Kitabı oku: «Sacred Ground»

“What is that?”

Far ahead of them, Annja thought she could make out something dark. It looked like it was growing.

Godwin pressed on the gas pedal. His eyes narrowed and he gripped the wheel tighter. “Our turnoff should be coming soon.”

“Not soon enough,” Annja said. “It’s going to be close.”

“What is?” Derek asked. “What is that thing ahead of us? What’s going on?”

Annja looked at him. “Can’t you hear it?”

Derek stopped and sat back in his seat. He closed his eyes and then Annja saw his body stiffen appreciably. His eyes popped open. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.”

Annja nodded. “It is.”

Godwin pointed up ahead of them. “It’s growing.”

Annja looked and saw it was true. Shooting down the ice road toward them was a giant fissure of blackness.

The ice road was cracking all around them.

Sacred Ground

Rogue Angel™

Alex Archer

www.mirabooks.co.uk

THE LEGEND

…THE ENGLISH COMMANDER TOOK JOAN’S SWORD AND RAISED IT HIGH.

The broadsword, plain and unadorned, gleamed in the firelight. He put the tip against the ground and his foot at the center of the blade. The broadsword shattered, fragments falling into the mud. The crowd surged forward, peasant and soldier, and snatched the shards from the trampled mud. The commander tossed

the hilt deep into the crowd.

Smoke almost obscured Joan, but she continued praying till the end, until finally the flames climbed her body and she sagged against the restraints.

Joan of Arc died that fateful day in France,

but her legend and sword are reborn….

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

1

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

“It’s been my experience,” Annja Creed said, “that the motives of private industry and those of the public don’t usually make for good bedfellows.” She reclined a bit farther back into the deep chocolate leather of her armchair and waited for the man sitting across from her to respond.

“That’s a pretty narrow way to look at things.” Derek Wainman took a sip from a steaming mug of coffee before setting it on the frosted-glass table. “After all, it’s in our best interests to work with the public to make sure they don’t feel slighted. These are, after all, potential customers.”

Annja considered the map in front of her. This time of year, most of the Northwest Territories of Canada was frozen. The arctic tundra was a mass of brittle green amid the snows and winds. She shivered just thinking about how cold it was out there.

But it couldn’t be worse than Antarctica, could it? She smiled at the memories of that adventure and then noticed Derek watching.

“You okay?”

“The cold weather makes me reminisce about the other times I’ve been in the thick of it,” she said.

Derek took another sip of his coffee. “That’s been quite often, hasn’t it?”

Annja looked at him. He smirked and waved his hand.

“Don’t be so concerned. We take great pains to find out all we can about people we might be interested in working with. And there’s never been anything that the right amount of money can’t purchase. Information especially.”

Annja smiled. She was one hundred percent positive there was at least one small nugget of intelligence that their money hadn’t been able to procure—the presence of the sword that she always carried with her.

“That’s a curious grin,” Derek said.

Annja made her face expressionless. This guy didn’t miss a thing. She’d have to remember that.

“How successful has the mining operation been at Ekati?”

“By all accounts, incredibly so,” Derek said. “It’s expected to yield five hundred million Canadian dollars a year for the next twenty-five years. Who would have thought that the earth could have such a repository of untapped wealth?”

“I might have,” Annja said. “But then, I dig for a living. That kind of knowledge is my thing.”

“You like getting dirty,” Derek said.

Annja watched his face for any signs that he was already tossing innuendo around. But to his credit, he kept his expression firm and unyielding. No sign of mirth tinged it.

“Getting dirty comes with the territory,” she said. “It can’t be helped. And it’s only when you’re truly down in the thick of it that you find the most precious treasures. So yes, I like getting dirty.”

“Where were you before this?”

Annja raised an eyebrow at him. “Now, why would you ask me such a question? After all, I thought you had a complete workup on my recent activities?”

“We do.”

“So, what, you want to see if I lie about my whereabouts?”

Derek held up his hand. “Calm down. It was just a friendly question.”

Annja looked at the map again. Frozen lakes, frozen rivers, frozen everything. It would be a damned cold jaunt; she knew that.

“Why now?” she asked.

“Excuse me?”

Annja glanced up. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to start something like this in the spring?”

Derek smiled. “We’re hoping that by the time you get to the site and extricate everything that needs extricating, it will be spring and just in time for us to start our real work.”

“Ah, the real work.”

Derek leaned forward. “Annja, please make no mistake—while we’re committed to helping the Inuit preserve whatever sacred ground they have in this location, our primary emphasis is on profit. We’re a private corporation and as such, driven by the ever-present bottom line.”

“Hence my original statement about private and public interests not intersecting.”

Derek leaned back. “We can help each other.”

“How so?”

“By you agreeing to come on board and assist the Inuit elders with their research, we gain a certain degree of sympathy for our corporation. Our public image looks better than if we simply steamrolled in and took what we wanted from the land with little regard to its history.”

“Even though that’s exactly what you want to do anyway?”

“You don’t strike me as being naive, Annja.”

“I’m not.”

“So you understand the function of our meeting and your employment with us on this matter.”

“I’m coming in as a contractor.”

“But you work for us.”

Annja smiled. “I gathered as much.”

“For which you’ll be paid quite handsomely. Far more than you make hosting that little show on television.”

“Actually, Chasing History’s Monsters does pretty well in the ratings.”

Derek grinned. “Only when your cohost manages to have a well-timed wardrobe malfunction.”

“Granted.”

“I don’t think we’d see such a thing from you, now, would we?”

Annja shot him a look. “I wouldn’t hold out any hope.”

“Noted.”

Annja folded up the map. “How long has this land belonged to this tribe of Inuit?”

“Almost one thousand years.”

“You were able to trace it back that far?”

Derek sighed. “It was part of what we had to do in order to make sure that the government was satisfied we did as much as possible to benefit the tribe instead of our own rather money-oriented motives.”

“And what have you paid the Inuit?”

“Far more than the land is worth. But I’m not exactly at liberty to disclose the exact number we eventually settled upon.”

“Still,” Annja said. “You’ll inevitably extract far more than that if your estimates are correct, right?”

“Of course. It wouldn’t have been a good investment otherwise. And we most certainly are not in the business of throwing money away.”

Annja nodded. “This dig site was a condition of the purchase?”

“The elders insisted on it. They claim a portion of the land—which happens to be exactly where our scientists tell us that the richest veins of kimberlite lie—is an ancient burial site. It has to be moved to a new area that has been consecrated through a variety of rituals and sacred events.”

“Kimberlite indicates the presence of diamonds, right?”

Derek grinned. “Yes. It’s a type of potassic volcanic rock. It occurs naturally in ‘pipes,’ or long vertical structures that have the potential to contain diamonds. Our scientists tell me that kimberlite is formed deep within the Earth’s mantle, probably between ninety and three hundred miles deep.”

“Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

“All for a girl’s best friend, yes.”

“So, why bring me in?”

“We need you to confirm when the land is free of relics and assorted Inuit history. If we didn’t have you in there, the Inuit could hold things up indefinitely and claim there was still any number of items that had to be extracted or moved. It could delay our operations for years. And we are definitely in the realm of time is money.”

“I see.”

“Your job is to get in there, get friendly with the Inuit elders and help them do what they need to do. Move their burial site. Make sure there aren’t any relics that need to be dug up and preserved. Do whatever it takes, but within four weeks we want that land free of any Inuit association. Because at the first sign of a thaw—as much as we get up in these parts—we’re coming in with the drills.”

“And at that point there won’t be any second chance for the Inuit.”

“None. Once you give us the word or if the four weeks expire first, we’re coming in. I don’t think anyone could argue we haven’t been more than patient.”

“I’m sure someone could.”

Derek sighed. “True. People are always able to complain when they’re not spending one billion dollars of their own money.”

“This is a billion-dollar operation?”

Derek smiled. “I never said that if anyone asks.”

“All right, then.”

Derek finished his coffee and set the empty mug back down on the table. “Do you have any other questions?”

“My payment?”

He nodded. “We wired the first installment directly into your bank account this morning, prior to this meeting.”

Annja smiled. “You’re awfully confident that I’d take the assignment.”

Derek shrugged. “We make a habit of knowing as much as possible about who we deal with ahead of time. I’ve read all of your files and information. I’ve watched you for a while on television even. I know you can’t resist the pull of a new dig. It’s too deeply ingrained in your spirit.”

“You calling me an addict?”

Derek smiled. “Are you?”

Annja took a deep breath. “Sure feels that way sometimes.”

“You say that with a degree of…sadness?”

Annja shook her head. “Not really. I tend to live a lot of my life locked in the past. Memories of what I’ve done overlapped with the memories I dig through on an almost daily basis. Sometimes it’s impossible to see the future.”

“Well,” Derek said, “I guess I can understand that to some extent.”

“Only some?”

“I’ve never been on an archaeological excursion.”

“Make some time,” Annja said. “Come and join me on this one.”

“I hate the cold,” Derek said.

Annja smiled. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish. It’s the one part of this job that I struggle with on a constant basis. If there was any way to do this from the warm beaches of Fiji, I’d be a much happier man.”

“I guess not, though, huh?”

“No.”

“The rest of my payment will be transferred in four weeks?”

“Or upon completion of the job, whichever comes first. If you finish in two weeks, you get a fifty percent bonus.”

Annja leaned back. “Mighty generous of you.”

“Not my decision, actually, but I’ll pass it on. Remember what I told you, that we’re in the time-is-money realm. My bosses want this thing to move ahead quickly. I hope we can count on you.”

“If you had any doubts, I wouldn’t be here, would I?’

“Nope.”

Annja stood. “All right. I’m in.”

“Excellent.”

“I’ll need a week to get my stuff together and gather up what I’ll need to make sure I’ve got the necessary tools—”

“We leave right now.”

“Excuse me?”

Derek smiled. “Whatever you need, we can pick up on the way. Inuvik has a number of good locations to pick up supplies.”

“I wasn’t planning on this happening so quickly.”

“But I know for a fact that you always manage to land on your feet, even in the most surprising situations.”

Annja frowned. “I don’t like working this way.”

“Consider it a show of good faith. You indulge us in this little matter and we’ll make sure you have whatever it is that you need.”

“Okay, but if I don’t have my supplies, I walk away and keep the advance.”

“Done.”

Annja looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. “All right.”

Derek held out his hand. “Welcome aboard.”

Annja hesitated and then shook his hand. “I hope I meet your expectations accordingly.”

“I know you will.”

He guided her out of the hotel lobby and toward the front door. Outside, amid the swirling snow, Annja could just make out the blackened windows of a big SUV. Exhaust issued from the tailpipe.

“Been waiting long?”

Derek shrugged. “Things tend to freeze a lot faster up here. We keep engines going when we can.”

“How very environmentally friendly of you.”

Derek let the barb roll off his back. “Look, Annja, I know you said you tend to live in the past.”

“But—?”

“Keep the future in mind. Four weeks, to be exact. That’s the maximum amount of time I can allot you in this assignment. Anything more and we come in. And then all of that history—whatever happens to be left—gets ground up under our drill bits.”

2

The ride to Inuvik was spent with Annja praying that the heavy tires on the SUV didn’t blow out as they drove over portions of highway, sections of hard gravel and even dirt road. She thanked the inventor of shock absorbers many times during the ride, but even still, when she finally arrived at the Inuvik Welcome Center, Annja found herself massaging her buttocks.

Derek didn’t look as if he’d fared much better. “The last time I rode up here, it wasn’t that bad,” he said.

“Maybe you guys could chip in for a highway reconstruction project. Throw a few million at them to pave the entire expanse for the sake of butts everywhere.”

Derek laughed. “I’ll talk to my superiors about it.”

Annja glanced around. Thick snow coated every exterior surface. Her breath seemed to stain the air in front of her face and then drop to the ground already frozen. “Just how cold is it?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“About thirty below.”

Annja sighed. Back in the deep freeze. She had visions of her expedition to Antarctica. But that had been to dispute the existence of an alien race. This was far simpler. Her job was to get in and help the local tribe relocate their sacred relics out of the mining company’s drill site.

There couldn’t be much danger in that, could there?

She grinned in spite of the cold, feeling her skin almost crack as she did so.

Derek noticed the expression on her face and nodded. “Maybe we should get inside.”

“Good idea.” She glanced back at their driver, who seemed to be paying more attention to the vehicle than to them. She turned and followed Derek inside the welcome center.

She passed a display showing a map of the area. She stopped Derek. “Will we be working out of the town here?”

He shook his head. “Nope. This is just our waypoint. We’ve got a temporary camp set up closer to the drill site. I mean the future drill site.”

“Right now, it’s still sacred Inuit land.”

“Araktak, to be accurate. They’ve been around these parts for—”

“A thousand years, you told me.” Annja nodded. “I’m sure they’ve got an incredible history.”

Derek frowned. “I wouldn’t know. They’re not one of the larger tribes in the area. They’ve remained incredibly independent despite the efforts to unify the smaller tribes into a larger one for the purposes of government help and education. I don’t think there’s a lot known about them.”

“Interesting.”

“It might be another coup for you.”

Annja frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Derek smiled. “I know you’ve had a number of interesting discoveries in your time. Things you’ve had the good fortune to stumble across before anyone else. Perhaps the Araktak can be another jewel in your crown of accomplishments.”

“Maybe,” Annja said. “I wouldn’t be looking at it as a way of one-upping my peers, though.”

“Of course not,” Derek said. “It would just be another one of those nice things that some people have happen.”

Annja frowned as she watched him walk away. What was his deal? She’d noticed he didn’t wear a wedding ring and although he seemed young, she could see the first streaks of gray hair marking their invasion at his temple. She estimated he was probably around forty. He seemed in good shape, and despite his avowed hatred of the cold, it hadn’t seemed to bother him too much when they’d been outside.

Maybe he’s used to it by now, she thought.

The display told Annja that Inuvik was small, only about three thousand people in total. It hadn’t been much of anything before 1979, but now it functioned as something of a gateway to the Mackenzie River and beyond into the Beaufort Delta, which bordered the Arctic Ocean.

Derek reappeared behind her. “The main function of the town is to act as a staging area for truckers to haul loads up to the refinery projects on the delta. Once the river freezes, they actually drive across the frozen water to reach their destinations.”

Annja frowned. “You’re not serious.”

“I absolutely am.”

Annja shook her head. “You’d never get me driving over ice like that. One wrong move, if it’s not thick enough and you could go right through and never be seen again.”

“Very true. Many truckers have lost their lives to it, but then again, up here, it’s the only way to get things done.”

“I hope you’re not going to tell me that the drill site is located anywhere near this frozen river.”

Derek smiled. “Would you want to back out if it was?”

“Very possibly.”

“And what about all that money?”

“Money’s nice. Living is nicer.”

Derek grinned. “Well, don’t worry about it too much. The drill site lies inland, lucky for you.”

Annja heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God for small favors.”

Derek eyed her. “You don’t strike me as someone afraid of much, especially a little frozen river.”

“The frozen river doesn’t scare me,” Annja said. “But falling through the ice and drowning does.”

Derek waved his hand. “I wouldn’t worry about drowning. The moment you hit the ice water, you’d probably go into cardiac arrest anyway.”

“Lovely. Thanks for making me feel better.”

“My pleasure.” He gestured to the room. “Anything else you want to see here?”

“You’re finished with whatever we came in for?”

“I simply wanted to introduce you to the town. Figured it would be a nice way to ease you into things.”

“Ease me into things.” Annja pursed her lips. “You’re just full of contradictions, aren’t you?”

“How do you figure that?”

“Because you basically kidnapped me earlier at our meeting. And now you’re talking about slowing down.”

“Well,” Derek said. “I was sort of under orders not to let you back out of the arrangement. Not to give you an opportunity to say no. That kind of thing.”

“I see.”

“But now that you’re here in town, well, it’s different, isn’t it?”

“If you say so.”

Derek checked his watch. “We’re not going any farther today anyway.”

“So, we’ll stay here tonight?”

“Yup. Got us set up with reservations at the town inn. It’s just down the street.”

“And what time will we be on the road tomorrow.”

“Early as we can.”

Annja nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”

Outside the welcome center, the wind had picked up, making Annja’s face instantly feel as if it was baked leather. “I’m going to make a moisturizer company rich off of me,” she muttered.

Derek smiled. “Believe it or not, you do get used to it.”

“If you say so.”

They slid back into the vehicle and the driver gunned the engine before shooting down the road. As they drove through the town, Annja spotted a number of kids out walking with their parents.

“It amazes me what human beings can put up with,” she said.

“It’s just one of those things, right?” Derek said. “If you don’t have the option to move elsewhere, you simply adapt. I think it’s our greatest strength. It’s what will someday enable us to colonize another planet.”

“And hopefully treat it better than we’ve done with this one.”

“Ouch.”

Annja glanced at him. “Don’t worry, I won’t get preachy with you.”

“Thanks.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I don’t care for the planet. It’s just that I’ve had to reconcile my work with my beliefs.”

“And the bank account won, huh?”

“Sure did.”

“I’m sure you must sleep easy at night.”

“I sleep well knowing I’ve taken care of my children.”

Annja looked back from the window. “You have kids?”

“Two of them. A boy and a girl. Eight and ten. Great kids. They live in California with their mother.” He shrugged again. “We’re divorced. She didn’t approve of my line of work.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s an advocate for Greenpeace,” he said, laughing.

“Wow, how the hell did you two even get together in the first place?”

Derek smiled. “I wasn’t always a corporate lackey. Before I sold my soul I was a lobbyist for the environment on Capitol Hill. We met at a luncheon or a dinner or something in Washington. We were young. Idealistic. We had plans at one point to start a utopian community in the Canadian wilderness.”

“So, what happened?”

“I came north to scout a location and somehow fell in with the mining corporation. They appreciated my zeal for causes near and dear to my heart. I thought Canada would be the best place to raise our children. The government at the time in the U.S. was something of a joke.”

“Your wife didn’t want to move to Canada?”

“Nope. Turns out she was still a bit of a patriot. She insisted that we raise the kids in the States.”

“And around that time, the corporation got their hooks into you—is that about right?”

“Yes. They offered me a public-relations job helping them get government approval for a project that didn’t pan out. I figured they’d let me go once it became obvious that we were digging in the wrong location. But that didn’t happen. Instead, they recognized what I’d been able to do for them and they promoted me.”

“They must have seen something they liked,” Annja said. “One of those lucky breaks in life, huh?”

“Well, it came with a big pay raise and now I get to spend lavishly on my kids, much to the dismay of their mother. But I don’t get a lot of time with them, so it’s my prerogative to do what I choose with my money. And, like I said, it helps me sleep at night. If anything happens to me, they’re set for life.”

“I suppose that’s what it’s all about, huh?”

“Anything for my kids,” Derek said. “Absolutely.”

Annja nodded and went back to looking out the window. “I wouldn’t know about that yet.”

“Kids?”

“Yeah. Maybe someday.”

“You’re attractive. I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding a husband if that’s what you want.”

She glanced at him. “Did your files tell you about my personal life, as well?”

Derek grinned. “Our information tends to be very complete. We need an accurate picture if we’re going to commit serious money to working with a certain person.”

“I’m not sure I’m all that crazy about how much you seem to know about my life.”

“It’s nothing personal, Annja. We take this approach with everyone we work with. The corporation is very concerned about the people it lets in on its secrets. News of this drill site isn’t even something that most people know about. At least not yet. Once we strike pay dirt, it will make headlines.”

“There’s that much riding on this?”

““Even more,” Derek said. “If our figures turn out to be correct, and there’s every indication they will, then this mine will make Ekati look like a lemonade stand.”

“Colorful.”

“We think we could double their annual yield,” Derek said. “If not triple it.”

“A billion dollars a year.” Annja whistled. “That would be impressive.”

“With a substantial bonus for everyone involved.”

“Even a contractor like me?” Annja asked.

Derek shrugged. “Just do your job and get us the clearance we need from the Araktak elders. At that point, anything’s possible. Even for a contractor like you.”

Annja nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

“Please do. But just as certainly remember that you’ve only got four weeks. After that, no one wins. Least of all you.”

3

The SUV came to a stop in front of a long, squat building with a wooden sign twisting about in the stiff wind. Annja could just make out the name of the inn as The Breton. “This is where we’re staying?”

Derek nodded. “I imagine it will seem quite luxurious, especially once you see the dig site.”

Annja frowned. “I’ve stayed in worse.”

“I’ll bet the Philippines jungle was terrible by contrast.”

“You know about that, too, huh?” Annja shook her head. “Just know that for all your information, I’ve still got more than enough secrets to keep myself warm at night.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Derek said. “But we aren’t looking to pry all of your secrets out of you. If that was the case, we’d be using something a lot more painful on you.” He smiled. “Just joking.”

“I’ll bet.”

Derek opened the door and a brisk gust of wind greeted them as they stepped out of the vehicle. He nodded at their driver. “Godwin will see to our bags. Let’s get inside.”

Annja glanced at the driver. Godwin? It was an unusual name. She hadn’t actually been introduced to the man. But she shrugged and followed Derek inside.

He pushed through the heavy door and a wall of heat met them, scaring off the thunderous cold wind. Derek took a deep breath. “Toasty in here.”

The man behind the counter smiled. “Welcome, folks.”

Derek smiled. “You’ve got some reservations for us, I believe. They should be under the name Mr. Smith.”

Annja cocked an eyebrow. Derek waved her off and then turned back to the man. “Should be three rooms in total.”

The counterman nodded. “Yep, got ’em right here.” He winked. “Not like we’d be full up or nothin’. Don’t exactly get ourselves a bumper crop of tourists this time of year.”

“We’ll just be here for the night,” Derek said.

“Pushing on in the morning, are you? Fair enough. Just sign in. It’s cash only, mind you, so if you’ve got anything plastic, there’s a bank machine down the road at Terry’s Trading Post.”

Derek pulled out his wallet and fished out several bills. “Cash is fine.”

The man took the money and laid three keys down on the counter. “Right, you’re all next to each other. Hope you don’t mind. It’s easier this way to know where you’re all at.”

Derek handed one of the keys to Annja and turned back to the man. “What’s good around here for a meal?”

“We don’t have anything fancy.”

“I don’t care about fancy. Just good.”

“Well, then, you can’t do any better than the steak house across the street. They do a great porterhouse. Keep a couple of beers on tap, as well. It’s a fine meal. Finish it off with a single malt and you’ll be back in time for a toasty night here in your bed.”

Derek nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks.”

“Where’s your third party?” the man asked.

The door to the inn banged open and Godwin came through the door carrying an assortment of traveling bags. He looked even taller and more imposing in the close confines of the inn’s reception area. And he didn’t seem to smile all that much.

“I’ll need some clothes,” Annja said to Derek. “If you recall, we didn’t stop like you promised.”

Godwin set down a bag near Annja. “You’ll find everything you need in there, Miss Creed.”

Annja looked at the bag and then back at Godwin. “My clothes?”

Godwin shrugged. “All new. With the equipment you might need for your work. If there’s anything else you require, please let me know and I’ll see that you get it as soon as possible.”

Annja glanced at Derek. “Is this more of your paid-for information at work?”

He shrugged. “Discerning your size isn’t much of a challenge. And we did enough research to know what you’d need. You’ll find it all there.”

“You must have been incredibly confident that I would agree to work with you.”

“I was.”

“Are you ever wrong?”

Derek smiled. “Only about my ex-wife.”

Annja allowed herself a small grin. “I’m hungry.”

Derek nodded. “Let’s get changed and meet back here in what—twenty minutes?”

“Sure.”

Derek handed the final key to Godwin. “You’ve secured the vehicle?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right, let’s see to our rooms.”

They walked down the corridor and one by one they each entered a room.

Annja took a moment to examine her surroundings. The room was small but functional. A single lamp on the bedside table gave off a warm glow of light. The bed was a double, big enough for one but not much more. Annja smiled to herself. As if she’d be getting lucky in a town like this.

She threw her bag on the bed and unzipped it. She pulled out three heavy sweaters, thermal underwear, fleece pants, lined jeans, turtlenecks and then a heavy parka, gloves and a thick woolen hat. Godwin had thoughtfully removed all the tags and stickers that would have marked the clothing as new. Annja couldn’t even see where he might have purchased the clothes from, but judging by the feel of them, they were expensive and perfectly suited to the environment she’d be operating in.

Annja stripped off her clothes and dressed in the thermal underwear, turtleneck, jeans and sweater before sliding into the parka. She looked at herself in the mirror and decided that the road hadn’t made her look like a total mess, although the cold was already working on her face. She’d need to remedy that before bed tonight.

She sat on the edge of the bed and took out her cell phone and punched in a number back in New York. The phone buzzed three times and then her voice mail at her place in Brooklyn picked up. Annja punched her code in and recorded a message she’d recorded a thousand times before.

“Hi, you’ve reached Annja Creed. I’m out digging in the dirt somewhere. Leave me a message and I’ll call you back once I get home.”

She disconnected and checked her watch. Time to go.

Back in the lobby, Godwin was already there, watching the satellite TV in the corner of the room. He looked up as Annja entered and nodded as if confirming something in his mind.

Annja did a quick pirouette as she entered. “You like?”

He almost smiled. “Everything fits you properly. That’s good. It means I did my job well.”

“Thank you,” Annja said. “I was a bit worried when I suddenly found myself employed earlier this afternoon.”

“Mr. Wainman was quite explicit in his instructions. I would be upset if something didn’t fit you properly. Up here in these parts, proper fit isn’t a matter of fashion—it’s a matter of survival. If your body heat isn’t adequately managed, you’ll die from exposure.”

“You sound like you know your way around these parts.”

“I do. My ancestors have lived in this area for generations. Longer than that even.”

“Araktak?”

He nodded. “I’m half. My father married outside the family. It didn’t go over so well, but then again, the course of true love never did run smooth. Isn’t that what they say?”

“Some of them.”

“Well, I’ve never really belonged to the family. My mother was an outsider, so her blood in mine makes me the same.”

“They won’t take you in as one of their own?”

“Not the Araktak. They’re far too proud to admit a half-breed.”

Annja frowned. “Their loss, then. From what I can see, they’d do well to accept you as family. You don’t look like you’d accept such discrimination easily.”

“I don’t.”

Derek came into the reception area. “I see your clothes fit you well.” He nodded at Godwin. “Excellent job.”

Godwin nodded. “Thanks.”

“Everyone hungry, then?” Derek asked. “Dinner’s on me.”

Annja glanced at the counterman, but he was engrossed in the television behind the counter. “Not on the company?” she asked.

Derek frowned. “We think it’s best if we don’t advertise the fact that we’re interested in this particular area.”

“But isn’t the deal at least somewhat known?”

“Only by those who need to know,” Derek said. “And at this point, it’s probably better that we don’t let anyone else in on our work. People in these parts are naturally suspicious of outsiders.”

Annja glanced at Godwin. “Is that true?”

He actually smiled. “Don’t know. I’m an outsider myself.”

When they left the inn the wind showed no signs of losing strength, and they walked quickly across the street to the steak house.

Another burst of heat greeted them inside. Annja took stock and while the restaurant was really not much more than a glorified bar, the tables and chairs looked comfortable enough.

A burly waitress ushered them into a booth and handed them each a menu. Derek glanced at his.

“I’d like your porterhouse cooked medium rare and a beer.”

Annja ordered the same thing and Godwin asked if there was any fish on the menu. When the waitress informed him there wasn’t, he settled for the sirloin.

Annja watched her walk away and then glanced at Godwin. “She didn’t exactly seem friendly.”

“Maybe she can see my mixed heritage. A lot of folks up here don’t trust the Inuit. And if she can figure out I’m Araktak, then she’ll have even more reason to be suspicious.”

“Why so?”

Derek cleared his throat. “Like I mentioned earlier, the Araktak are secretive. They’ve kept to themselves for hundreds of years. No one knows this land like they do, but they don’t often grant an audience to outsiders.”

“So how did your company ever get inroads with them?”

“Perseverance,” Derek said. “And Godwin.”

Annja looked at him. “I thought you said they wouldn’t accept you as one of their own.”

“They don’t. But since I carry my father’s name, they had to at least hear me out of respect for his lineage. I acted as the official go-between and got things settled for the company.”

“And it’s one of the reasons why he’ll be your constant companion on this venture,” Derek said. “The company wants one of its own on the inside while you work. It’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s that we don’t fully trust the Araktak.”

“Why not?”

“There have been some power shifts in the tribe. Some of the Araktak want to do away with the old traditions and embrace the new millennium. Others want nothing to do with the modern world and wish to retreat back into even more secrecy.”

“And how does everyone feel about the agreement with the company?”

“There’s been some…unpleasantness,” Derek said.

“What kind of unpleasantness?” Annja asked.

“The last representative we sent had a tough time gaining any type of relationship with the Araktak. They sent him back with a broken arm.”

Annja frowned. “And here I thought this wouldn’t be dangerous.”

Derek shrugged. “It’s yet another reason we wanted to work with you, Annja. Our information tells us that you are more than capable of holding your own in the event of…unpleasantness.”

“I suppose you could say that,” Annja said. “Although I would much prefer avoiding conflict if possible.”

“As would we. But given the tenuous nature of the situation, it would be wise if you were well prepared for any eventuality.”

Annja glanced at Godwin. “Is that another reason why you’re along on this?”

“Godwin is here to protect the interests of the company. And in this case, you are most definitely an ‘interest.’”

“How nice,” Annja said. “I hope you won’t have to do anything to protect me.”

Godwin shrugged. “It’s my job to be ready just in case.”

“What if you need protecting?”

He smirked. “That seems unlikely.”

“Been known to happen, though.”

Godwin shrugged. “If it happens, then I’ll deal with it. But I am much more interested in making sure nothing happens to you. Or the company’s position. It’s vital that this go through.”

Annja watched him for another minute before turning her attention to the beer the waitress had just set down in front of her. She took a sip and as she brought the glass down, something tickled her subconscious. Across from them, she could see two men at the bar taking more than a passing interest in their table.

Godwin might just get a chance to show his skills sooner than he’d thought. Annja smiled and took a sip of her beer. At least some action would get her blood moving.

4

Annja took another sip of her beer. The two men at the bar were growing impatient judging by the way they jostled against the counter. Annja glanced at Godwin. “I think we might be attracting some interest.”

Godwin’s dark eyes flashed over to the bar and he nodded once. “Sure seem to be.”

“Friends of yours?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. But it doesn’t matter. They apparently think they know me or know of me. Either way, it could get messy in here.”

Derek struggled to hear them over the din. “What are you two babbling about over there?”

Annja smiled. “It seems as though some of Godwin’s friends might be looking to join us.”

“Friends?”

“It’s a loose term.” Annja shrugged. “Really depends on how you feel about people who want to break your bones.”

Godwin glanced at Derek. “Mr. Wainman, there’s a chance we might have some trouble here very shortly. Whether we want it or not.”

Derek frowned. “We haven’t even eaten dinner yet.”

Annja grinned some more. “I’ve found these types rarely have a good sense of timing.”

Derek looked at Godwin. “Can you handle it?”

“Most certainly.”

Annja stretched her arms overhead. “Well, I’m not missing out on the fun.”

Godwin shook his head. “It’s not your fight.”

“It is my prerogative, however,” Annja said. “And I need a bit of activity to keep my muscles in shape.”

The bigger of the two men came off the bar then, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Godwin. Annja figured he must have weighed over two hundred pounds, given that even the thick shirt he wore couldn’t disguise the mass underneath. He had his huge hands tightly squeezed into fists.

Behind him, the smaller man followed, but he was by no means the lesser of the two threats. Annja saw that he kept his right hand tucked in his back pocket. She frowned. A knife. It had to be a knife of some sort.

Great.

The big man managed ten steps before he stopped and pointed a finger at Godwin. “You there. You’re Araktak, ain’cha?”

Godwin shrugged. “Part.”

“Part? You mean you’re a bastard, too? What was it, your mother or your father that couldn’t stand to be with his own people?”

“What business is it of yours?”

The big man growled. “I don’t like Araktak.”

“I’m sure the feeling is mutual.”

The big man edged closer. “I don’t like them because they stole my land from my family.”

Godwin shrugged. “The Araktak have been in this area for the better part of a thousand years. How long has your family been here?”

“Don’t matter,” the big man said. “They took what didn’t belong to them. And my family lost everything thanks to that no-good government being all concerned for the Inuit scum.”

Godwin nodded. “Well, you have my sympathies, if it makes any difference to you at all.”

“It don’t,” the big man said. “Because to me, the only good Araktak is a dead Araktak.”

Annja sighed. “God should strike down whichever idiot first coined that expression. Only the brainless still use it.”

The big man frowned. “Last I checked, this conversation weren’t about you, little lady.”

Annja laughed. “‘Little lady’?”

The big man nodded. “Just keep yer pretty little mouth shut and you won’t get hurt.”

Annja rose from the table. “And suppose—just suppose—I feel like opening my mouth? What then?”

“Then you get it closed.”

Annja smiled widely. She could feel her blood coursing through her as her heart pumped. She flexed her hands, knowing that her energy was cresting.

She glanced back at Godwin, who had moved closer to the edge of the booth seat. She pointed at the smaller of the two men. “Watch out for the blade that guy has in his right back pocket.”

Godwin nodded. “Got it.”

Annja looked back at the big man. “I’m not going to close my mouth, so I guess you’ll just have to do it for me.”

The big man frowned. “Fine by me, you dumb bitch.”

But as he started forward, Annja jumped, twisting as she did so until her right foot was aimed straight at the big man’s chin. She moved so fast that the man didn’t have a chance to track her and in the next moment, Annja’s foot slammed into the side of his chin with a solid crack.

To his credit, the man didn’t go down. He grunted once and then swatted the air where Annja had been, catching her with a backhand fist on the side of her head.

Annja saw stars, but blinked the pain away as she dropped to the ground and rolled to get some distance. The big man came charging forward.

“You think I won’t kick a girl’s ass? You’re about to find out you’re very mistaken.”

Annja frowned. That kick should have knocked him out. She came up on the balls of her feet and feinted with a jab that the big man fell for. Annja ducked and drove a sharp right hook into his floating ribs.

The thick shirt absorbed most of the impact.

The man brought his hands together and dropped them down on the back of Annja’s back. Annja thought she heard a crack but then the floor rushed to greet her.

Not good, she thought. As long as he’s standing, this contest isn’t going to go well.

She was briefly aware that Godwin had moved to engage the smaller man. The man had a curved knife out in front of him, flashing through the air in vicious swipes.

The big man charged her again. Annja stayed on one knee and as he came in, she pivoted, sweeping her left leg out to attack the back of the big man’s knees.

It worked and he lost his balance, going down hard on his butt.

Annja leaped up and brought her elbow down into his stomach. She heard a rush of air go out of his lungs and the air around her stunk with the smell of liquor. She blanched and rolled away. “Gross.”

But even her elbow strike to his stomach didn’t stop her opponent, and he rolled over and got to his feet with surprising quickness for someone of his size. He brought his hands together and frowned at Annja.

“Now you’ve made me mad.”

Annja grabbed a chair from the closest table and smashed it over his head as he charged again. The wooden frame splintered nicely over his skull and this time, he went down and stayed down.

Annja took a breath and then checked to make sure he was finally unconscious.

Godwin was still working on getting the edge with his attacker. The smaller man was clearly more skilled than his oafish counterpart. The way he handled the knife told Annja that he’d used it many times in the past, probably with great effect.

He cut the air with short, clipped circles, keeping Godwin at bay. But Annja sensed no impatience in Godwin’s body movement. He seemed content to let the smaller man wear himself out.

The man noted that his comrade was down for the count and then made his error. He feinted with a thrust and then jerked it out in a wider arc than he had before. Godwin’s eyes twinkled for just a moment and then he pivoted inside the arc, driving his elbow deep into the smaller man’s solar plexus. His hands clamped down on the arm wielding the knife, and Annja heard a pop as Godwin dislocated the man’s elbow and the knife skittered clear.

The smaller man screamed as Godwin stepped back and let the now-useless limb drop harmlessly to the smaller man’s side.

Godwin stooped and retrieved the knife. He turned it over and frowned. “I haven’t seen one like this in a very long time.”

Annja walked over to him. “What?”

Godwin showed it to her. The knife seemed to curve closer to the tip, but Annja could also see that the blade had an edge on both sides. It seemed perfect for stabbing through multiple layers and then hooking to inflict grievous injury.

“This is an assassin’s weapon,” Godwin said.

“Assassin?”

Godwin nodded. “Certain tribes among the Inuit have secret aspects of their tribes. When the white man started encroaching on their lands, some among the tribes resolved to use their skill and cunning to inflict terror among the new settlers.”

“Did it work?”

“Not really. The settlers kept coming. It was inevitable, I suppose. But the traditions of the assassins have been passed down regardless. It used to be something much more honorable than it apparently has become.”

Godwin looked at the smaller man. “Where did you get this?”

“I won it in a poker game.”

“I don’t believe that,” Annja said. “Judging by how you used it, someone taught you some basics.”

“I don’t believe it, either,” Godwin said. “No assassin would ever let something like this out of his sight. It means too much to them. It’s their badge of acceptance within the ranks. However you came to own this blade, it couldn’t have been respectable.”

The smaller man massaged his arm. “Maybe someone wants you dead, half-breed. Maybe they want you dead bad enough to send a couple of us at you so they can see what sort of target you’d make.”

Godwin glanced at Annja. “What do you think?”

Annja shrugged. “I think you should have knocked him unconscious like I did with his friend. That way, you can just avoid all the useless talk after the fact.”

Godwin raised his eyebrows. “Interesting point.”

He backhanded the smaller man right between the eyes. There was the briefest moment of shock on the smaller man’s face before his eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground.

Quiet settled in the bar and Godwin looked at Annja. “You’re right. That’s much better.”

From behind the bar, a hulking bear of a man stepped out. Annja spun to meet his advance but he held up his hands. “Excuse me, folks, just need to take the garbage out.”

He reached down and scooped up both men and then ran them out the door of the bar. A round of applause went up from the rest of the patrons as the bartender came back inside clapping his hands.

Annja was concerned. “They’ll be okay out there in the snow?”

The bartender shrugged. “Not my problem anymore. They attacked two patrons. Whatever happens to them next is their own business. Not mine. Far as I’m concerned, you two did what was necessary. The cops are on their way to collect them.”

“Thanks.”

He shook his head. “Didn’t like them anyway. They’ve been hanging around here for the last week looking like they were expecting something to happen at any moment. Put a real drag on the place. Hurt my business. Them getting their asses handed to them was long overdue, I’d expect.”

“Happy to oblige,” Annja said.

The bartender smiled. “I think your dinners’ll be right up, so have a seat and I’ll send them over.”

Annja and Godwin sat down. Derek had worked his way through most of his beer. He hefted his glass at Godwin. “Nicely done.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Derek turned to Annja. “Nice to see that our information checks out on that front, as well.”

Annja frowned. “I hate proving you right.”

Derek smiled. “Well, at least we both know that if something happens, you’ll be able to take care of it. And if you can’t, then Godwin here can be pressed into service, as well.”

Annja took a sip of her beer. She also had her sword. Although part of her wondered if perhaps Derek knew something about that, too. The thought did little to comfort her.