Rogue Angel - Polar Quest Part 12

Static crackled over the phone and then the voice came back again. "For your sakes, you'd better hope nothing else happens to them on their journey. It's imperative they reach the dig site safely."

He frowned. "You mind me asking why? I mean, it sounds like you're going to kill them anyway once they're there. So why not just do it right now?"

"You have no appreciation for how things should unfold. You will take no action against them-do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, continue to observe and report anything out of the ordinary."

"Fine." He hung up the phone and turned to the man sitting next to him in the Sno-Cat. "Let's go."

"He wasn't happy?"

"Is he ever?"

DAVE HADN'T BEEN JOKING about the increased weight slowing them down. Their speed seemed to dip from a solid twenty-five miles per hour down to just under eighteen. The tracks continued to grind up snow and ice as they crawled along in the shadows of the mountain range to their right side. about the increased weight slowing them down. Their speed seemed to dip from a solid twenty-five miles per hour down to just under eighteen. The tracks continued to grind up snow and ice as they crawled along in the shadows of the mountain range to their right side.

The fuel gauge took a hit, as well. They'd had to stop once more to top off the tanks.

Zach seemed to have recovered himself and napped intermittently. Annja watched him. Through his s.h.i.+rt, she could make out the links of chain that attached to the necklace he wore.

Dave eyed him, as well. "He seems fine now, if that's what you're thinking."

"Yeah."

"Carbon monoxide is tough stuff. Can't see it or smell it. An invisible killer. That's why they pa.s.sed all those laws about people getting detectors. Just too many folks losing their lives to it."

Annja nodded. "Guess you really never know how quick it can go wrong until it starts to go wrong, huh?"

"Something like that."

Annja sighed and stretched. She was tucked behind Zach with all of the equipment. She didn't have a lot of room to maneuver or make herself comfortable, and it felt as if she'd spent the past several hours bunched up. She desperately wanted to stretch her legs.

"How much longer?" she asked.

"About an hour, maybe less."

"We're that close?"

"Yep."

She took another breath. "Well, that's good news at least."

Dave nodded. "The getting there is always the toughest part. But I'm sure it will all be worth it once you get a look at the place."

"It's that amazing?"

He shrugged. "Far be it for me to comment adequately on it, but considering what Zach found, who knows what other kinds of marvelous things might be there. In some ways, this is a lot like unearthing some Egyptian pharaoh. Personally, I can't recall when I've had this much fun."

Annja eyed him. "Last night you made it sound like you'd never even seen the place. Or that you hadn't known Zach was involved in it."

Dave nodded. "Yeah, well, that was before I got a chance to know you. I don't like putting all my cards on the table until I know who holds the deck. That way, I keep the surprises in my life to a minimum."

Zach stirred. "Talking about the dig?"

Annja nodded. "Dave was just prepping me for the first views of it."

"Have you ever seen a big hole in the ground?" Zach asked.

"Of course."

He smiled. "There you go."

Dave chuckled. "So much for romance, huh? Zach's much more the pragmatist in the equation."

Zach patted his chest. "This thing weighs heavy on my heart. I want to figure out where it came from and who it might have belonged to."

"Can I see it again?" Annja asked.

Zach turned to her and took off the necklace. He handed it to her and Annja was again surprised at its weight.

"Where did you find it at the dig site?"

Zach leaned back against the seat and took a deep breath. "I was hired to come down and check things out, as I told you."

"Who hired you?" Annja asked.

"A company out of Milwaukee. Navstar. Supposedly they do a lot of work for the oil conglomerates, but I felt pretty sure they were a front for some government operations. Sometimes you just get a feeling about these things."

"So what happened?"

"They approached me about coming down to look a site over for possible paleontological finds. As far as I knew at that point, there wasn't much down here worth examining in any great detail. I mean, sure, I'd heard about the fossils and plants that had been found down here, but beyond that? It seemed like a dumb a.s.signment. Just a way for the oil companies to cover their a.s.ses."

"What changed your mind?"

"The paycheck."

Annja looked at him. "You're motivated by money now?"

"Trish and I got divorced. She took the kids. I didn't have a chance at custody, being away throughout the year like I was. The judge granted her sole custody. I get visits when I'm home, but-" he took a breath "-it's been tough making ends meet with the alimony and child support."

"And the job came along at just the right moment."

"Yep."

Annja glanced at Dave. "This is sounding more and more like a government conspiracy all the time."

Dave nodded. "Oh, it most definitely is. We know that now. They control every aspect of the dig site. The oil companies aren't even involved, believe it or not."

"So who's running the show? CIA?"

Zach shrugged. "I heard something about a DARPA project. They'd be the ones looking to scoop up anything extraterrestrial and reverse engineer it so it becomes the next iPod or something."

Annja smirked. "I'm surprised they let you have the necklace."

"Oh, it's not mine. I'm returning it to them. They let me take it out so I could use it to secure your interest."

"Ah."

"Anyway, they flew me down here and we trekked out to the site. By the time I got there, they already had a series of tents and hardened prefab sh.e.l.ls in place. There's a hole that literally goes right into the base of the mountain. You can descend the better part of a half mile right into the mountain itself."

"Incredible."

Zach nodded. "That's what I said, too. On that first day, they got me outfitted and showed me a map of tunnels they'd made. It had a number of branches on it, and I wanted to go off exploring. They said no, that they weren't sure how structurally sound it was yet. But I sneaked off anyway, and down a long winding pa.s.sage in the dark, my headlamp caught something amid the ice."

"The necklace," Annja said.

"Yeah. When I pulled it out, it felt like I was trying to jerk an anchor out of the water. But then when I held it up, it was almost a magical experience."

Dave smiled. "Maybe there is a little romance in that heart somewhere."

Annja s.h.i.+fted in her seat. "And what happened when you showed it to them?"

"They ran the tests we spoke about last night. When things started coming back...odd, they got really interested. Of course, it's all very compartmentalized. I'm positive there are people on the site who know how this is all supposed to fit together, but d.a.m.ned if anyone's talking. So, in the meantime, they've been bringing in more scientists and I requested the only person I knew I could trust-you."

"I'm flattered."

"I need someone watching my back. Someone who knows how to think and can maybe make sense of all of this stuff."

"Well, I can't wait to get there."

Dave pointed at the dashboard. The clock read just past 5:00 p.m. "I'm betting we'll be there inside of twenty minutes now."

"Good," Zach said. "They're probably freaking out that the necklace has been gone this long. They're not exactly the most trusting people on the planet. But they do recognize the power of persuasion."

"I would have come anyway," Annja said. "Not like I have much else to do while I wait for my return flight."

"Good point," Dave said. "And she doesn't look like she's very good at darts, either. That rules her out for team compet.i.tion."

"Funny," Annja said. "I'll have you know I'm quite adept at throwing pointy things into small targets."

"I'll bet." Dave chuckled.

Annja turned back to Zach. "Sorry to hear things didn't work out with you and Trish. Was it a long time coming?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Zach sighed. "I tried to make adjustments. I changed my work schedule. Stopped going off on long hauls away from home. But even when I made the changes, it just didn't seem like she was into the marriage anymore. I got the feeling she'd rather be off doing her own thing without the likes of me around."

Annja took a deep breath. "Maybe it's for the best."

"Honestly, I'm not so much broken up over her. But I miss the h.e.l.l out of my kids. I can't stand thinking of them living with another guy and calling him 'Dad.'" He shook his head. "Pretty juvenile, huh?"

"No," Annja said. "It's not. It's completely natural to think that way. After all, you helped bring them into the world in the first place."

Zach grinned. "I figure with this paycheck I'm getting, at least I can secure their futures for them. Even if their mother thinks I'm a b.u.m, I can rest easy knowing they've got money for college and maybe a head start on life. It's more than what I had growing up."

"Me, too," Dave said. He glanced at Zach. "You're a good man, dude. Maybe she didn't realize that, but it's true. You care about your kids and it shows. You're willing to do whatever it takes so they have a better life. That's the definition of a hero in my book."

Annja patted Zach on his shoulder. "It'll work out, Zach. It'll work out in the end."

"I hope so. This job could be a good stepping stone for me."

"I'm sure they'll be pleased with your work. And I'll do my best to make sure you get the credit necessary. Okay?"

"Thanks, Annja. I really appreciate that."

Their radio came to life. "Attention, unmarked vehicle, you are approaching a United States government secured area. This area has been officially recognized as an environmental disaster area. You must proceed no farther. Please turn around and head back the way you came."

Zach smirked. "Like they don't know it's us."

Dave shrugged. "They have to be sure, I guess."

"Better give them what they want."

Dave nodded and picked up the handset. "This is Romeo-One-Five-Whiskey. Requesting permission to proceed."

There was a pause. "Authentication code?"

"One-One-Zulu-Delta."

"Confirmed. You're cleared to proceed. Report directly to in-processing upon arrival."

"Roger that." Dave switched off the handset and glanced back at Annja. "You ready for this?"

Annja smiled. "Always."

"Then here we go."

13.