Читать книгу: «Polar Quest»

“If those relics are extraterrestrial, I want them.”

“You think there’s something inherent in their properties that you can use?” Annja asked.

“Perhaps. But I do know that with my money and resources, I can get them examined faster than the bureaucrats in charge. And if there’s power to be had, then I want it for myself, yes.”

“Such a humanitarian,” Annja said.

“Not a chance. Five hundred years can do a lot to make you rather self-centered, Annja. I’m horribly selfish, I admit it.”

Annja smiled. “I didn’t want to say anything, but—”

Garin held up his hand. “Get back to your shelter and stay there. If anyone stops you, tell them I said you’re to stay there until I say it’s okay to come out.”

“So, I’m grounded?”

Garin frowned. “Get to work, Annja. Lives just might depend on it.”

Annja opened the door. As she did, one of the medical team soldiers came in and reported to Garin. The medic shook his head. “We did all we could. Colonel Thomson is dead.”

Polar Quest

Rogue Angel_™

Alex Archer

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Jon Merz for her contribution to this work.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

1

The LC-130 Hercules turboprop plane jumped and dropped as the turbulence buffeted it about the sky. Annja Creed, dressed in extreme-cold-weather gear issued to her by the U.S. military, clutched at the armrests on her seat. She felt as if her stomach were on a roller-coaster ride and had forgotten to inform her.

She swallowed the rising bile in her throat and felt the plane lurch again. “This is getting ridiculous,” she said. She unclasped her seat belt and tried to stand, bumping her head against the interior bulkhead in the process.

“Damn.”

If the plane was going to crash, she at least wanted to see it coming rather than sit trapped in her seat. Annja clawed her way forward toward the cockpit.

She passed one of the crew on her way. “Is it always like this?”

He grinned. “Yup. This time of year, it’s always stormy down in these parts. You get used to it after a few trips.”

“Wonderful,” she said, not feeling any better about the turbulence.

She made her way to the flight deck. “Hi.”

The pilot turned. “You’re supposed to be strapped in, Miss Creed. It’s not exactly safe for you to be roaming around.”

Annja smiled. “I got the distinct impression that it wasn’t safe sitting in my seat, either.”

“We’re totally fine,” the pilot said. “This is run-of-the-mill updrafts, turbulence and assorted atmospheric anomalies.”

“Anomalies?” Annja asked.

He shrugged. “We don’t really know what to call them. But they come with the territory of flying near the bottom of the world.”

The copilot glanced at her. “You’re in no danger.”

Annja smirked. “Guess I figured if the end was coming, I wanted to see it rather than hide from it.”

The pilot nodded. “Understandable sentiment. I’d be the same way. If you want to, you can stay as we make our approach.”

“How much longer?” she asked.

“Maybe fifteen minutes. We come in low and fast, so make sure you hold on to something when we hit.”

“Hit? You guys sure do have a great way of putting things.”

“Well, we don’t so much land as we skip and slide to an eventual stop. Those skis underneath our wheels are there for a reason,” the copilot said.

Annja nodded. When they’d taken off from the Air National Guard base in New York, she’d noticed the long skis on the underside of the plane. Without the benefit of a proper runway, aircraft going to Antarctica sometimes had to land on skis.

It was the first time Annja had ever done this and she wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

The flight to New Zealand had been a long one with three in-flight aerial refuelings supplied by KC-130 supertankers. Annja had watched the experienced crew guide the plane to within a quarter mile of the flying gas station, take on a full tank of gas and then continue on its way.

She looked out of the cockpit glass and could see snow falling. The pilot pointed to the instrument console. “Wipers, please.”

“Wipers.” The copilot switched them on and they flicked the flakes from the glass.

The plane felt as if it was starting to descend. Annja could hear flaps grinding in the cold blasts of air outside. The pilot kept the throttle up. Suddenly, Annja felt very much out of place.

Best just to let these guys get done what they need to get done, she thought. She turned and headed back to her seat.

She passed more crew members. One of them was drinking a tumbler of coffee. “Can I get you some?” he asked.

Annja shook her head. “No, thanks. Not sure my stomach will let it settle right now.”

He grinned. “We’ll be down in about ten minutes. You can have all you want then.”

Annja sat down and secured her seat belt. As she glanced around the dimly lit interior of the plane, she thought back to the letter she’d received in her mailbox shortly after returning from her latest dig. The letter had been sent from a colleague she’d once worked with: Zachary Guilfoyle. Zach had always been obsessed with prehistory on the planet, and his quest for the strange had made him something of an untouchable among other members of the more conservative scientific community.

But Annja had loved hanging out with him. Zach, while a sucker for any bit of the mythical, was also a mean card shark and could spin a tale that often left you wondering what was truth and what was fantasy.

His letter had asked Annja to come down to the research station in Antarctica. He was currently there, studying something that he would only describe as “very interesting.”

Annja had put the letter away intrigued but with no real thought toward going. She had reports to file for Chasing History’s Monsters, after all. And she had some very overdue bills to pay.

She was all set to send Zach an e-mail telling him she couldn’t go when a pair of men in dark suits, bad haircuts and disposable sunglasses had shown up outside her loft one afternoon as she returned from a jog.

“Are you Annja Creed?” one of the strangers asked.

She glanced at them, knowing immediately they were with the government. “You’re telling me that with all the technology you guys have at your disposal these days, you really have to ask if I’m who you’re looking for? What is that, some sort of leftover ritual you still follow from the Cold War?” she said.

It got a smirk out of one of them. “Well, you were out jogging.”

“Ah, so it’s more a comment on how crappy I look right now. Well, as long as I know,” she said, wondering what she was in trouble for now.

Annja started up the steps. “What can I do for you?”

The Fed leaned against the railing. “You got a letter recently from a Mr. Guilfoyle.”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Annja said.

He looked over the top of his glasses at her. Annja smiled. “Right, of course. Yes, I got the letter from Zach. So what?”

“He’s requested your presence at the research center in Antarctica.”

Annja sighed. “If you already know about the letter, I’m assuming you know all about the contents of the letter. So how about we don’t waste any more of each other’s time—me being the sweaty, stinky creature in need of a shower—and you guys tell me exactly what it is you want and then go back to scaring little kids with those costumes. Okay?”

“We need you to go to Antarctica,” the man said.

“Why?” Annja asked.

“Because Guilfoyle needs your help. He says you’re the only one he can trust. The only one he’ll work with.”

Annja felt the sweat rolling down her back. It tickled a bit whenever it did that and she really wanted that shower. “What’s the big deal in Antarctica?” she asked.

“It’s classified.”

“Of course. All that snow and ice. No wonder you guys want to keep a lid on it.”

The Feds said nothing, but just looked at her.

Annja cleared her throat. “You guys aren’t leaving until I agree to go—is that what I’m seeing here?”

“Something like that.”

“Right.” Annja took a breath and sighed. “All right. I’ll need a day or so to get my things in order and let my boss know that I won’t be in to do that work on the reports I’m supposed to be filing,” Annja said, stalling for time to figure out what was going on.

“That’s already been taken care of,” one of the men said.

Annja frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Your boss. He’s already been called. He knows not to expect you for about ten days.”

“Ten days?”

One of the Feds shrugged. “Well, it’s not like they run daily flights into the research station. Especially this time of year. Weather’s a lot worse than usual.”

“Oh. Great.”

“We need to get you to New Zealand, Miss Creed.”

“New Zealand?”

“And then on to Antarctica.”

Annja nodded. “Did you guys already take a shower for me, as well?”

“Not quite.”

Annja started up the steps. “Good. In that case, I’m going to soak my tired muscles. I’d invite you guys up, but I know what habitual snoops you are. There’s no telling what kind of trouble you’d get into up there.”

The lead Fed grinned. “That’s okay. We’ve already seen the place.”

Annja started to laugh, but something about the way he said it told her he wasn’t joking. The slimy bastards had been into her place.

She stalked into the building and slammed the door shut behind her. What the hell had Guilfoyle gotten himself mixed up with this time?

The plane jerked again and seemed to turn slightly. Annja felt as if she’d just been jarred awake.

They must be starting to come in now, she realized.

One of the crew members moved past her. “Won’t be long now. Sit tight. We’ll be on the ground shortly.”

“Thanks,” she said.

He moved off and Annja closed her eyes. The propellers seemed to be groaning now. She could hear them straining against the Antarctic gales. It sounded like frozen pellets of snow pummeling the plane outside.

She could imagine the pilot and copilot going through their loading routine. They’d lower the flaps, decrease the throttle and line up the nose of the plane with the point on the ground where they’d be landing the plane.

Did they have runway lights strung out down here? Annja didn’t know what to expect. All she knew was that two days ago she’d been standing on her front stoop back in Brooklyn sweating profusely while two Feds spoke to her. She’d gone upstairs, showered, tossed a few items into a bag and then been whisked off to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard based outside Schenectady. From there, she’d been hustled aboard a big military plane and then flown across the world to Christchurch, New Zealand.

In Christchurch, the weather was seventy degrees and pleasant. She could have lounged there in jeans and a T-shirt. Instead, the flight crew made her clamber into thermal underwear and extreme-cold-weather survival gear.

“In case we go down, you have to be clothed already in survival gear,” the loadmaster told her matter-of-factly.

“You ever go down?” Annja asked nervously.

He grinned. “Once we pass the boomerang, we either land or crash.”

“The boomerang?”

“The point at which we can’t come back here.” He zipped up her parka. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s only bad if we have a whiteout landing.”

“I don’t think I want to know about that,” Annja said. By that point, the two Feds who’d flown down with her from New York City had maneuvered her onto the plane and then waved goodbye to her. They’d never told her why she was heading to Antarctica and she’d given up asking.

“I hardly even got to know you guys,” Annja said.

“And that’s how it should be,” one said. Then they were gone. Back to the shadow world they lived in. Annja shook her head and focused on trying to keep herself in the moment.

Her ears popped as the plane descended. It banked again and then leveled off.

The propellers strained further and the entire cabin filled with a kind of metal grinding noise. Annja hoped the skin wasn’t about to tear itself free from the framework.

“Stand by!” One of the crew shouted over the din, and Annja clutched the armrests of her chair, willing herself to breathe normally while her heart did its best imitation of a jackhammer.

She could almost hear the wind.

She could almost feel the cold.

And somewhere below her, Zach Guilfoyle and his desperate need for her assistance waited.

The plane touched down with a bump and then a skip, followed by another bump and then it was nose down into a screaming, skidding slide that seemed to last utterly forever while Annja kept her eyes closed and her mind focused on her breathing.

And then, everything was still.

“You okay?”

Annja opened her eyes and saw the crewman with the coffee tumbler standing over her.

Annja released her hand rests. “Yeah. I think so.”

He nodded. “Great. Well, we’re here.”

“We are?”

“Yep. Welcome to Antarctica, Miss Creed.”

2

As Annja stepped off the plane, she took in the vast scene before her. She saw snow and ice everywhere, but also the look of an entire town some distance away.

“That’s McMurdo,” the pilot said. “Most of the folks who come down here stop by there first. Last chance at a decent watering hole, too.”

“It’s big,” Annja said. “Much larger than I expected any of the outposts down here to be.”

“During the Antarctic summer, there are between eleven hundred and fifteen hundred people at the station. With over one hundred and fifty buildings, they’ve pretty much got something for everyone,” he said.

“What about now?”

The pilot pointed overhead, where a distinct lack of sun sent howling winds across the barren ice runway. “When it gets dark like this? Maybe two hundred altogether.”

“Cozy,” Annja said.

The pilot laughed over a gale. “We don’t usually fly this time of year.”

“How come you did this time?”

He looked at her. “Orders, Miss Creed. Our orders were to get you down here whatever the risk.”

Annja frowned. “I appreciate the chance you and your crew took on me. I don’t know what the big deal is, but I’ll try not to let you guys down.”

He shook her hand and then headed off to oversee the refueling procedure. Annja knew that once the plane’s tanks were topped off, they’d be flying back to New Zealand.

She felt remarkably warm despite the frigid temperatures outside. The extreme-cold-weather gear she wore had certainly proved itself capable of keeping the harsh conditions at bay, but she wondered how long it might last in a survival situation. She shuddered at the thought of freezing to death out here, but her thoughts were broken by the sound of a vehicle approaching.

Across the ice, she spotted what looked like a Sno-Cat. The tracked vehicle slowly chewed its way through the snow and ice. A flashing red light atop the cab helped mark its position while the bright red paint made it stand out in contrast to its surroundings.

Annja hefted her duffel bag and stood on the leeward side of the plane, trying to shield herself from the wind as much as possible. At last, the Sno-Cat trundled to a halt almost right in front of her and the cab door opened.

“Annja Creed?”

“That’s me.”

“Climb on in—weather’s getting worse. I want to get you back to town before it gets any nastier out here.”

Annja hustled over to the Sno-Cat and heaved her duffel bag into the open door before climbing up on part of the tracks and sliding into the passenger compartment herself.

As soon as she did, she felt a bellows of heat pumping up between her legs. The interior windows were coated with condensation. The driver next to her held out his hand.

“Dave Rasmudsen. Geology.”

Annja shook his hand. “Annja Creed. I have no idea why I’m here.”

He laughed. “I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.” He pointed at the vents. “Too warm in here? Myself, I like to keep it toasty in the cat. But some folks like it a bit more temperate.”

“As long as I don’t show up all sweaty, I think I’ll be fine for the trip back. How long does it take?”

“About a half hour,” Dave said.

“That long?” Annja asked.

Dave patted the dashboard. “This thing doesn’t do sixty, so we have to settle for a snail’s crawl. But she does the job she was designed to do, which is to say she gets us where we need to go and does it without complaining. So, that said, I can’t complain if she takes a little bit of time to do so.”

“Fair enough.”

“Where you hailing from?”

“New York,” Annja said.

Dave nodded. “I’m outside Anchorage, myself.”

Annja smiled. “So this kind of weather doesn’t really bother you, huh?”

He grinned. “Well, that depends. Now, it’s true Alaska has herself some of the nastiest weather around, especially out on the Bering Sea, but Antarctica can give her a run for her money if she wants. I’ve been here before in storms that would make you get down and hide under your bed. Winds howling and screaming outside—you wonder if the station is going to hold or if you’ll be buried in snow.”

“Sounds delightful,” Annja said.

He laughed. “It’s not bad. I gotta be honest with you, I love her. I mean, where else can you get access to the kind of rocks and soil I can study here? We’ve got projects going on right now that can tell us mounds of info about what happened millions of years ago. It’s tremendous stuff.”

“Or you could be a truck driver.”

Dave grinned. “Exactly. You know what I’m talking about. We only get one shot—we have to live her the best way we know how.”

“You married, Dave?” Annja asked.

He looked surprised. “Me? No, no chance of that. I’m afraid I place my career ahead of everything else. Too much to study and not enough time to devote to a family. I dunno. Maybe that’ll change one day, but not anytime soon. I’ve just got too much to do.”

And too much to say, Annja thought.

“Why do you ask, anyway?” Dave said.

“Just that I noticed you use ‘her’ a lot when you’re describing things. I thought there might be a logical explanation for it.”

Dave nodded. “Oh, there is, there is. My father used to use that all the time. I guess after he died, I kind of took it to heart and started using it as a way of maybe remembering him better on a daily basis.”

Annja smiled. “That’s awfully insightful of you.”

“I just miss him is all,” Dave said. He took a breath and flicked the wipers as snow started coming down outside.

Annja glanced back over her seat. In the darkness, she could barely make out the LC-130 sitting in the snow as it was refueled.

“Will they be able to get out of here?” she asked.

Dave nodded. “Those guys? They’re amazing. You know you landed on skis, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, invariably, what ends up happening is the skis stop the plane through friction. Yep, the pilot doesn’t even use the throttle or brakes to control her when she comes in.”

“How nice to know that after I’m already here,” Annja said.

Dave laughed. “Yep, they don’t tell you that ahead of time, no siree.”

Annja smiled. “Go on.”

“So the friction melts the snow, you know? Then once the plane stops, the melted ice refreezes pretty darned quick and keeps the plane in place. You might have noticed they weren’t tying her down.”

“I thought that was because they were going to be leaving very quickly.”

“Nope, just no need to do so. The ice keeps her in place.”

“And what—they have to dig the plane out when they’re ready to leave?” Annja asked.

Dave shrugged. “You know, sometimes that does happen. But most times, the pilot will put the wheels down to break up the ice and then retract them back into the plane. Then the skis can move again and the plane can take off.”

Annja sighed. “It’s fascinating.”

“Dangerous, too. Those aircrews, they’re amazing people. Some of the folks down here owe them their lives,” Dave said.

“The woman with breast cancer, right?” Annja asked, recalling the news story a few years earlier.

“Yep, and another doctor down near the pole. Both of them had to be evacuated out of here when the weather wasn’t too spectacular.” He glanced at Annja. “You know, kind of like how you were just flown in.”

Annja looked at him. “I guess that’s a bit unusual, huh?”

“You could say that. This time of year, things get mighty ferocious down here. Lots of folks are still down at the various outposts and stations, and by and large, we’re cut off from the outside world.”

“You’re trapped here?” Annja asked.

Dave sniffed. “If we’re being honest?”

“Always.”

“Yep. We’re trapped here. Unless one of us is important enough to warrant sending in another plane. But that doesn’t happen all that often. For the most part, what you see when we get to McMurdo is what you get.”

“The pilot said there was a place to get a drink,” Annja said.

“Three places, actually,” Dave said. “Depends on what your pleasure is, I guess.”

“Meaning?”

Dave eyed her. “You smoke?”

“No.”

“Okay, so I’m guessing you wouldn’t want to hang out at Southern Exposure. It’s a bit small anyway, and with the smokers, you’ll have the hazy funk infecting your clothes if you go in. Still, it can be a fun place.”

“What else have you got?”

Dave tapped his fingers along the steering wheel. “If you’re into wine and cheese, you can check out the coffee-house. It’s pretty mellow. A lot of folks head on over there to relax after a day at work.”

Annja frowned. The thought of spending too much time at a coffeehouse didn’t excite her much, either. “Anything else?”

“Yep. We have a place called Gallagher’s.”

“Gallagher’s?”

“Named after a guy who died out on the ice of a heart attack. Our way of remembering him, I guess.”

“It’s a good place?” Annja asked.

“Oh, yeah. Nonsmoking so there’s no funk. Bigger than any of the other places and the dance floor is usually packed.” He eyed her. “You a dancer?”

“Depends on my mood,” she said with a grin.

“Fair one. Anyway, we’ve got some pretty old beer for fifty cents a can. I never touch it. But they’re getting some pretty good stuff down here these days, too. Bottles of Sam Adams, which are damned good brews. Plus, you’ve got the wine and the mixed drinks, too. And if you’re up for it, we’ve got a pretty kick-butt group of folks who love to do karaoke. Swing night just got started, as well.”

“All that?” Annja asked, amazed.

Dave smiled. “Even though there aren’t that many of us, we have to make it as much like home as we can. It gets tough sometimes, but that’s how we do it.”

Annja peered out of the windshield. The snow seemed to be falling harder now than it was before. “You weren’t kidding about the weather.”

Dave frowned. “You’ll find that’s about the one thing no one kids about down here. When we say it’s getting bad outside, take us at our word. It’s not going to be nice.”

“Noted.”

Dave pointed at lights in the distance. “That’s McMurdo. What we call Mac Town.”

Annja tried to pick out details through the dark and the snow, which seemed to be coming in horizontally. She could see the dim outlines of shapes that she took to be buildings. She could just make out a few vehicles, parked up in a ragged line with snow already draping over them like a heavy woolen blanket.

“Is anyone still awake?” she asked.

Dave laughed. “I know what you mean. You see the dark and think it’s the middle of the night, right?”

“I guess.” Annja realized she had no idea what time it was.

“Well, it’s six in the evening. If I guess right, most folks are enjoying a nice warm supper right now.”

“Guess I’d better get squared away and do the same,” Annja said.

Dave nodded. “I’m taking you right to your quarters. Not sure how long you’re staying there, though.”

“Oh?”

“I hear tell you’re headed out of town pretty fast. Seems like you’ve got some folks down here who are keenly interested in getting your eyes on something.”

“What kind of thing?”

Dave shook his head. “Annja, I’m just a guy who digs rocks. Literally. Anything else going on down here? I don’t want to know about it.”

“That sounds ominous,” Annja said.

He glanced at her. “In case you forgot, you’re at the bottom of the world. Something goes on down here, there aren’t a lot of eyes looking at it, you know what I’m talking about?”

“I suppose.”

Dave pointed again. “Here we are. Welcome to Mac Town.”

Annja peered out of her window and wondered what exactly was going on with Zach.

3

McMurdo Station housed about one hundred buildings of every size. Most were the kind of box shape Annja imagined was the prerequisite for design under the harsh Antarctic conditions. Many had smaller doors and few windows, along with a thick cylindrical tube containing power lines and communication gear.

As they drove down the main street, Dave pointed out various things. “There’s aboveground water and sewage systems in place. We’ve got a good electrical system with some redundancy to it in case of outages.”

“You get a lot of those?” Annja asked.

“Depends, like everything else, on the weather.” He pointed at a larger building. “A lot of the research for the station goes on there. Of course, we just came from the direction of Williams Field, and then maybe if there’s time, we can take a run down toward the harbor if you like.”

“Sure, a nice balmy breeze would feel great. Maybe after that we can go for a swim.”

He laughed. “You know, they’ve been trying to organize a polar bear dip around these parts for a while now. Not too many people are keen on the idea, though.”

“Wimps,” Annja said.

“That’s them.” Dave laughed.

Annja continued to look out of the windows at the buildings. Here and there, someone could be seen rushing through the snow and going into a building. But really, Annja thought, the place looked like a ghost town.

“You weren’t kidding about it being quiet down here,” she said.

“You think this is bad, you should visit some of the other stations across the place. Some of them, there are maybe a dozen people. That’s if you’re lucky. There are a few other isolated joints scattered about, as well. Temporary fixtures that we’ve set up for one reason or another. As soon as the research is done, they get dismantled. Places like that might have four people.”

“Lonely life you guys lead down here.”

“Well, we find ways to amuse ourselves.” He slowed the Sno-Cat. “I’m going to drop you off here and wait while you stow your gear inside. When you’re done, I’ll take you down to Gallagher’s.”

“That’s mighty nice of you.”

He shrugged. “I can use a drink anyway.”

“Fair enough.” Annja zipped up her hood and grabbed her duffel bag. As soon as she turned the door handle to leap outside, a blast of wind slammed it back in her face.

Dave laughed. “First one’s always a killer.”

Annja tried again and this time managed to get out of the Sno-Cat without getting the door kicked back at her. The wind howled in her ears and she could feel the pores on her face freezing.

Inside, she thought. Just push through the wind and get inside.

She groped for the door handle and pushed into the building.

A wall of heat greeted her, and she slammed the door shut behind her. “Wow, that’s some wind.”

“You must be a virgin,” a voice said.

Annja removed her hood and goggles and stared at the main room she’d entered. There was a long wall separating the entrance from the rest of the bottom floor, but she could see a wide-screen TV set playing what looked like a fairly recent release from Hollywood. A few people lounged on sofas and chairs. Some of them were eating.

The man who addressed her looked quite young. And his dark skin stood out in contrast to the mostly white environment. Annja grinned. “That obvious, huh?”

“Yep. Everyone says that the first time they come down here. Like they expected this place to be all warm and sunshiny.”

“Well, I knew it was snowy, but I didn’t think it was quite like this.”

He grinned. “I know it. Your name Annja?”

“Yes—”

“Don’t ask me how I knew. You’re the only one coming down this time of year. Folks with good common sense wait until later in the summer. Our summer, that is.”

Annja unzipped her jacket. “I guess I’m staying here?”

“Temporarily. Least that’s what I heard.” He handed her a key. “Your room’s upstairs. Number five. You need me to show you where it is?”

“I think I can handle it.”

“Okay.”

Annja looked at him. “You got a name?”

“Trevor. Trevor Howard.”

“You don’t look like much of a cruise director, Trevor. No offense.”

He smirked. “I’m not. But you’re in my building, so I like to know everyone when they come in for the first time. But don’t think of me as your local tour guide or anything.”

Annja pointed outside. “Already got one of those. What do you do here?”

“Try to stay warm,” Trevor said. “What most of us are doing here. Enjoy the room.” He turned and went back to watching the movie.

Annja grabbed her duffel bag and headed up the stairs to the second floor. She found number five easily enough and immediately heaved her duffel bag on top of the bed. She could always unpack later.

Her room was Spartan, but she hadn’t expected much. A double bed with a drawer underneath it occupied most of the room. She had a desk and chair near one wall and a small television on the table by the door. There was an overhead light and a red lamp on the nightstand.

I feel like I’m back in college, she thought.

She resisted the urge to grab a shower and instead headed back downstairs. She glanced quickly at Trevor’s back, but he made no attempt to talk to her again, so she slipped back outside and into the Sno-Cat.

Dave sat there whistling a tune. “All set?”

“Guess so.”

He slid the Sno-Cat into drive. “What’d you think of the place?”

“Like a college dorm.”

Dave nodded. “Sure is. And sometimes, the Air National Guard guys have a keg-tossing contest down at the bars.”

“Wonderful.”

“You meet Trevor?”

“I guess you could call it that.”

“Yeah, he’s like that with everyone. But honestly, he’s a good guy. You need anything, he’ll be there to help you out. Just don’t take it personally that he comes off as a royal pain in the ass.”

“Okay,” Annja said.

They drove back down the main street and then turned left. Through the snow, Annja could see bright lights. “Neon?”

Dave shrugged. “Like I said, gotta make it look like home.”

He slid the Sno-Cat in next to another vehicle and then killed the engine. “We’d better get inside. In this weather, even the cab freezes after about five minutes.”

Annja clambered down again and Dave waited as she walked around. Then he held the door open for her and she ducked inside.

Annja could hear the steady throb of a bass line drum beat. It sounded like they’d just walked into a nightclub. Dave unzipped and showed Annja where she could hang up her parka. “Drink?” he asked.

She nodded. “Definitely.”

They headed for the bar. Annja could make out about twenty people throughout the club, most of them in smaller groups. Some of them ate dinner and others seemed to be laughing over a round of drinks. A few tipsy folks hammed it up on the small parquet wooden floor.

“It’s imitation,” Dave said. “But it looks the part and that’s all that matters sometimes.”

Dave ordered a beer for himself. “What can I get you?”

“Gin and tonic,” Annja said.

The man behind the bar had a white beard longer than the ones worn by the guys in ZZ Top. “We’re out of limes,” he said.

Annja nodded. “That’s fine.”

He slid her the drink and Dave passed some money across. “First round’s on me.”

Annja held up her glass. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”

He clinked his beer bottle and then drank long and deep.

Annja sipped her drink and found it packed a wallop. She turned back to the bartender. “You put any tonic water in this?”

He grinned. “You just got here, right? I figured you could use the extra kick. That flight rattles a lot of people’s nerves.”

Annja smiled and hoisted her glass. “Much appreciated.”

“My pleasure.”

Dave nodded at an empty booth. “Want to sit down?”

Annja shrugged. “Sure. I’m not sure how the heck I’m supposed to find my friend.”

“Zach’ll find you, I’d expect,” Dave said.

“I guess.”

“No, seriously. I’m sure he will. He asked me to bring you here, so he knows you’re in town.”

“Oh, all right.” Annja frowned into her drink. It was a little weird, the entire situation. Being here in this isolated outpost away from the rest of the world. The people here seemed nice enough, but she wondered what kind of person could work in an environment like this and not go crazy.

Dave leaned back and sighed. “So what is it exactly that you do?”

“Me?” Annja grinned. “Mostly I file reports for a show called Chasing History’s Monsters. But occasionally I end up in remote parts of the world in small bars with guys who buy me drinks.”

“Interesting life,” Dave said.

“It has its moments.”

“Well, I’m sure Zach will be able to shed some light on why you’re here just as soon as he gets here.”

No sooner had he spoken than the bar’s door opened. Annja felt a gust of cold air blow into the bar before the door closed again. She saw a huddled figure stooped over wrestling with his parka zipper before finally freeing himself.

He turned and headed right for their booth.

Zach Guilfoyle hadn’t changed much since the last time Annja had seen him. He wore his sandy-brown hair cropped close to his skull, and his Romanesque nose protruded like a hawk ahead of him. But his toothy smile made her grin even as he approached.

She climbed out of the booth and hugged him. “It’s great to see you.”

He hugged her back. “Glad you made it down intact. I’m sorry for not being able to speak with you first about all of this, but then, some things are better left unsaid until you’re face-to-face.”

“Okay, well, I’m here. So what’s going on?” Annja asked.

He pointed at her drink. “You need a refill?”

“Not yet.”

Dave spoke up. “I could use another.”

Zach eyed him and smiled. “Sure thing. And thanks for picking her up.”

“My pleasure.”

Annja watched Zach walk to the bar. He seemed thinner, as if the weight of all the extreme-weather gear he had to wear had stripped him of some of his flesh and bones. But he seemed cheerful enough, if slightly preoccupied.

She noticed two men at the bar seemed interested in him. And judging from the grim expressions they wore, they weren’t fans.

Zach came back with two bottles of beer and sat down across from Annja. “Well, here’s to you getting down here safe and sound.”

“Cheers.”

They clinked bottles and glasses and drank. Zach wiped his mouth on a napkin and then glanced at the bar.

Annja could feel his apprehension. “You okay?”

“Yeah. It’s nothing.”

Annja looked at the bar. The two men continued to stare at Zach with frowns etched on their faces.

“They don’t look all that nice,” she said.

“They’re not,” Zach replied.

Annja took another sip of her gin and tonic. She felt uneasy. She closed her eyes. Not already, she thought.

But when she opened them, she knew it was coming. Zach’s eyes had widened.

Annja turned.

The grim men were headed over to their booth.

4

Annja felt a twinge of apprehension at their approach. Neither of the men looked drunk and both seemed in excellent physical condition. She blinked and kept her eyes closed long enough to determine that her sword was ready, if need be. It hung in space, glimmering faintly.

But the last thing she wanted was to explain to anyone how she’d suddenly manifested a large two-handed sword.

The larger of the two men stopped about four feet from their booth and pointed a finger at Zach. “You Guilfoyle?”

Zach smiled. “Yes. Can I help you with something?”

Annja watched the man’s eyes. They never shifted. They just stayed fixed on Zach. But she was aware of how relaxed he seemed, as well. And that wasn’t a good sign. It meant these guys were so used to intimidating people, it had become second nature to them.

The second man hung back a bit, looking around to make sure people weren’t taking too much notice of the conversation, one-sided though it was. His eyes roved the rest of the bar, never settling too long on anyone. He looked like he was maybe five feet ten inches and weighed around a hundred and sixty pounds. He was solid and lithe and he had a casual manner about him that told Annja a lot.

The first guy looked Zach up and down. As he studied Zach, Annja sized him up. He stood about six feet and weighed maybe two hundred pounds. It was a little more difficult to tell since he wore a thick turtleneck sweater that bulked him up some.

But the most telling thing about him were the calluses on his hands. Specifically, on the edge of his hands.

Annja pointed at them. “You study karate?”

He barely moved. “Uechi-ryu.”

Annja whistled. “Hard style. How long?”

“I’ve got a black belt.”

Annja shook her head. “Didn’t ask what your rank was. I asked how long you’ve been studying.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

She smiled. “Not really. See, any two-bit jerk can go to a seminar these days and find a sham of a teacher willing to hand them a black belt. But only the people who have been around for years and years are worth a damn.”

He looked at her now, eyeing her carefully. “Fifteen years,” he said.

She nodded. “That would account for the calluses. Lots of makiwara training, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll bet you’ve got one in your house, too, wherever that might be.”

“I train constantly.”

Annja glanced around. “Anything good to hit here in Mac Town? I only just got in, so I’m asking.”

His eyes betrayed the disdain. “You study?”

“Sure do. Not any specific style—I’m too busy to devote a lot of time to any one form—but a lot of varied ones.”

“Like?”

Annja took a breath. “Oh, wow, let’s see. Shotokan, tae kwon do, some judo, boxing, a little Krav Maga, old-style jujitsu, and even some ninjitsu on occasion.”

“Ninjitsu?” He smirked. “You must be joking.”

Annja narrowed her eyes. “Not at all.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve known plenty of supposed ninja guys and they all sucked.”

“What about ninja girls? You ever known any of them?”

He frowned. “No.”

“Well, then, there you go. Everyone knows ninja guys are horrible fighters. It’s the women who are the deadliest of the species. But no one ever talks about it, so we just let them carry on. It’s good for their ego and all.”

“Who exactly are you?” the man asked.

Annja smiled and took a sip of her drink. “I’m the woman who asked you what was good to hit around here.”

The man pointed at Zach. “I’m thinking he might be a good place to start. Looks like he could use a good beating.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like him. I don’t like how he looks and I don’t much like what he stands for.”

Annja laughed. “You’re kidding, right? What’s not to love about Zach? He’s the life of the party. I’ll just bet if you and your friend there had a shindig, old Zach here would bring the house down.”

“He’s not invited.”

“So you’re going to just beat him up, is that it?”

The first guy cracked his knuckles. “Yep.”

Annja shook her head. “No. That’s not what you’re going to do. You’re not going to touch a hair on that guy. Not one single strand.”

He eyed her again. “I don’t like the manner you’re taking with me, little lady.”

“Lady?” Annja shook her head. “And I’m supposed to believe you’re some kind of gentleman, is that it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t really care what you think.”

“Good, because it’s not pretty. Really. Now, why don’t you and your pal go on back to the bar and you can continue giving us the evil eye or whatever it was you were doing over there before you so rudely interrupted our conversation. I just had a long flight and I’m really in no mood for this kind of silliness.”

“You just flew in?” the man asked.

“That’s right,” Annja said. “And, boy, are my arms tired.” She smirked. “Or did you hear that one before?”

“If you just flew in, that means you’re with him, right?”

“He hasn’t proposed yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Zach cracked a smile. “Yeah, she’s with me. What about it?” he asked.

The first guy leaned on their table. “I don’t like either one of you people. So you’d better just watch yourselves. Or there might be trouble.”

Annja cleared her throat. “Well, how come Dave here gets a pass? I mean, after all, he’s sitting with us. Aren’t you mad at him, too?”

“I got no problem with him,” the man said.

Annja sighed. “See, that’s just like the world, isn’t it? I have to be friends with the trouble magnet. And Dave here gets off free.”

Dave shrugged. “Maybe I’m just more lovable.”

Annja looked back at the first man. “Well, thanks for coming by. I know I certainly appreciate it. And I think Zach does, too, in his own peculiar way. It’s always nice to know who the assholes are in any town you travel through.”

He leaned closer to Annja. “You keep your tongue wagging and I just might forget about my previous hard-line stance against beating the crap out of women.”

“Something tells me you might have already broken that position,” Annja said. “You look like just the type of jerk who would beat up a woman for kicks.”

He smirked. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Oh, I know I am,” she said. “And that’s fine. Because there’s nothing I like better than taking an idiot like you to task. It will be my tremendous pleasure to redefine the meaning of the words smack down in your precious little stegosaurian noodle.”

Annja could see his fists clench. The vein in his forehead seemed to jut out a little farther now that she’d riled him up. She glanced around. The music had gone quiet and people were paying close attention.

“Whoopsie, looks like you’ve got yourself that audience you didn’t want. Might be a good time to pack up this snake oil and peddle it elsewhere,” she said fiercely.

The first man glanced around and then nodded to his friend. He looked back at Annja. “We’ll be seeing you again. Real soon.”

“Great. I appreciate the welcoming committee making me feel so comfortable,” she said loudly.

Both men wandered back to the bar, downed their drinks and then stalked off into the cold night. Once the door closed behind them, the music came back up and people returned to their tables and friends. Annja could feel more eyes giving her a once-over.

“So much for keeping a relatively low profile,” she said.

Dave smiled and polished off his second beer. “Anyone for a refill?”

Zach nodded. “I’ll take one.”

“Annja?”

“May as well.”

Dave got up from the booth and headed for the bar. Annja leaned closer to Zach. “Okay, pal, just what in the hell have you got me mixed up in here?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I mean, why the hell are you getting hassled by two professional thugs?”

Zach shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Annja leaned back. “You don’t know. Of all the places in this town, they just happened to wander in here and didn’t like you much. Yeah, that makes sense. Especially when it’s the height of tourist season.”

Zach smiled. “I never could put one over on you, huh?”

“Never could. Never will.”

Zach looked at her, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. “I’m glad you’re here, Annja. Seriously. Not just because you always know how to handle guys like that, but just because I’m genuinely glad to see you. It’s been too long. Too much time has passed between us.”

“I won’t argue that,” Annja said. “But the next time you get all sentimental about seeing me, how about not sending the men-in-black goon squad to my house?”

“Sorry about that. It wasn’t my idea. When you didn’t respond to the letter, the people in charge decided a more aggressive approach was needed.”

“I feel like I’m being worked over for a mob debt here.” She looked up as Dave came back and set a fresh drink in front of her. “Thanks, Dave.”

“You bet.” He slid into the booth. “What’d I miss?”

“Zach here telling me how he likes sending government agents to my home to strong-arm me into coming down to the bottom of the world.”

Dave looked at Zach. “You did that?”

“Not me. Them.”

“Oh,” Dave said knowingly.

Annja sighed. “If I don’t get some answers soon, I’m hopping the next plane out of this ice cube.”

“You’re better off swimming,” Dave said with a slight belch.

“Why?”

He examined his beer bottle. “No more flights are expected here for weeks.”

Annja frowned. “They told me I’d be back within ten days. I’ve got work to do back home, you know.”

“Yeah, well, they lied,” Dave said. “Unless it’s a vital emergency, no one is going anywhere.”

Annja slumped back in her seat. Great, she was trapped down on the coldest continent on Earth, with no clue as to why she was there and no real chance of getting home for quite some time. “This day just keeps getting better.”

Zach looked at her. “Annja, listen, I’m really sorry about this. I didn’t know who else to turn to, though, and you’re the best person I know for this kind of job.”

“Now it’s a job?” Annja frowned. “I’ve already got a job.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen the show. I think it’s a waste of your talents.”

Annja smirked. “Yeah, well, thanks.”

Dave took a long drag on his beer. “It’s not so bad once you get used to the place. There’s bowling. You like to bowl?”

“Not particularly,” Annja said. “But I guess I could be persuaded, you know, if it’s between that and say, freezing to death.”

“Darts league, too,” Dave said. “We compete against the other stations. But we have to call in the results by radio. I think the other teams cheat.”

Annja smiled. “All right, whatever. I guess I can make the most out of this. After all, isn’t this the last great unexplored region on Earth?”

“Land-wise, yeah,” Dave said.

“So what gives, Zach?” Annja said.

He smiled. “I’ve found something amazing.”

“That’s not exactly illuminating. I want details and I want information. And I don’t want to think that you’re holding anything back.”

Zach shifted in his seat. “There’s kind of a lot to tell.”

“Great. Well, I’ve apparently got a lot of time to spare. So if there’s any way to rustle up some food in this joint, then let’s do it and then sit back and hear you tell me what was so damned important I had to get kidnapped from my nice Brooklyn loft, herded around the world and dropped into the freezer here.”

Dave slid a menu in front of her. “The wings are good.”

Annja glanced at him, cracked a smile and then looked at Zach. “Spill it, pal. And don’t stop until you’ve told me everything.”