies, or antisocial security threats.
To Linton's surprise -- but not shock -- two spies were uncovered among the recruits, both planted by the same faction.
Piero, 31, from Arkansas, white and married, had served in Marine operations across the Pacific and the Middle East. Before enlisting, he had spent a year at Gray Wolf Security and likewise applied in June, his excellent tactical skills ensuring he sailed through the screening.
Kentrey, 29, from Brooklyn, New York, white and unmarried, had just returned from active duty with the Marine Corps in Japan. Before enlisting, he had worked for Golden Stone Security Company in New York for one year. He applied to the Thunder Guards in June and passed the assessment smoothly.
On paper, their résumés and background checks were flawless -- but under the Soul Induction technique, every secret emerged without reservation.
Piero's only child had been diagnosed with a congenital illness requiring costly treatment. When he sought help, Gray Wolf linked him to the Sunshine Charity Foundation in Arkansas on the condition he serve the company for ten years.
Kentrey's only younger brother had been seriously injured in a fight and faced criminal charges and minimal compensation -- Gray Wolf covered the legal fees, again in exchange for ten years of obedience. Both men had followed the company's plan to join the Thunder Guards, their mission to integrate and infiltrate.
Because both had arrived only recently and the base was still under construction, they'd had no opportunity to access any of the base's deeper secrets or the Thunderstorm Protection project, which they had assumed was just another renovation.
When pressed about Gray Wolf Security Company itself, they knew only that its head was Bro-Arwick and that they answered directly to him. Beyond that, they had no further information on the company's backers or network.
Originally, Linton had thought this would be a routine inspection to ensure peace of mind -- he never expected to detect spies among his own ranks. He couldn't shake the suspicion that the security firm was backed by the Clinton family foundation, perhaps drawing his ire back when Universal and the Actors Guild were forced into that compensation settlement.
There was no time to overthink it. With the special formation construction imminent and the two moles identified, they had to be dealt with immediately. Now that Linton knew the security company's name, address, and leader, he could begin tracing its wider connections.
*****
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