WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  Ron nodded in agreement, headed around to the other side, and climbed into the driver’s seat. After lifting his mask, he twisted his torso to peer into the back at Officer Bartonella as the warmth in the cab started to thaw him. “By the way, my name is Ron Jenkins. I work at the lodge, head of the ski patrol. What’s his name? Never seen him around here either.”

  “He must not be a local then. The only name he gave is Jonas. He didn’t have a wallet on him when I found him. Glad you came along. We surely would’ve frozen to death out here.”

  “Divine intervention at work.” Ron grinned when the officer smiled and gave him a nod. “How bout some music? I got country, country, or country.”

  “Country it is.”

  As Ron reached to crank up the music, the wounded man stirred and moaned, “I hurt … help me.”

  “Quiet, you’re going to be alright. A surgeon will remove the bullet and fix you right up soon. Relax.”

  “But … aaawww.”

  Turning his head, Ron found the man insentient again. “What happened?”

  “Bleeding restarted … had to apply pressure to his wound. Best if we hurry. Don’t want him dying on my watch.”

  Ron put the snowcat in gear and pushed the vehicle to the limits for the second time today.

  General Store

  Banging on the door alerted Landry and Maisie to someone else being out in the storm. “It’s like a darned thoroughfare in here, Maisie. Don’t folks realize this is the blizzard of the century and shouldn’t be out gallivanting?”

  Maisie hurried for the store’s door and called back, “Might be Scott on his way back. I sure hope he found help for Dan.” She opened the portal and recognized the man, or rather his snowsuit, his face still covered to prevent heat loss. “Ron! Dear boy, come inside this instant.” She tugged Ron inside and closed the door. “What are you doing out in this mess?”

  Landry finally made it to the store area. “Ron, my boy. Checking on us? No need. We’re snug as a bug here.”

  Ron pulled up his ski mask and grinned. Maisie and Landry Craig held a special spot in his heart. They embraced him from the moment he moved here to live with his aunt ten years ago. Robin, his biological dad, the one who loved, cherished, and wanted him, was beaten to death by a gang of radicalized and violent homophobes outside Woody’s Wonderland bar in Edmonton.

  Less than a month after Robin died, his other father, Chuck, ran off and left him, choosing a new love interest over his kid. Two days later, still grieving, alone, scared, and wondering what would happen to him ... where he would live and what he’d eat when the little money he had ran out, or if Chuck would come back, his life changed forever with a knock on the apartment door.

  A young, petite, auburn-haired Mountie with compassionate, hazel eyes stood beside a dour-looking child services woman who informed him Chuck and his new lover were killed when they crashed into the back of a semi. The social worker shipped him halfway across the country to Aunt Stella, his only living relative, who didn’t want him either but didn’t shirk what she called her duty to provide him food and a place to sleep until he turned eighteen.

  The saving grace for an unwanted and confused fourteen-year-old came in the form of two elderly firecrackers, a tight-knit community, and skiing. He ended up with the tag to his name of ‘my boy’ the first day he met the Craigs, and though now fully grown, both persisted in using it. He would forever be their boy, and they would always be his loving grandparents. Lack of a biological connection didn’t matter.

  After giving Maisie a quick hug, Ron said, “Scott, the man you saved, arrived at the lodge on your snowmobile. How that old thing made it there, I’ll never know. Used the snowcat to take his cousin to Craig Hospital.”

  Landry smiled. He had done the right thing eons ago by establishing a small hospital here, to provide emergency care in this remote area. He handed off the running of it to Dr. Norman Howard when he retired nine years ago. “I’m pleased you helped the young feller. So, whatcha doing back out?”

  “We have a bit of a problem. Unfortunately, Dr. Howard went home with the flu before Dr. Lennox arrived. The new resident, Dr. Chardin, is handling most things well according to Minna, but apparently, Ethan Trimble needs an appendectomy and—”

  Landry interrupted, “Maisie, grab my bag and our outerwear, please. We’re going to help little Ethan.”

  “I’ll gather your gear, honey, but I can stay here.”

  Landry gazed at the love of his life. “Not leaving you alone here, my dear. Please, no arguing, my love.” He grinned when Maisie hurried off.

  “Oh, and there is a man in my snowcat with a gunshot wound.” Ron went on to explain the situation as they waited for Maisie to return.

  Snowcat

  His eyes blinking open, Jonas stared up at his brother with confusion. He moaned as he shifted slightly. “Why did you press so hard? That hurt bad.”

  Noah brushed his little brother’s cheek with a finger. “Sorry I had to. You’ve been in and out a lot and not quite lucid in the past day. I couldn’t risk you saying anything you shouldn’t.”

  Becoming aware of a change in location, Jonas asked, “Where are we?”

  “In a snowcat.”

  “Where is the … did you kill the owner?”

  “No. I came up with a different plan. Almost shot him when he stopped at the Mountie’s truck and knocked on the window. But when he told me he had to go pick up a surgeon for the hospital, I choose to impersonate the pig.”

  “Wasn’t that the plan all along? That’s why you stripped him and put on his clothes.” Jonas moaned again as his shoulder throbbed. “I hurt. God, it hurts so much.”

  “Shush. You’ll be okay soon. If you had not been so rash and fired at the cop when he approached the car, you wouldn’t have been hit by his return fire. I could’ve handled him.”

  “The only good cop is a dead one. His hand was on the gun. I couldn’t let him recognize us and radio someone, but the fat pig moved so fast.”

  “Not fast enough for my shot. Right between the eyes. Got what he deserved for shooting you.”

  “You always take care of me. How are we gonna get away from the hospital after they fix me up?”

  Noah glanced out the window. “We don’t have much time before they come back. Here’s the plan. I’m Officer Bartonella. Remember … Bartonella. I told the guy your name is Jonas, but you didn’t have any identification on you. I picked you up after you were carjacked and left for dead.”

  Jonas chuckled then groaned with the pain his slight movement caused. “Wonder where you came up with that story?”

  A grin crossed Noah’s face as he recalled jacking the car and putting two slugs in the owner’s chest as they drove away. “History repeating itself, I suppose. But we wouldn’t be stupid enough not to ensure the person was dead before we left. Anyway, you’re a helpless victim, and I’m a new Mountie.

  “Once you’re patched up, we’ll steal the snowcat and get the hell out of this deep freeze before anyone figures out who we are. Now, you rest and try not to speak. If they ask for your last name, pretend to blackout or be confused. Can you do that, little bro?”

  “Yeah.” Fatigue and blood loss tugged him down once again, and Jonas went willingly to escape the ever-present pain.

  General Store

  As Maisie returned carrying a massive load in her arms, Ron reached out to take some things from her as he concluded the other detail he wanted to convey after Landry asked about Dan’s condition. “And with no lab tech available, Vanessa isn’t able to determine if it is MRSA. He’s in bad shape with a high fever, which is causing him to hallucinate. From what Scott shared, Dan doesn’t do well on some medications, and they can’t contact his main doctor for information.”

  Landry rested his cane against a shelf and slipped on his jacket. “Well, it appears it will be a long night.”

  As the Craigs put on their hats and gloves, Ron spied a plastic container next to Landry’s bag. “What�
��s in the container?”

  Maisie smiled. “Chicken soup, of course. You, my boy, are lookin’ plumb tuckered out. You need something warm and nutritious in your belly.”

  “Mmmm, love your soup. Let me help Landry out first, then I’ll return for you.” Ron grabbed the doctor’s bag.

  “Pisssh. I can trundle along fine by myself.” Maisie picked up her container.

  “My dear, the wind will blow you over. Please, allow our boy to assist you.”

  “Harrumph. This getting old is for the birds. Very well, if it will make you happy, old man, I’ll wait, though I could do it myself.”

  Landry planted a kiss on Maisie’s cheek. “Thanks, young lady.”

  Ron hid his smirk as he opened the door and put an arm around Landry’s waist to steady him as they made their way to the rear driver’s side, and helped him up so he could assess the injured man. When he returned, he flashed Maisie a grin as he swept her off her feet and carried the grandmother of his heart to the front passenger side of the snowcat while she grumbled about being more able to walk than Landry.

  Loki’s Prize and Odd Vibe

  32

  November 24

  Hospital – IT Closet – 5:25 p.m.

  Becoming more frustrated as time passed, Loki continued to fiddle with the CB radio. He got it working, but found nothing but dead air on every channel he tried. He figured only truckers routinely used CBs now, and they had fallen out of fashion with all but the most die-hard fans, survivalists, and some doomsday-preppers who expected to be readily-equipped for an apocalypse. In the age of smartphones and video games, kids appeared uninterested in them or the short-wave crystal radio, the crowning achievement of his childhood.

  He leaned back after trying the last channel for the tenth time. Loki checked his watch, noting they had been at the hospital for about two hours. He wondered if Ron was back with Doc Landry yet. Pushing up from the chair, he decided to check on Dan and Scott.

  Tired and not cognizant of his foot placement, he tripped and caught himself on the shelving unit. Unfortunately, the rickety thing wobbled and began to tip over. Loki managed to steady it before everything came crashing down, but a few things were dislodged from the top shelf and ended up on the floor.

  Taking a moment to settle after the slight fright, Loki chuckled as he imagined himself lying on the ground with the stupid shelf on top of him. Scott and Dan would laugh at him for being a klutz, and if the team ever found out, they would razz him too.

  He bent down to retrieve the fallen items. “Hot diggity dogs!” Loki yelled as he picked up a box. He opened it quickly, hoping the carton had not been reused for something else. His face split into a broad grin as he rushed to the ER with his unexpected find. This is way better than any prize I ever got in my cereal boxes.

  Hospital – ER Treatment Area

  Loki sauntered in with his eyes dancing like a six-year-old on Christmas morning after opening his Santa gift and finding exactly what he asked for, as he called out, “Lookie what I found.”

  Minna rushed over to him. “Shhhh. They are both sleeping.”

  Still upbeat, Loki silently displayed his prize to Minna.

  She grinned. “A satellite phone! You found one. Where? How? Does it work?”

  “Just took a graceful move and a bit of luck.” When Minna looked at him confused, he confessed. “Nearly toppled the shelving unit on me. It was on top. I only hope the fall didn’t damage it.” Glancing over at Scott, he sighed. “I wanted to ask Scott who would be best to call to muster up the cavalry.”

  Perplexed by the wording, Minna stared at Loki. “Cavalry?”

  Vanessa interrupted before Loki could answer as she entered and noted the phone in Loki’s hand. “Impressive. You conjure that out of thin air?”

  Loki chuckled. “Nah. Seems like Felix’s equipment doesn’t all belong in the stone age. Your internet is down, and I had no luck reaching anyone via the CB either. Need Scott to tell me which one of the Brodericks to contact. Actually, I planned to let him make the call. Dan’s dad can be quite scary when his son is hurt, and although I’ve talked with Scott’s dad before, Erik might prefer to hear directly from Scott.”

  Vanessa smiled. She liked the name Broderick. It was not the most common name, but it not rare either. Her high school biology teacher had been Miss Broderick until she got married several years later. Mrs. McKnight inspired her to go for her dreams and was the reason she saved enough throughout high school to attend two years of university.

  When her money ran out, and she failed to obtain any of the scholarships she applied for, Vanessa went to visit her favorite and best teacher for a pep talk. Vicky suggested she try for a brand-new scholarship and provided her the application paperwork. She often wondered if Vicky and the woman in whose memory she received an award were related. Her former teacher never said anything, and Vanessa never asked.

  Now she pondered if Scott and Dan might possess a familial connection to either woman. Curious, she inquired, “Are Scott or Dan related to Vicky or Sara Broderick?”

  “Why?” Loki blinked.

  “My favorite high school teacher, Mrs. Vicky McKnight, formerly Broderick, inspired me to chase my dreams, and she is the one who told me about the BMH scholarship. I received the first-ever Sara Yvonne Broderick grant. And well, wouldn’t it be amazing if they were?”

  Loki beamed. “Well, count yourself amazed. Vicky is Scott’s sister.” His smile dimmed. “And Sara was Dan’s. She died when she was seven … hit by a vehicle on the way home from the park. Best if you don’t bring Sara up around Dan. He watched his little sister die, and well, he still has a difficult time with her death.”

  Vanessa sucked in a breath as her gaze moved to Dan. “Oh, my. I always assumed Sara to be an adult, a wife, a mother, perhaps a loved grandmother, but not a child. That is so sad.”

  “Well, on the positive side, you became a doctor because of Vicky’s encouragement and with the help of Sara’s memorial scholarship. Now you can repay both by caring for their brothers.” Minna paused before re-querying Loki. “And what about this cavalry you speak of?”

  Still processing the Dantastic weirdness effect of the connection Vanessa had via Vicky and Sara’s award, Loki shared, “Dan’s father oversees Special Forces, and Scott’s is Naval Commander Broderick. General Broderick will likely attempt to move heaven and earth for Dan, but I’m not sure if he is even in country. The commander might be the better bet because he would be able to contact his brother if the general isn’t in Ottawa.”

  The women shared an astonished glance, and Vanessa was about to say they should wait for Landry’s assessment before requesting further assistance when Ron popped his head in the door and said, “Got an injured man in the cat. Doc Landry and Maisie will need help down. Can you please help me, Loki?”

  “Certainly.” Loki set the satellite phone box on Scott’s bed and hurried to the entrance, followed by Vanessa and Minna.

  Hospital – ER Entrance – 5:40 p.m.

  Loki grabbed his jacket, which he earlier discarded on a waiting room chair and said to Ron, “Lead the way.” He glanced at the Mountie laying another man on a gurney, and an odd vibe rippled through him. Something seemed off, wrong, and slightly familiar, but he followed Ron outside.

  Moving to the semi-conscious man, Vanessa asked, “What happened?”

  As he unzipped and shed the bulky jacket, dropping it on one of the seats, Noah relayed their concocted tale, “Two days ago, Jonas was carjacked and shot by the perp who stole his car. I did what I could to care for him, but we’ve been stuck in my patrol vehicle since shortly after the storm blew in.

  “The old doctor said the cold probably helped save his life, slowing the bleeding, but he still lost a great deal of blood, and the bullet is still in his shoulder. He needs surgery now.”

  Minna took some initial vitals and conveyed them as Vanessa lifted the dressing for a quick peek at the wound. “Minna, let’s move him to the ER.”

 
; As they began pushing the bed, the officer started to follow them, and Vanessa said, “Stay here, please. We don’t have much room back there.”

  Noah didn’t want to leave Jonas. “He’s comfortable with me. I need to stay with him in case he remembers additional details. And he may panic if I’m not present, especially after his ordeal.”

  “We’ll ensure Jonas receives excellent care,” Vanessa assured the constable, not realizing her patient woke more fully as they conversed.

  With agony-filled and somewhat unfocused eyes on his older brother, Jonas reached out a hand as he slurred, “Noah, help me. Oh God, it friggin’ hurts. Make the pain go away.”

  Anguish ran through Noah at Jonas’ pleading, and he wanted to comfort his brother by remaining at his side, but he must maintain this façade for now. His voice broke a bit as he spoke, “I should’ve radioed for an ambulance, but I believed it would be faster to drive him here with the storm approaching. Regrettably, a deer darted across the road, causing me to go into a ditch, and well, I only had minimal first aid items. His pain has been all-consuming. Please give him painkillers as soon as possible.”

  Stepping towards his younger brother and taking the outstretched hand into his, Noah’s voice softened as he managed to find professional verbiage, which would also reassure Jonas. “Don’t worry. They’re going to take real fine care of you. Rest easy. I’m here to keep you safe.”

  Minna appreciated the compassion shown by the constable to the victim but noted he constantly hitched up his loose pants and his shirt appeared at least two sizes too big. Her dad and uncle worked for the RCMP, and they would be unhappy with this officer’s appearance. In addition to the ill-fitting uniform and missing name badge, his long hair brushing against his collar and not trimmed over his ears didn’t conform to the grooming standards. Though having spent two days in his vehicle tending to a wounded man, they would’ve given him slack for the scruffy stubble and bloodstains on his uniform.