Книга - Polar Quest

Polar Quest
Alex Archer


When archaeologist Annja Creed reluctantly agrees to help an old colleague on a dig in Antarctica, she wonders what he's gotten her into. It turns out that her former associate has found a necklace made of an unknown metal depicting three snakes. He claims it's over forty thousand years old–and that it may not have earthly origins.As the pair conduct their research, Annja soon realizes she has more to worry about than being caught in snowslides. Because everyone is hiding something–from her friend, to the U.S. military personnel guarding the site. With no one to trust and someone out to kill her, Annja has nowhere to turn. And everything to lose.









“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 (http://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.”




5


Zach took a long pull on his beer bottle and then slapped it back down on the table. “As I said, I’ve found something.”

Annja sipped her drink. No one was paying attention to them anymore, which made her feel at least somewhat protected from prying eyes. “All right. What did you find?”

Zach put his hands to his neck and reached inside his turtleneck. With a great deal of maneuvering, he managed to slide a necklace over his head. He rested it on the tabletop in front of Annja. “This,” he said simply.

Annja looked at it. It was a simple design of three snakes lying parallel to each other, the curves in their backs suggesting motion. She could see the elaborate work done to denote scales, eyes and parts of forked tongues. She reached for it, but looked at Zach first. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Annja hefted the piece and found it surprisingly heavy. “I thought it looked like a piece of aluminum almost, but it’s far too heavy.”

Zach nodded. “Exactly. And you see how thin it is?”

Annja turned it over. It had the thickness of a soda can. “Incredible. Is it lead or pewter or something?”

“No. We ran it through a battery of tests. We can’t figure out what it is. The metal doesn’t register.”

Annja eyed him. “You’re telling me this has no basis in science?”

“Yes.”

She turned it over in her hands. The metal seemed to catch any available light and change colors as she moved it in her hands. The illusion made her think that the scales on the snakes could actually ripple. “This is incredible,” she whispered.

“I thought you’d say that.”

Dave looked over her shoulder as she studied it. Annja passed it to him. He was as shocked as she had been at its weight. “Wow.”

Annja looked at Zach. “How old is it?”

“That’s the other curious thing.”

Annja leaned forward. “Well?”

“According to the carbon dating we did, it’s over forty thousand years old.”

No one spoke for a moment. Annja was acutely aware of the silence hanging between them all. She heard the clinks of glasses and the low murmurs of conversation at other tables. Even the music that had resumed playing seemed hushed now.

“Forty thousand?”

Zach held up his hand. “I know. It seems crazy.”

“It seems impossible. There’s no way humans could have made this forty thousand years ago. I mean, I’m not a metallurgist, but this is pretty complicated stuff. It would take some seriously skilled people to pull this off given what conditions were like on Earth back then,” Annja said.

Zach didn’t say anything but kept staring at her as if he wanted her to take the next leap on her own. Annja took another sip of her gin and tonic and felt the liquor slide down her throat.

After a moment she set the glass back down. “You’re not, no, there’s absolutely no way…”

Zach’s eyebrows waggled. “Why not?”

Dave handed the necklace back. “Why not what?”

Annja sighed. “Extraterrestrial? You can’t be serious.”

“It’s possible, though, you have to admit,” Zach said, sounding excited.

Annja shook her head. “I’m not admitting anything. You’ve got something curious here, sure, but to think little green men from Mars planted this here is a bit far-fetched, don’t you think?”

Zach frowned. “If you’ve got any better theories, I’d be more than willing to entertain them.”

“I don’t have any theories. I just got off a plane. I can use some good sleep. Maybe a few pleasant dreams. And in the morning, maybe we’ll be able to look at this in a more logical light.”

Dave pointed at the necklace as Zach slid it back on. “Where in the world did you ever find that?”

“I’m on a dig at the base of Horlick Mountain.”

Dave whistled. “You’re out on that one, huh? I heard some whispers that some sort of secret dig site was going on somewhere in the Transantarctic Range, but no one had any idea where it was.”

Zach nodded. “Well, do me a favor and don’t tell anyone now that you know. We don’t need the publicity.”

They took a moment to get their order of wings from the bar. Annja tore into one of them and her mouth watered as the hot sauce hit. She wiped her mouth on a napkin and then glanced around. “Why no publicity? Have there been problems?”

Zach shrugged. “Sort of. Down here, you’ll find a lot of different camps on the whole idea of how Antarctica should be used. The scientists want to study it because it’s a fascinating look back at our own history. We can learn a whole lot from this place. Antarctica used to be warm and lush, connected to Africa, India and Australia through the Gondwana supercontinent. When the continents broke apart, the land started to cool, which is why we don’t have fossil records dating later than twenty-five million years ago.”

“Too cold,” Annja said.

“Exactly. Earlier than that, we’ve got reptiles, plants, all sorts of connections to those continents I just mentioned.”

Dave frowned. “Which is why I’d guess your discovery of this necklace has made such an impact on you, huh? It’s from a time when there was supposed to be nothing much here.”

“Right. Meanwhile, the business folks come down here and see the natural resources this place has—all the coal, copper, chromium—and start seeing dollar signs. If it was up to them, they’d rape this place and leave it for dead.”

Annja sighed. “Wonderful.”

“And then you’ve got the various political machinations at work. No one is supposed to lay claim to any part of this great land, but they do so subtly anyway. Specifically, the U.S. and Russia. They’ve reserved the right to stake claims here. It’s ludicrous.”

“What else?” Annja asked.

Zach sighed. “Then you’ve got the people who have forgotten there’s another world outside this place. They’ve been here far too long. They get snow crazy. Think of themselves as protectors of this frozen paradise. They can be real nuts.”

“Did we just meet a few of them?” she asked.

Zach grinned. “I think they work for another faction.”

“Oh, great.”

“In the meantime,” Dave said, “you’d obviously like to figure out where your necklace came from.”

“You got it, pal. We’ve got a mystery here.”

Annja smiled. “So you called me.”

“I don’t know very many other archaeologists who can drop what they’re doing and fly down here at the last minute.”

“Well, technically, I’m not one of them, either, but your friends in the black suits had a very persuasive way about them.”

“Which brings me to the other part of this whole thing,” Zach said.

“That being?”

Zach leaned closer to her. “The government wants this investigated and kept strictly hush-hush.”

“Why?” Annja asked.

Dave smirked. “Every other country on the planet has basically come out and confirmed that they’ve been buzzed by flying saucers, and our government still tries to con the public with stories about weather balloons.”

Annja frowned. “Well, in some ways, you can’t blame them.”

“Why not?” Zach asked.

“Look at the timing of when we started hearing reports about extraterrestrials—right around the end of World War II. Right after we exploded the first nuclear weapons.”

“You’re saying there’s a connection?”

“I don’t know,” Annja said. “But we’d just finished demolishing Japan and ended the war. Then the Soviet Union entered the Cold War arms race with us, each nation trying to protect itself. And all of a sudden, oh, by the way, there are aliens, too?”

Zach smiled. “I’ve always loved the way you’re able to break everything down to the simplest terms possible.”

“Well, look at it from their perspective. Acknowledging the existence of space invaders would have sent the general public into absolute hysteria. As if it wasn’t bad enough we had to deal with the Soviets, we’ve got flying saucers prowling the skies? And we didn’t have anything technology-wise that could compete with them. The government had to make sure that the public felt we could protect ourselves,” Annja said.

Zach finished the last drops of his beer. “I suppose that makes sense, but I still don’t like the way they’ve continuously lied to us all these years.”

“Agreed, but you can at least appreciate their need to do so,” Annja said.

“I can appreciate it during the 1950s. I can’t understand it now when the Cold War is a thing of the past,” Zach said.

“Old habits die hard,” Dave said. “And some of those guys in the power circles of Washington look older than dinosaurs. Maybe we’ve been infiltrated.”

Annja laughed. “Next time say it without that smile and you might be more convincing.”

Zach patted his chest. “So with all that said, we’ve got ourselves a real interesting conundrum here.”

Annja leaned back. “So you found the necklace and told the government about it?”

“Not quite. I was on a small team at the dig site, and one of the people on the team was a government plant.”

“A plant? Why would they have a plant on a dig site in Antarctica? Last I heard, there were no weapons of mass destruction here,” Annja said.

Zach grinned. “Yeah, well, that was my fault for trusting people I thought were scientists when in fact they were scummy agents with the intelligence community. No sooner had I unearthed the necklace than I had a visit from some people who called themselves concerned representatives.”

“These the same folks who drafted me?” she asked.

“Probably.”

Annja glanced at Dave. “Lovely folks. Truly. Real warm-hearted souls.”

Dave smirked. “I’ll bet.”

“So they told you what?” Annja asked.

“That I had to figure it out. That I had to go back on the dig and see if I could unearth anything else. They sent me down some gear for the job and told me I could have a crew of whoever I wanted.”

“Guess that’s where I come in.”

“Yeah.” Zach sighed. “In the meantime, the dig site has been declared an environmental emergency.”

“What?”

“It’s how they’re containing it. They’ve claimed we spilled some sort of chemical compound there that they’re cleaning up. No one buys it, of course, but it gives the U.S. the right to put security people in place so they can control access.”

“Good grief, this is starting to sound like something out of a science fiction movie.” Annja craned her neck, trying to relieve some of the tension she felt starting to creep in.

“It’s getting out of hand,” Zach said. “I figured the least I could do was bring in some people I actually trust, so I don’t have to work exclusively with professional liars.”

Annja nudged Dave. “I take it you’re on the team?”

“Yep. Just the rocks, ma’am.”

Zach looked at Annja. “So what do you say? Are you in?”

“Could I ever get out?” Annja smiled. “I’m basically stranded here now, anyway. I guess my choices are pretty limited. Besides, I’m more than a little intrigued by what you’ve told me so far. I’d like to check it out.”

Zach clapped his hands. “Awesome. Thanks, Annja. I really owe you for this.”

“Oh, I’ll collect. And I’m sure you’ll regret it later, but what the hell. When do we leave for the dig site?”

“Tomorrow morning. First thing,” Zach said.

“Dawn?”

Zach shrugged. “You can call it dawn, but it won’t be very light out when we leave. We’re entering the dark times around these parts. Sunlight won’t be a frequent visitor for a number of months.”

“Okay, so I’ll see you at what time?”

Zach checked his watch. “We leave at four o’clock.”

“Ouch.” Annja finished her drink and stood up. “That barely leaves enough time for a decent sleep.” She smirked. “But that’s cool. I’m going back to my luxurious digs now and taking a nice hot shower.”

“You mean a lukewarm bath,” Dave said. “Uses less hot water, which, as you might have guessed, is a bit of a premium in these parts.”

“Bath, then.” Annja smiled. “I’ll see you gents in the morning.”

“Wait,” Dave said. “Don’t you want a lift?”

Annja shrugged. “Back that way two blocks and up one on Main Street, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s probably twenty below out there,” he said.

“I can use the fresh air,” Annja said. “But thanks anyway.”

“Annja, your skin can freeze inside of two minutes if it’s exposed to the frigid air,” Zach said.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to make sure I don’t expose myself on the way back to my room. Good night.” She walked back to the front door of the bar, slid into her parka and zipped up. In another moment, she eased out into the dark cold.




6


Dave was right. It was absolutely frigid outside, and the cold slammed into Annja like a five-ton truck zooming along at eighty miles per hour. She took a breath and felt her throat freeze. Her sinuses instantly shriveled, and she tucked herself down into the wind and started walking back up the road.

The gale-force winds howled around her, screeching through the nooks and crannies of the buildings that clustered in this part of McMurdo. The fallen snow was deep, as well, making her footing unstable. Twice she slipped and had to right herself before continuing. Every once in a while, she would look up to make sure she was still headed in the direction she needed to travel.

But it was slow going.

Maybe I should have opted for that ride, she thought.

But the truth was, she needed some time to think as she walked. Zach’s proposition that the necklace was alien in origin didn’t sit well with her. Sure, she’d seen plenty of things that regularly defied logical explanation. Her own situation as the inheritor of Joan of Arc’s mystical sword was just one of the many instances that had caused her to reevaluate her philosophies.

But extraterrestrials?

Annja couldn’t believe that. She knew a little about Antarctica’s history and how it had once been linked to other continents. She also knew that its mountain ranges were something of a peculiarity, with scientists believing that neither earthquakes nor tectonic smashes had formed them.

And the continent had plenty of volcanoes—eleven of them at last count. Some were active and continued to shed lava into the sea. The whole region was a fascinating trip into the primeval past.

But aliens?

The necklace was peculiar; there was no doubt of that. The weight of such thin material had caused Annja to wonder if it might have even been radioactive. But she dismissed that immediately, knowing the government would have already run tests on it. And there’d be no way Zach would wear it unless it was safe.

She frowned. Why was Zach wearing it? Didn’t he trust the people around here enough to leave it in a safe or something? Or had the government people ordered him to have it with him at all times?

But that was dangerous, too. Zach was a good guy and Annja knew he could hold his own in a fight if need be, but the two hitters she’d met earlier would have been able to take him without breaking a sweat.

She reached the top of the street and turned left. Main Street stood before her. Some of the buildings had lights on them that helped illuminate Annja’s path. She felt a bit foolish trudging through the frozen town, but then again, she did enjoy being independent.

She kept walking, knowing that her building lay up the street a few hundred feet. Once she got there, she could take that bath and then settle in for a nice sleep.

Sleeping on the flight down had been difficult at best. The interior of the LC-130 was Spartan, barely recognizable as a place where passengers sat. It also had no lavatory on board, just a drum filled with chemicals at the back of the plane. Annja had used it a few times and each time, the stench got grimmer and grimmer.

The noise had been oppressive, as well. Jet engines were noisy, but the turboprops were even louder. By the time she got to New Zealand, Annja had needed some serious migraine medicine.

Her boots got stuck in a bit of snow and she paused, yanking at the drift until she felt it give.

Annja glanced around. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she could hear an engine starting up. Maybe Dave was coming to look for her to see that she’d gotten home safe and sound.

Or maybe someone else was still up. After all, it couldn’t be much later than nine o’clock at night. Still, she didn’t know what passed for daily schedules around these parts.

She could see her building ahead. Annja huddled in against a harsh blast of wind and started to cross the street.

As she hustled, a Sno-Cat turned the corner and crawled toward her. Annja paused, trying to see into the cab beyond the bright headlights. She could see one person inside but only in shadow.

She waved.

The Sno-Cat kept coming at her.

Annja frowned. Maybe they didn’t see her. She turned and kept moving across the street.

Someone flew into her, tackling her from the side. Annja felt the wind rush out of her lungs and she and her attacker shot into the hard-packed snow together with a crash.

She could hear him huffing as he kept driving his elbow right into her midsection, slamming it repeatedly into her.

Annja grunted and tried to roll.

She heard a crack and felt her ribs explode in pain. “Dammit!”

The immense weight on top of her shifted and then vanished. Annja lay on her back in the middle of the street. Her breath came in spurts, and the needles of agony lancing through her came with every breath.

The headlights of the Sno-Cat continued to bear down on her.

So that was the plan—tackle her and try to immobilize her while the slow-moving snow vehicle stalked her. If she couldn’t move, she’d get run over.

She stared at the headlights. The Sno-Cat was only forty feet from her now. She tried to get up, but the weight of her clothing made movement tough, combined with the incredible pain shooting through her. She felt as if she were a beetle trapped on its back.

She had to move!

Her fingers fumbled for her zipper and found it. She tore it down and then took a deep breath. Clenching her teeth, she squirmed out of the jacket. Finally free of it, she rolled and screamed as the pain almost became too much.

Then she was up and across the street as the Sno-Cat crawled past, crushing her parka in the snow.

A few more seconds and that would have been me, Annja thought.

She staggered toward her building, aware now that she was terribly exposed to the harsh cold. She reached the door and fell inside, collapsing on the floor.

“Annja?”

She looked up and saw Trevor’s face. “Someone tried to kill me,” she gasped.

His face hardened. “What? Here? When?”

“Just now. Outside.” Annja took a breath. “My ribs. Someone tackled me. I think they’re broken.”

She felt Trevor’s hands under her armpits. “Okay, okay, let’s get you upstairs where you can lie down. I’ll send for a medical team. They can check you out and make sure you’re okay.”

He lifted her and Annja cried out. The pain felt like a hot poker being pushed into her lungs.

“Easy,” Trevor said. “I’ve got you. Just rest all your weight on me. I think I can handle it.”

They took the stairs slowly and made their way to Annja’s room. Trevor sat her on her bed and then removed her boots, got a wool blanket and covered her.

“Don’t want you going into shock. I need to elevate your feet, too,” he said.

Annja took a breath and nodded when she was ready. Trevor was mercifully quick, getting her settled and sliding another folded blanket under her heels.

Annja closed her eyes. She could hear Trevor using the telephone. “I need a medic over at Building 5. Possible broken ribs. Okay. Thanks.”

He hung up and then leaned in close to her. “Who did this to you?”

Annja shook her head. “I don’t know. I was walking—”

“Walking? What the hell were you out walking for? You know how cold it is out there?”

Annja smiled. “Needed some fresh air.”

“That’s not fresh air, Annja. That’s death air. That stuff’ll kill you dead before you know what hit you. Don’t mess around down here. You can get disoriented way too easily. And you might not even be found before it’s too late.”

Annja opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Someone tackled me.”

“You said.”

“They wanted me dead. They got me on my back and then they were going to run me over with the Sno-Cat.”

Trevor frowned. “Who the hell would do that?”

Annja had a few thoughts. The two thugs in the bar earlier hadn’t seemed very warm. But who were they? Annja didn’t even know their names. “I don’t know. There were some threatening guys at the bar.”

“Which bar?”

“Gallagher’s.”

Trevor shook his head. “Most of the bad characters hang out in the smokers’ bar. Gallagher’s is usually okay. We don’t normally have any trouble. Especially this time of year.”

Annja looked at him. “You have police down here?”

Trevor frowned. “Didn’t you get the in-briefing?”

“The what?”

“You were supposed to be met by the special deputy U.S. marshal. He greets everyone who comes in here, especially Americans. He gives the in-briefing about the fact that if you commit a serious crime down here, you can be extradited back to the U.S. for prosecution. It’s boring and stuff, but we all have to go through it. Some kind of legal thing.”

“Never saw him,” Annja said.

“Huh.” Trevor got off her bed and walked toward the door. “I’ll go see where the medics are. And then, maybe you’d better have that talk with the marshal. His name’s Dunning.”

Annja closed her eyes. “Okay.”

Trevor closed the door behind him and Annja sighed. How many times was she going to fly into some place new and within hours get someone pissed off at her? She really had to work on how she interacted with the percentage of permanent losers that seemed to inhabit the planet.

She laughed. “Yeah, right.”

Her voice seemed quiet in the thickly insulated bedroom. She couldn’t even hear the wind howling outside. She pulled the blanket up under her chin and felt the first waves of drowsiness starting to wash over her.

At least she’d made it back alive.

Someone knocked on her door. “Come in.”

Trevor entered first, followed by a man and woman wearing red parkas that they quickly stripped off. They both carried big bags of gear.

The woman took the lead. “Annja? I’m Martha, the head medic on duty right now. You want to tell me what happened?”

“Tackled and driven to the ground. I felt an elbow go into my ribs, heard a crack. I think it might be broken.”

“What makes you so sure of that?” Martha asked.

Annja smiled. “It’s not the first time it’s happened to me.”

“Do you get into a lot of fights?” the medic asked.

“Trouble seems to have fun hanging out with me. But it’s not something I go in search of, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

Martha grinned. “Ah.” She felt for Annja’s pulse and checked her pupils. “Well, you seem in okay shape. You mind if I take a look?”

“It’s going to hurt like hell, isn’t it?” Annja asked.

“Probably.”

Annja grinned. “At least you’re honest.” She tried to maneuver on the bed and Martha helped her. Annja lifted her shirt and Martha ran her hand over Annja’s rib cage.

Annja felt her gently prod the area and then her fingers went a little farther and Annja grunted loudly. “Yow.”

Martha nodded. “Yeah, well, that’s the area. There’s some nice bruising, but it’s not as bad as you think. I don’t think the break went all the way through. Someone heavier, yeah, then maybe. But whoever did this was lighter than necessary to get the break clean.”

Annja nodded. “So now what?”

“You know the drill. Taped up and some painkillers. A few weeks from now, you should be good to go. Sleeping will be a pain in the ass for some time, though.”

“Great,” Annja muttered.

Martha and her teammate wrapped the thick, stiff tape around Annja’s midsection until it felt as if she were wearing a girdle. Annja took some breaths and everything seemed as well as could be expected.

Martha handed her a small bottle. “These are powerful. Don’t overdo it with them, okay? Just one when you need it, no more.”

“Got it.”

She stood and packed her gear. “I’d say welcome to McMurdo, but it seems someone has already done so. So I’ll just wish you a better stay than what you’ve had thus far.”

“Thanks.”

The medics left and Trevor stood there smiling at Annja. “You okay?”

Annja dry-swallowed one of the pills. “As soon as this bad boy hits, I should be fine.”

Trevor nodded. “Yeah, well, try to stay awake a little while longer.”

“Why?”

“I called the marshal. Dunning. He’s here now. And he wants to see you.”




7


When Dunning walked into the room, Annja could tell right away he was a cop. He had the hard-edged look to him, and his eyes betrayed the cumulative experience that all cops acquire after years on the job. The crap he’d seen, the faces and the pictures of tragedies, they clung to him and he carried them everywhere. Combined with the bristling short hair that was gray at the temples and the strong jawline just starting to soften, Annja knew he was a career law-enforcement type.

He held out his hand and Annja shook it. It was hard as stone. “Thanks for coming,” she said.

“You missed my engrossing briefing.”

Annja tried to shrug but was rewarded with a stab of pain. “No one told me there was any such thing.”

“I had slides and everything planned. Got my new laser pointer just for the occasion.”

Annja smiled. “Sorry about that. Someone grabbed me at the plane before I could figure out my bearings.”

Dunning frowned under the bushy mustache he wore. “Yeah, I’m working on making it mandatory, but this area presents its own unique problems in that regard.”

“Like what?”

“Well, there are over a dozen nations down here doing this and that, and not one of them wants to have anything to do with a little law and order. Antarctica, they say, represents the last real frontier in terms of land on Earth. And, of course, they don’t much like the idea of Americans telling them what to do.”

“That’s understandable,” Annja said.

Dunning smiled. “I agree. But even on a frontier like this, where everyone is ostensibly your next-best friend, people get into spats. And if that happens, there’s got to be someone around who can protect the population.”

“And that would be you.”

“At least for this year, yeah. We rotate down for a year-long stint. I’ve got a partner with me, so we can back each other up. Plus, if things get really hairy we can always call the New Zealanders in from Christchurch. Their department is top-notch, and we have a good working relationship with them.”

“You ever have to call them in?”

“Not for anything too horrible. Most of the people down here are reasonably stable folks. The snow gets to you, but if anyone starts showing signs of becoming a problem, they get rotated out pretty darned quick.”

Annja winced as another stab of pain sliced through her breathing. The pain medication wasn’t yet working. “I think there are two guys down here who might be good candidates for being shipped home.”

“Yeah? Tell me about it?” Dunning said.

Annja filled him in on what had happened at Gallagher’s. Dunning listened and stroked his mustache thoughtfully as she supplied the details. “And you didn’t get their names, huh?”

Annja shook her head. “I doubt they would have obliged me, anyway. They seemed fixated on my friend Zach.”

“Why so? What do you think made him so interesting to them?”

“I don’t know,” Annja said. Zach had asked her to keep the necklace confidential and she wanted to respect that.

Dunning looked into her eyes. “You sure about that?”

“Of course. Why would I lie about that?”

“I have no idea. I just find it tough to fathom why two guys would walk over and look to start trouble with your friend. Unless there was some underlying reason for their interest.”

“None I can think of, that’s for sure.”

Dunning patted her bed. “All right. Well, I’ll head down to Gallagher’s and see if anyone there can give me some more information. Unfortunately, you know how this is going to play out.”

“How?”

“Your word against theirs. That’s if we even find them. It’s not like our streets are crowded around here at this time of year especially. If you guys were tussling out there, no one saw it. People get into bed early during the winter. And without another witness, I can’t really do all that much except warn them to be on better behavior, that I’ll be keeping an eye on them, that sort of thing.”

Annja nodded. “Well, maybe that will be enough.”

“Yeah. Maybe it will.” Dunning stood. “Well, try to get some sleep. At least you’re safe now.”

“Until tomorrow,” Annja said.

“What’s tomorrow?”

“I’m going off-site.”

Dunning frowned. “Whereabouts?”

Annja thought hard. “I’ve been asked to take a look at the environmental situation out at Horlick Mountain.”

“Ugh, I don’t envy you. It’s a long trek to get there and from what I’ve heard, the place is a real mess.”

“Wonderful.”

“Well, best of luck to you, then. Mind those ribs and if you can think of anything else you haven’t mentioned yet, give me a call.”

Annja watched him shut the door and then she slumped back on her pillow. She felt drowsy and exhausted from everything that had happened so far.

She glanced at her clock. Ten o’clock. She’d need to be up by three to get herself squared away and then meet Zach and Dave for a four-o’clock departure time. That left five hours to get some rest.

Not much time. But she’d survived on less.

Trevor poked his head in again. “You need anything else for the night, Annja? Or are you all set?”

Annja smiled. “Just need some rest now, Trevor. But thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

“And thanks for all your help just now. I really appreciate it.”

He nodded. “I’m going to fix the lock on your door so it locks as I shut it. That way you don’t have to get out of bed, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Rest well.”

Annja closed her eyes and listened as the door clicked shut. Trevor tested the doorknob outside and couldn’t open the door. Annja turned and set the alarm, then reached for the light switch closest to her bed and managed to find it without putting herself into too much pain.

She slumped back on the bed.

She lay there in the dark thinking. What would make two guys want to kill her so soon after meeting her? Annja smirked. Yes, she thought, my personality can be abrasive when I want it to be. But was that all there was? Or was there another reason why she’d been marked for death so quickly? Why would someone want her out of the way this fast? She’d only just arrived in town and someone was measuring her for a coffin.

It didn’t make sense.

Unless Zach’s necklace was more of a threat than they thought.

But to whom? And why?

I need to rest, Annja told herself. And I need my ribs to heal fast or else I won’t be much good on the site.

She took a deep breath and sank into herself. In her mind’s eye, Annja could see the sword hovering in space, waiting to be used. Annja reached for it and touched the handle. A jolt of energy seemed to surge through her body as it always did when she prepared to unsheathe the blade.

The dull glow extended from the sword blade up her hands and wrists now. Annja watched it spread farther. Can I will this to cover my body? she wondered. On cue, the glow spread farther up her arms until she could feel the prickliness of its energy encompassing her entire upper torso. Annja willed it farther down toward her cracked rib. The energy seemed to vibrate and then pulse.

Annja continued to breathe deeply, feeling the sword’s energy flow through her entire body now like the pulsing effect she’d heard mentioned in relation to ki energy in Japan.

The sword glowed brighter and the energy seemed to increase.

Annja could feel a more powerful flow rushing through her body. She started to sweat and then shiver as alternating currents flowed through her.

And then the glow of the sword started to diminish.

She opened her eyes in the darkness of her room. Her side didn’t ache nearly as much as it had only moments before. Perhaps her pain medicine was finally kicking in.

Or perhaps the sword had helped heal her.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been aided by the mystical blade. Or by the strange plane of existence where it resided.

Thank God I have that, Annja thought. Otherwise, there was no telling how much of a liability she’d be to Zach and Dave on the mountain.

She yawned and took a deep breath.

It was time to sleep.

And time was already ticking toward her three-o’clock wake-up call. The last thing she wanted was to be sleepy tomorrow when they set out.

She had a lot of questions for Zach.

And she intended to get some answers.



“JUST A CRACKED RIB.”

“That’s what I heard.”

“For all that trouble and you only managed to bust her rib up? What’s the point of doing something if you can’t even manage to carry it out all the way through?”

“We tried.”

“You didn’t try hard enough. And now you’ve got the marshal’s attention, haven’t you?”

The man from the bar listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, well, he’ll get a bunch of descriptions. We could be any two guys down here.”

“In the summer, that would be fine. But how many people are in town right now?”

“Maybe two hundred.”

“Exactly my point, you idiot. Two hundred lowers the odds substantially, doesn’t it? All the marshal needs is one good description and at the very least, he’ll want to talk to you.”

“He can’t hold us on any charge, though. No one saw us try to take her out. No witnesses.”

He heard a sigh on the telephone. “That doesn’t matter. You’ve drawn attention to yourselves. And the marshal will be keeping an eye out now for potential troublemakers.”

“We can take her right now. Go to her place and break in. I know where she’s staying.”

“The idea, you louse, was to make it look like an accident, albeit a bizarre one. Now you want to go charging in and just kill her? That’s not exactly the most intelligent thing to do, now, is it?”

“I guess not.”

He heard another sigh. “You guess not. How wonderful.”

“So what do you want us to do, then?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? But I thought—”

“No,” said the voice in his ear. “You didn’t think. You didn’t think at all. And that’s why this simple little matter has suddenly become infinitely more complicated than it ever had to be. You and your partner there will do nothing more against her. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tomorrow, when she and the two others leave, you will follow them. Covertly, mind you. I don’t want them knowing you’re tracking them.”

“Then what?”

“Follow them out to the dig site. Make sure they get there intact and that nothing happens to them.”

The man frowned. “You want us to make sure they’re okay?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Obviously. You get them out there intact. Once they’re on the site, their attention will be focused elsewhere.”

“Okay.”

“At which point,” the voice on the phone said, “I will be able to ensure none of them ever returns to McMurdo Station.”




8


When Annja’s alarm clock erupted at three o’clock, she moaned and wanted nothing more than to slam the snooze bar down and sleep for another year. Her dreams had been mostly scattered images of her past adventures and how many injuries she’d sustained throughout them. It felt as if she’d been reliving the greatest hits of her past rather than enjoying the deep levels of sleep that would heal her.

Despite the reckless smorgasbord of dreams, Annja woke with her rib feeling much better than it had when she’d gone to sleep. She probed around the injury and decided that it must not have been as bad as she’d feared.

“That’s something, anyway,” she said to herself as she gingerly got out of bed. Her feet touched the warm carpet and she padded into the bathroom.

Once there, she carefully stripped off the tape around her midsection. The deep purple that had colored the bruised area last night was now a light yellow. Annja frowned. Was it really possible that the sword had healed her?

She started the water for her bath and watched the clouds of steam fill up the bathroom. Annja added some soap and waited as the bubbles blossomed in the water, rapidly filling the entire tub.

She took a deep breath and finished stripping off the rest of her clothes. She felt as if she had thousands of miles of road grunge on her. She hadn’t bathed in over a day and was certain that she must have a peculiar array of scents wafting about even now.

The bathroom was filled with steam when she finally turned off the spigot. She looked at the bubbly surface and then eased herself into the bath. The water greeted her like a warm blanket and she slid all the way into the tub, letting the water cover her.

The scent of the lavender soap filled the air as the bubbles began popping from her movements in the water. She lathered up and felt as if she were molting a layer of grimy skin.

When she was done she stepped from the tub and wrapped a towel around her head and a plush robe around herself. At the mirror, she wiped off the condensation and then checked herself over. She looked fatigued, but she was rapidly waking up. She ran a brush through her moist hair and noticed there was a hair dryer plugged into a wall-mounted unit.

Annja laughed. Probably not the smartest thing to do, go running outside with wet hair. She took the hair dryer and used it until she was satisfied that her hair was completely dry.

She put on some moisturizer that contained a bit of sunblock. She knew the harsh environment would be hard on her skin.

Back in her bedroom, Annja let the robe slide to the floor and stepped into a pair of thermal underwear. Not exactly glamorous, she thought, checking herself out in the mirror. Over the thermals, she added a turtleneck shirt and then a flannel shirt on top of that before pulling on her flannel-lined jeans. She slid two pairs of thick woolen socks over her feet and then stood again.

She felt a lot thicker now.

And hungry.

The wings she’d eaten last night hadn’t done much to relieve her hunger. She poked her head out of the bedroom and wondered if the rooming house had a galley kitchen where she could find some food.

Annja wandered downstairs. A couple of people slept on couches. Beyond the sitting room, she could just make out the kitchen. The lights were on and someone moved around inside it.

Trevor.

“You’re up early,” she said.

He grinned. “Good morning to you, too. How you feeling today?”

“Actually, not all that bad.”

Trevor looked shocked. “Really? A busted rib would set a lot of people on their heels for a few weeks. But you’re okay, huh?”

“It’s only cracked and I guess it wasn’t as bad as we thought.”

“That so?”

Annja shrugged.

He gestured at the stove. “You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“There’s oatmeal. I just made a batch. It’s as fresh as we get it down here. Coffee’s in the pot. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” Annja got herself a bowl and a mug and scooped some oatmeal into the bowl. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, Trevor came back and handed her a bottle of maple syrup.

“Not sure if you like it—”

“I do.”

He nodded. “Here you go, then.”

Annja poured some on her oatmeal and then followed Trevor out to a small laminate table. She sat and started right in on the oatmeal.

Trevor watched her for a few minutes without saying anything. Finally, he cleared his throat. “You’re up awfully early.”

Annja nodded. “I’m headed out this morning.”

“When?”

Annja checked her watch. “In about a half hour.”

“This early? Where’s the fire?”

Annja smiled. “Horlick Mountain.”

Trevor whistled. “Wow, that’s some haul. Gonna be a long day for you, Annja. I hope your ribs are up to it. Those Sno-Cats aren’t the most luxurious way to travel, if you get my meaning.”

“It’s far?”

“About five hundred kilometers. In good weather. With those Sno-Cats, you guys are going to be looking at a full day, maybe a day and a half of travel. Be better if you just flew.”

“Why aren’t we?”

Trevor smiled. “Weather. It rules the roost around here. This time of year, it’s not safe for a routine flight. We only put planes up if there’s no other alternative.”

“I see.” She sipped her coffee and moaned. “Wow, that’s good stuff.”

Trevor nodded. “I import some nice blends down here. It’s my guilty pleasure, I guess.”

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“Nine months.”

Annja ate another spoonful of her oatmeal. “Quite a haul.”

“Money’s good. You come down here and you can earn more in a year than you do in five back in the real world. It’s a hefty cost, though, being alone and cut off from the rest of the world. Especially this time of year. The darkness can get to you. But there are benefits, too.”

“Such as?”

Trevor swallowed some coffee. “The landscape is utterly amazing. In a lot of ways, it’s like being on another planet. When you’re out there and away from any signs of civilization, you can almost imagine what it’s like to be out in space.”

Annja nodded. “You miss home?”

“All the time.”

“What about your family?”

Trevor shook his head. “Grew up in orphanages. And I don’t have any emotional attachments. I guess that’s why I’m something of a poster boy for Antarctic employees. No strings back home aside from a few friends who think I’m nuts for coming down here.”

“But you do it anyway,” Annja said.

Trevor nodded. “Maybe the real world just isn’t my cup of tea. I think I like it down here better than I ever would back there.”

Annja finished her oatmeal. Trevor stood. “You want some more?”

Annja held up her hand. “I don’t think I have time. Still have to brush my teeth and then climb into my gear. Oh—”

Trevor smiled. “I got your parka from Dunning. I’ll see you off when you come back down, if you don’t mind.”

Annja nodded. “Sure. Thanks.”

She went back upstairs and used the toilet and then brushed her teeth. Trevor seemed like a nice guy and he’d certainly been a big help to her last night. But what would make a guy like that want to run away from the real world? What had driven him down here in the first place? she wondered.

She slid a thick hat onto her head and then climbed into her snow pants and boots. She’d left the parka downstairs. She could put it on when she was headed out the door.

She took a final glimpse at her room. Comfortable, she thought. And it had certainly been a nice place to crash last night. She wondered where she’d be sleeping from here on out.

Trevor was as good as his word and met her at the bottom of the stairs by the front door. “Got everything you need?”

Annja nodded. “I think so. But honestly there’s not much to bring. Just my laptop in my bag and a few articles of clothing and toiletries. Beyond that, what’s the use?”

“You left the bathing suit at home, in other words.”

“Exactly.”

Trevor smiled and held up a small resealable bag. “Here, take this with you.”

“What’s this?”

“Some of my coffee. You seemed to like it an awful lot, and I can’t imagine where you’re going there’s anything nearly as good as this. So, please, take the bag of it. I insist.”

“Thanks, Trevor, that’s awfully nice of you.”

“Just remember me when that coffee’s the only thing keeping you from freezing your ass off out in the woolly cold.”

Annja smiled. “I will.”

From outside, she thought she could hear an engine somewhere off in the distance.

Trevor seemed to hear it, too. “Sounds like your ride,” he said.

“Guess so.”

“You be careful out there, Annja. Okay?”

She looked at him. “Why so concerned?”

Trevor shook his head. “You seem like a smart woman. I don’t like seeing good people get into things over their heads, you know?”

“Okay.”

“All I’m saying is be careful. I’ve heard what happened out there—the environmental spill and all. I just hope it’s not all that bad. Spoiling the natural beauty of this place would be a great shame. And I’d hate for you to get mixed up in any of that crap.”

Annja squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“All right, then.”

The engine noise grew louder. Annja turned for her parka.

“Let me help you with that,” Trevor said.

“Thanks.” Annja slid into the parka and then zipped up the front. Trevor eyed her. “Ribs still feeling okay?”

“Pretty good, actually, yeah.”

“Okay then, Miss Creed, I hereby pronounce you ready for Antarctic exploration. Godspeed to you.”

Annja smiled and pulled her hood up. The engine noise had diminished to an idle right outside the door.

Annja stepped outside and felt the Antarctic morning greet her with a solid one-two punch in the blast of frigid air. She hustled over to the Sno-Cat and heaved her bag up into the cab.

She climbed up on the track and slid inside, pulling the door shut tight behind her.

“Good morning,” Dave said. “How are you feeling?”

Annja smiled. “Oh, let me tell you about that.”

Dave slid the Sno-Cat into gear. Annja looked out the window at Trevor, who still stood silhouetted in the doorway.

Just as she was about to wave goodbye, he closed the door.




9


“Someone attacked you?”

Annja nodded. “That’s right. It happened right after I left the bar. As soon as I turned onto Main Street.”

Dave shook his head. “Sometimes, I tell you, this place seems less and less like the Antarctica I fell in love with and more like Dodge City.”

Annja shrugged. “Well, whoever it was, they definitely wanted me out of the way. And they did it in such a way that it would have looked like an accident. A strange one, but an accident nonetheless.”

Dave steered the Sno-Cat farther out of McMurdo. “You talk to anyone about it?”

“Uh, yeah. I needed medical attention for my ribs and then the marshal came to see me. And he was a bit peeved that I hadn’t had my in-briefing with him as of yet. Apparently, someone neglected to tell me it was standard procedure for all new arrivals.”

Dave cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry about that. Zach told me he wanted you brought into McMurdo as quickly as possible. Plus, it was suppertime. I didn’t see much point in bothering Dunning about it.”

Annja watched the dark sky lighten just a little. “Any other procedures or protocols I need to know about?”

“Nope. I think that’s it.”

Annja nodded. “Good.”

“So who do you think it was? I mean, you weren’t exactly in town all that long. Certainly not long enough to make any enemies—unless, of course, you count those two guys at the bar.”

“I’m counting them,” Annja said.

“Yeah, but you really think they’d do something like that? I mean, it just seems a bit extreme for a couple of lug nuts like them. I can’t see them wanting to kill you just because you had some words.”

Annja took a breath and didn’t feel much pain in her side. “Dave, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my various travels, it’s that you can never overestimate how low someone might be willing to sink.”

“I suppose,” Dave said. “Just makes me kind of sad, that’s all. I don’t want to think about crime infecting my home here.” He flipped on the wipers to whisk away the snowflakes that had started falling. “Guess it just bums me out.”

“Well, I was bummed out, too, but for obvious reasons—I was lying in the middle of the street with a Sno-Cat bearing down on me.”

“Death by Sno-Cat,” Dave said. “That’s a new one. Especially considering how slow these things trundle along. Not exactly a high-speed rundown.”

Annja looked out of the window. “We really have a long way to go, huh?”

“It’s a good stretch, yeah. But we’ll be all right. We’ve got plenty of provisions and equipment with us.”

“But we won’t get there tonight?” she asked.

“It’s impossible to say. It all depends on the weather. As long as we arrive by late tomorrow Zach will be happy.”

“Where is he, by the way?”

Dave pointed over his shoulder. “In the cat behind us. He joined us as we left Mac Town. He’s got the equipment so we deemed it best that we take two cats instead of just trying to burden one of them. This way, if we run into trouble—one of them breaks down or something—we can hitch a ride on the other.”

“Makes sense,” Annja agreed.

“Plus, we can always radio for help. It might not be quick in getting to us, but at least they’ll know what’s going on.”

Ahead of them, through the window, Annja could see very little in the darkness. The sky seemed to melt into the landscape, leading her to wonder how Dave would know how to reach their objective.

“I don’t suppose there are any gas stations out here, huh?” she said.

Dave laughed. “Not quite. If you have to take a pit stop, I’d suggest you get used to using the jerrican behind your seat. It’s a lot more comfortable than taking a powder outside. The conditions aren’t exactly merciful to those who obey nature’s call.”

“How do you know when we get there?” Annja asked.

Dave patted the dashboard. “Global positioning system. We had them installed in all the cats a few years back. The things are a definite lifesaver. For years we had to go out with maps and take our chances. But now we know where everyone is right down to a yard or so.”

“Anyone ever been lost since you got GPS?”

“Nope.”

Annja nodded. The landscape looked incredibly foreboding. She could see small hills and peaks and long, irregular lines of ice sheets that jutted out of the ground. Snow seemed to fly at them from all sorts of odd angles.

“I can’t imagine getting lost in this stuff,” she said.

“Yeah, your chances of survival aren’t great if you do. But people have done it before. And then when you think back to those early explorers, well, they didn’t have much in terms of fancy gear with them. Just a willingness to go the extra mile and stake a claim for humanity in this frozen wasteland.”

Annja smiled. “That was almost poetic.”

Dave looked at her. “Don’t let that get out. It’ll ruin my reputation as a complete loon for staying down here as long as I have.”

“And how long is that?”

“Ten years.”

Annja looked at him. “You’ve been here for a decade?”

“Yep.”

Annja shook her head. “You weren’t kidding. You are a loon.”

“Considering I came from Alaska, it’s not too much of a stretch. And besides, in the summer, we get an almost balmy forty degrees outside. That’s practically warm enough to go for a dip in the harbor.”

“Well, sure.” Annja rolled her eyes. “How long has Zach been here?”

“Oh, not long. A few months. He’s green by comparison to a lot of folks. The research stations work primarily on rotations of crews who come down. There’s overlap so everyone has good continuity on the various projects.”

“And you were assigned to help Zach?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“By who?”

“Pardon?”

Annja looked at him. “Who assigned you to help Zach?”

Dave smiled. “My uncle. And yours.”

“Ah. You’re one of those guys, huh?”

Dave shook his head. “Nope. Not a spy or a soldier or anything like that. I’m just one of the few who have been down here long enough to know his way around and be able to safeguard the interests of the country. I’m not a zealot or ultranationalist. In fact, I’m much more liable to vote my conscience about keeping this place beautiful than for some political agenda. But I have my uses anyway.”

“Such as looking after Zach.”

Dave took a turn and brought the Sno-Cat onto a new ice sheet. The engine groaned, then the tracks gained purchase and they jerked forward again. “I get him to where he needs to be. This dig is an important one, as you can see from what he showed you last night. It’s my job to make sure he does what he’s being paid to do.”

“Which is?”

“Figure out exactly what that necklace represents.”

Annja nodded. “And do you believe that it could be from another planet? That aliens made it?”

“I don’t know. This continent has a lot of history to it. Who knows, maybe some early tribe of humans made their way down here at some point. They could have dropped it and then we find it thousands of years later.”

“So you’re not into aliens.”

Dave smiled. “If I see something conclusive, then sure, I might change my mind. Until that happens, though, I’ll be a bit skeptical about its origins.”

“Is that a view shared by your uncle?” Annja leaned back, trying to stretch. Her ribs felt tender but pretty good.

“I don’t know, Annja. I’m not privy to a lot of what they talk about. I get my orders, and do what I’m asked to do. They deposit money into my bank account. That’s how our relationship works.”

“But Zach seems to trust you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s got no reason not to trust me. I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt the guy. He’s a good apple.”

Annja let the conversation stall for the moment. She yawned and fought to keep her eyes open. The sleep last night hadn’t revived her as much as she’d hoped it would. Plus, the injury had given her body more work to do, even if it had been helped by the power of the sword.

A nap would really be great.

“How long until I spell you at the wheel?”

Dave smiled. “You know how to drive one of these things?”

“Nope. But I’m a fast learner.”

“Is that so?”

“Ask Zach.”

Dave smirked. “All right.” He reached forward for the radio handset and keyed it. “Zach, you back there?”

There was a pause and then Annja heard Zach’s voice. “Yeah. What’s up?”

“Annja here says that she’s a quick study on vehicles. Is that true?”

“Why, is she asking to take a turn at the wheel?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

Zach’s laughter floated through the speaker. “I wouldn’t if I were you. There was this one time, in Paris, where she tried to work the controls of this giant wrecking ball and ended up—”

Annja grabbed the handset. “We don’t need to go into details about that just now, Zach. Why don’t you just be a good guy and tell Dave that I am perfectly capable of working the Sno-Cat so he can get some rest when he feels tired?”

Zach paused. “Well, I guess she could relieve you if you explain how those controls work.”

Dave smirked. “That’s quite a vote of confidence you got yourself there.”

“Zach’s always been like that. He’s convinced I can’t drive, either. And that Paris thing was just a big misunderstanding. Really. I’m much more accomplished now on heavy machinery.”

“Really?”

“You bet.”

Dave nodded. “Well, I’m fine right now and we only just started out. I’d like to get us a good hundred miles out before I give much thought to releasing the controls. I’m well used to long hauls like this anyway, so it’s no real big deal.”

Annja sighed. “Fine.”

Zach’s voice came back through the speaker. “Dave?”

Dave took the handset. “Go ahead.”

“You tell anyone else that we were coming out here today?”

“Me? Nope. No need.”

“Annja? How about you?”

Annja frowned. “Just that guy Trevor at my dorm. He seemed to know already, though. He mentioned something about being careful out here and that he’s heard it was a big old environmental disaster area. He told me I should be really careful. He seemed genuine enough.”

Dave keyed the microphone. “Why do you ask? Something wrong back there?”

Zach paused. Then Annja heard his voice again. “I don’t know.”

“Zach?”

“It’s probably nothing,” he said. “I just thought I saw something behind us, that’s all.”

“Behind us? As in what? Another vehicle?” Dave asked.

“Yeah.”

Dave shook his head. “Not very likely. It’s tough going out here, and unless whoever’s driving is experienced, they can easily get lost, even with the GPS system.”

“How so?”

“They have to be able to navigate with it. And the GPS isn’t quite as easy as what you’d find on a car. It’s a bit trickier.”

Annja frowned. “But what if there is someone back there? What would they be doing?”

“I don’t know. Tracking us?” Zach said.

“But why?” Annja turned in her seat and felt a slight twinge in her side. “Ouch.”

“Take it easy,” Dave said. “Don’t damage yourself any more than you already have.”

“Okay.” But Annja turned anyway and peered through the back windshield. She could see the lights from Zach’s Sno-Cat. But nothing behind that.

If there was someone else out there, the snow and ice seemed to have swallowed him completely.




10


By midday, they’d traveled a little more than half the distance to the dig site. True to his word, Dave had stayed at the wheel, only taking small breaks to use the jerrican situated in the back of the Sno-Cat. During those times, Annja had kept the tracked snow vehicle trudging over the ice sheets and on course with the GPS system, which was actually very easy to follow.

“I don’t know why you said this was tricky,” she said as Dave zipped back up. “Any idiot could use this thing.”

“Yeah, I know. I tend to exaggerate a little bit.”

“I can take the wheel a while longer if you want to sleep.”

Dave slid into the passenger seat. “Let’s see how Zach’s doing. He might be looking for a break.”





Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Получить полную версию книги.


Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/alex-archer/polar-quest/) на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.