Ice Hunt

She stepped away, but the lieutenant stopped her with a hand. “There’s one other thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The reporter and the others are adamant about coming here. They’re raising a real stink about it.”

Amanda considered refusing such a visit, but then remembered her frustration a moment ago with all the secrecy and politicking surrounding the discovery on Level Four. If a reporter was here, someone to document everything…and a sheriff, too…

She weighed her options. If she returned to interview these strangers, the coming storm would trap them all at Omega. And once Captain Perry was back, he’d block the reporter from coming here. He’d have no choice, tied as he was by the commands of his superior. But Amanda was under no such constraint. She took a deep breath. It was a narrow window in which perhaps to break this political stalemate and allow a little truth to shine before the awful discovery was clouded in rhetoric and lies.

Amanda faced the stern lieutenant. “Have the civilians brought here.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll interview them here.”

Washburn’s only reaction was to lift one eyebrow. “I don’t believe Lieutenant Commander Sewell will agree with that decision.”

“They can be secured here just as readily as over there. If the commander wants them under guard, I have no objection. He can send as many men with them as he would like. But I want them brought over here before the storm hits.”

Washburn paused a moment, then nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She turned and headed back across the central common area, aiming for the cabin that housed the station’s shortwave hookup to Omega.

Amanda glanced around the station. Finally someone from the outside world would learn what was hidden here, a small bit of assurance that at least some of the truth would come out.

Still a twinge of unease crept through her. Before she could trace the sudden anxiety, a tall shadow fell over her, startling her. It was one of the things she hated most about being deaf. She could never hear anyone approaching from behind.

She turned to find Co

“Ms. Devlin?”

He nodded.

She scrunched her nose in thought. “I saw her when I entered the Crawl Space. She was carrying her skates.” Amanda and the geology student shared a common interest in ice racing and had chatted for a bit.

Co

“I haven’t seen her since we separated in the ice tu

The Scotsman’s face grew concerned.

“You don’t think she could’ve gotten lost down there?” Amanda asked.

“I’d better go check. I know the course she runs.” He left, stalking away like a giant black bear.

“Take some others with you!” she called to him. “Let me know when you find her.”

He lifted an arm, either acknowledging or dismissing her.

Amanda stared after him. Anxiety grew to worry. She hoped the young woman hadn’t injured herself. She headed back toward her cabin, zipping down her thermal suit. She spotted Dr. Willig at one of the tables.

He waved a hand, motioning her over. “I thought you’d be gone already,” he said as she strode up.

“Change in plans.”

“Well, I was talking to Dr. Gustof.” Oskar motioned to the Canadian meteorologist, also seated at the table. Erik Gustof was recognizable by his Norwegian heritage. He wiped his clipped beard of sandwich crumbs and nodded to her. “He has been analyzing some of the data from his outlying arrays. The storm coming is building into a true blizzard. He’s registering winds in excess of seventy miles an hour.”

Erik nodded. “A true barnbuster, eh? We’ll be locked down but good.”

Amanda sighed. She remembered the warning of the newcomers: Danger is headed our way. It seemed these strangers knew what they were talking about, but she sensed it wasn’t the weather that was the real threat.

“Are you all right?” Dr. Willig asked.

“For now,” she answered numbly. “For now.”

Je

“You’ll all need sunglasses, too,” Lieutenant Commander Sewell ordered.

“I don’t have any,” Craig said, hiking his pack of cameras and personal gear higher on his shoulder. One of the Navy petty officers had gone earlier to the Twin Otter to fetch it.

Half an hour ago, Sewell had returned with new instructions. He had been able to reach Omega’s civilian head, apparently the daughter of the admiral who commanded the Navy crew stationed here. A nice bit of nepotism, it seemed. Still, Je

Sewell passed Craig a pair of sunglasses from his own pocket. The commander would be staying here — as would one member of their own team.

Je

Thump…thump…thump…

Matt stepped to her side and gave Bane a scratch behind an ear. “We’ll be back tomorrow, big guy.”

Je

“I’ll take good care of your dog,” a Navy ensign said as Je

“You’d better,” Matt countered.

The twenty-year-old lad nodded. “My dad has a husky team back home.”

Surprised, Je

His gaze flicked up to her with surprise. “You know my da’.”

“He ran the Iditarod back in ninety-nine. Placed third.”

A proud smile broke over his face. “That’s right.”

“I ran that race. He helped me when I snagged up my team and turned my sled.” Je

His smile broadened more fully, if not a trace sadly. “He’s getting old now. He only helps dad on his tour runs. His days of leading the team are over. But we do have one of his pups in training back on Fox Island.”

Sewell interrupted them. “You all need to set out if you’re going to miss this storm.”

Je

“I don’t like leaving Bane with a stranger,” Matt grumbled beside her.

“You’re welcome to stay here with him,” Je

Matt followed, a sullen shadow at her back.

The group pushed out into the deep freeze, leaving behind the fluorescent interior lighting for the gloom of the overcast day. The sun was a dull glow, an eternal gloaming, trapped between day and night. Since this morning, the horizons had closed in around the station, socked by the ice fog. This is how Je

With her first breath, the cold reached inside Je