Ice Hunt

Craig whispered condolences in her ears, but she remained deaf to him. Instead, she stared down at the book.

From the corner of her eye, flames danced. Tears rolled down her cheek — born of both grief and anger. Papa…

One hand crept to her belt holster. Another promise not kept.

It was still empty.

17. Trial by Fire

Matt sat in his cell, having been returned at gunpoint. Oddly the boy had been left with him. The child, Maki, lay curled on the bed, in a cocoon of blankets. Perhaps the admiral had wanted the boy and his translator close by. Matt had not objected to his role as baby-sitter. At the foot of the bed, he kept vigil on the lad, watching the boy sleep, his tiny fingers curled by his lips as if in prayer.

Maki’s features were clearly Inuit: the olive complexion, the ebony hair, the brown almond eyes. As Matt watched over him, he was struck by memories of Tyler, the same dark hair and eyes, like his mother. His heart ached, beyond terror and fear, only a deep sense of loss.

“It’s hard to believe…” Dr. Ogden murmured from the neighboring cell, looking on. Matt had related the findings in Vladimir Petkov’s journal.

Matt merely nodded, unable to take his eyes from the boy.

“What I wouldn’t give to study the boy…maybe a sample of his blood.”

Matt sighed and closed his eyes. Scientists. They never lifted their noses from their research to see who was affected.

“A hormone from the grendels,” Ogden continued. “That makes sense at least. To produce the cryosuspension, it would require an immediate enzymatic cascade of the gene sequence. And skin glands would be perfect vehicles to initiate the event. The skin ices up, it triggers a hormonal release, the genes are activated through the body’s cells, glucose pours into cells to preserve them, then the body freezes. And with the grendels being mammals, their hormonal chemicals would be compatible with other mammalian species. Like insulin from cows and pigs that’s been used to treat human diabetes. The work here was ahead of its time. Brilliant, in fact.”

Matt had had enough. He swung around. “Brilliant? Are you fucking mad? Try monstrous! Do you have any idea what was done to these people? How many were killed? Goddamn it!” He pointed to Maki as he stirred. “Does that look like a damn lab rat?”

Ogden backed from the bars. “I didn’t mean to suggest—”

Matt noted the shadows under the doctor’s eyes. Ogden’s hands trembled as they dropped from the bars. Matt knew the man was as tired and frightened as any of them. He didn’t need someone yelling at him. Lowering his voice, he continued: “Someone has to take responsibility. A line has to be drawn. Science ca

“Speaking of losing,” Washburn said behind him, “what’s up with the Delta Force team? Can they take this place?”

Matt saw the two biology students stir at her question. It was their only hope: rescue. But he also remembered the fierce determination of Admiral Petkov. The Russian commander was not about to surrender, not even against superior forces. Matt had also noted a glint in his eyes, a cold dispassion that frightened the American more than the guns or the grendels.

Only the boy seemed to warm that edge from the man. Matt glanced at Maki. As with Vladimir Petkov, the child might hold the key to the admiral’s salvation. But such a transformation required time…time they didn’t have. Petkov was a Russian bear cornered in its den. There was nothing more dangerous — or unpredictable.

Matt turned back to Washburn. “I counted at least twelve soldiers. And the Russians have the advantage of being entrenched in here. It would take a full frontal assault to breach this place, then a bloody, brutal, level-by-level clearing.”

Magdalene spoke from her cot. “But they’ll still come, won’t they?”

Matt stared at the small number of survivors. Five of them, six if the child Maki was counted. If the Delta Force team was returning here, it was for more than just a rescue mission. Craig must have heard about the samples. The ultimate success of his mission would require obtaining them.

Washburn knew this, too. “They aren’t coming for us,” she said, answering Magdalene’s question. She met Matt’s eye. “We’re not the priority.”

The door to the prison wing opened. Admiral Petkov strode inside, accompanied by the same two guards. The trio approached Matt’s cell.

Here we go again, Matt thought, standing to face them.

Petkov spoke with his usual bluntness. “Your Delta Force team blew up the drift station.”

Matt took a breath to assimilate what had just been said.

Washburn swore off to the side. “Bullshit.”

“We recorded the explosion minutes after their helicopter took off.”

Washburn scowled, but Matt knew Petkov was not lying. It was not his way. Omega had been destroyed. But why?

Petkov answered his silent question with two words. “Plausible deniability.”

Matt weighed this answer. He sensed the truth to it. Delta Force teams were covert, operating with minimal supervision, surgical-strike teams. They entered a combat zone, completed their mission, and left no witnesses behind.

No witnesses…

Inhaling sharply, Matt realized what this news meant. He stumbled, hitting the back of his legs on the bed, jarring it. The child woke with a start.

Petkov pointed for a guard to open the cell. “It seems your government seeks the same objective as my own. To seize the research for themselves, and leave no one to claim otherwise. At any and all cost.”

The cell was opened. Pistols were again pointed at him.

“What do you want with me?” Matt asked.

“I want you to stop them both. My father sacrificed all to bury his research. I will not let either government win.”

Matt narrowed one eye. If what the admiral had related was true — if this truly was a black ops mission — then perhaps he had just found an ally. They shared a common enemy. He faced the admiral. Anger churned in him. If the Delta team had murdered everyone at Omega…it seemed unfathomable, but also horribly possible…he would do what he could to avenge them all.

He pictured dark eyes, staring at him with love.

Je