Wisps of Snow

by Ross Richdale

  "Welcome to Tuckett Area School," Karla replied as she shook their hands. "I am sorry it is such trying circumstances. Please take a seat."

  Both men sat down and the police superintendent began with a question.

  "Have you heard from your husband or the children since their abduction, Mrs Spicer?" he asked.

  "I'm afraid not." She head spun and she grabbed the edge of her desk to steady herself as the seriousness of the situation rushed into her mind and forced back tears.

  Superintendent Pierce glanced at Air Vice Marshal Max Wilderthorn. "Do you wish to tell Mrs Spicer our news?"

  The man looked a typical military man, stern faced and uncompromising. However, he did smile and brought a mobile phone from his pocket. It had an almost old fashioned bulky appearance. "It's more than your common commercial mobile, Mrs Spicer," he said. "The satellite station in Canterbury picked up a text message earlier today and forwarded it to myself. Would you like to read it?"

  Karla nodded, took the instrument handed to her and read the screen message.

  Please contact Tuckett Area School. We are stranded at Middle Ridge Hut. Ryan, the kids and myself are safe. The bastard tried to blow us up after he left us here. Coira Williams.

  "One of your pupils, I believe?" the air vice marshal asked.

  Karla's lips quivered but before she could do a thing, found tears streaming down her face before she managed a nod.

  "I DON'T LIKE IT, VIKTOR," the man dressed in a business suit muttered in English as he stared out the window as the helicopter flew up above the mountain hut. Top Ridge Hut was another one a day's tramp further on from Middle Ridge but was at a lower altitude from the one where they had left the children. It was only now mid-afternoon that the fog had thinned a little and the pilot said they could leave.

  Vikor Bogomolov glowered. "It will be clear at the other hut. You are the one who wants the video, Khalid." He also spoke English for it was the only language that they could communicate in. He didn't understand Arabic and Khalid Hakim knew no Russian, his home language.

  "True. We need to get photos of the destroyed hut and with luck even photos of a couple of bodies. Pity your colleague let a woman stop him from completing the coup de grace but together with the shots of that spineless principal it will make up a fine video to release on iTube," Hakim retorted.

  Vikor Bogomolov grimaced. "I thought you didn't like western organisations." He was almost regretting the alliance the casino had made with this splinter terrorist group but at the time it seemed a good way to recover bad debts from worldwide punters. Once the videos of what would happen to those who reneged on their debts were distributed, his bosses were sure that the millions of American dollars owed to them would start arriving.

  "They serve their purposes. Once we show the world that there is nowhere in the world safe from the Haqq Nar we can begin the real revolution."

  "Haqq Nar?"

  Hakim shrugged and appeared to relax a little as they flew above the blanket of fog. "True Fire in English."

  The pair lapsed into silence for small talk in English was hardly worth the effort. Ten minutes later the snow covered ridge appeared and also Hakim's angry outburst.

  "Look at it! You said that bomb would blow up the hut and kill everyone inside!"

  Vikor stared in misbelief for below them was the hut with no sign of damaged. There was nobody around but footprints in the fresh snow showed where adults and children had been playing. A snowman a few metres from the building confirmed that everyone had survived. No doubt they were all inside hiding from them.

  "The bomb would have exploded but look!" He piloted the helicopter low over the building and saw blackened and sharp rocks poking out of snow a few hundred metres beyond the building. So they had dragged the kitbag away and it exploded without damaging or killing anybody. He was beginning to give a grudging credit to his enemy.

  Hakim glowered, muttered something in his own language and brought a handgun out of his pocket. "Land and I'll dispose of them." He turned and the eyes of a fanatic stared at Bogomolov. "You make sure you get it all on video. Perhaps we can achieve our aims in spite of your organisation's second foul up."

  The Russian shrugged. The ruthlessness of his companion was even cold blooded in his mind. To explode a bomb was impersonal but to assassinate children as well as adults ... at least he was safe for he knew his passenger could not fly a helicopter.

  "I'll land on that small plateau up from the hut. It's the closest flat place."

  "Do that," Hakim checked his weapon, placed a second clip of bullets in his pocket and glanced down. It was strange how this ruthless killer was nervous about flying in a helicopter.

  Vikor dipped to the left as he brought the helicopter around when something caught his eye. White tracer bullets curved across the air before them. He heard Hakim curse in his own language as he turned his head. A massive grey military helicopter was flying directly towards them. At the same time, words crackled in his headphones. "Calling helicopter ZK-ZPU, this is the Royal New Zealand Air Force. You will abort your present and turn away from Middle Ridge Hut now!"

  "Fly into the hut!" Hakim screamed and pointed his handgun at him. "Do it!"

  "What?" For the first time since he was a child about to be thrashed by his father, Vikor felt fear rise in his throat. "I can't do that!"

  "Then I will, you cowardly infidel!"

  Vikor saw the flash come from the gun barrel before he heard the explosion and felt piercing pain in his chest. In that searing pain and spinning vision he saw his mother standing by the door as his father pulled his belt from his trousers. She was crying!

  "Net!" he screamed and before his assassin could grab the controls, he tilted the helicopter to the left and pushed the throttle forward. Outside, the bank became a blur as they plunged down with the motor screaming before there was a bang and a smell of burning aviation fuel was the last thing he remembered.

  KARLA STARED IN HORROR at the scene outside from where she sat on a seat halfway back in the Eurocopter NH90 helicopter. Her nerves were already frayed by the recent sound of the machine gun bullets and seeing them arch away before the red and white helicopter. To her, it appeared that the bullets were well in front of the other machine so why did it accelerate before tipping to the side and without warning, slide sideways and plunge down the valley side?

  Seconds later she saw it hit something, tip and plunge into the ground. An explosion followed in a fireball of orange flames and black smoke before it disappeared out of sight as their pilot manoeuvred their machine around and rose back over the hut.

  "Did that pilot make an error or was it a deliberate suicidal move, Pilot Officer Avery?" Air Vice Marshal Wilderthorn said in an icy calm voice.

  Superintendent David Pierce, the only other person aboard gave Karla a reassuring nod from his seat opposite her but said nothing.

  "It was a deliberate but unexpected move, Sir," Avery replied as a secondary explosion below shook their helicopter.

  "Thank you. You did everything by the book, Gary," Wilderthorn added and turned to face Karla. "Everything indicated that the pilot of that craft was heading directly for the hut." He turned his eyes to the policeman. "Confirms what we suspected, doesn't it David?"

  The Superintendent nodded but appeared grim.

  "And what was that?" Karla asked.

  "Allies told us that known terrorists were coming to Queenstown but we will explain everything to you later."

  "I don't like children being used as bait, Superintendent Pierce," she retorted with anger in her voice. "If we arrived just a few minutes later..."

  "We had their helicopter traced from the moment it took off, Karla," Wilderthorn said in a soft voice. "We could have arrived earlier if it was necessary."

  "It could have been a disaster if we were on the ground and loading the children when it arrived, Ma'am," Pilot Officer Avery added. "We had to anticipate his movements to ensure maximum safety for those on the ground."

/>   "But you didn't, did you?" Karla almost spat. "Why didn't you stop the helicopter before it even took off?"

  She glowered outside but the sight of children and adults waving from the hut veranda calmed her down a little.

  "We didn't know where they had hidden over night," the air-vice marshal explained. "The other hut was just one of dozens of possible places where they could have gone. These remote hills are not covered by commercial or military radar so we relied on satellite reconnaissance to find it. We were actually talking to you in your school office when the message that it was airborne came though."

  Karla nodded. "Sorry, I didn't intend to be disrespectful."

  "No apology is necessary." Wilderthorn smiled just that fraction. "Sometimes I think you teachers have a far more difficult job than we have."

  They lapsed into silence as the pilot throttled back and hovered before slowly descending onto virgin snow. There was a flurry of snow stirred up by the rotors, they wobbled a little, the skids beneath them found solid ground and Gary Avery cut the engines.

  He turned and grinned at Karla. "We've arrived, Ma'am," he said. "Hope the landing wasn't too worrying."

  Karla caught his eyes. "It was perfect, thank you. Can I open the door?"

  "Sure. Pull up the lock and it just slides across. Be careful though. That snow out there is pretty slushy."

  Karla stepped out and looked up. All the kids were racing up the little slope towards them with Ryan standing at the back. He must have seen her for he shouted out something and waved frantically, before he scooped one of the little ones in his arms and charged up the hill.

  Not even the distant bellowing black smoke from the valley beyond the hut stopped the elation that seized her at that moment. Everyone was safe! That was all that mattered.

  CHAPTER 13

  That evening Karla glanced at Ryan. She had expected the news about the abduction and rescue would be the top news on the six o'clock news on the two main networks. They had both stations showing on two televisions with the little bedroom set brought into the living room. However, neither channel mentioned the news. It was six-fifteen before the TV-3 newsreader came on with a video of the hut and a column of smoke behind.

  "We have a news-breaking report of a helicopter crash in Central Otago. An unconfirmed report by an hunter who sent us this video states that he believes a tourist helicopter crashed while attempting to land at Middle Range Hut ..." No mention was made of the RNZAF helicopter nor anything about the abduction and rescue and seemingly in the middle of the clip, the scene switched to advertisements that dragged on. Afterwards the newsreader came back to apologise for technical difficulties and continued on with other news. Nothing more was broadcast and the other channel made no mention of the entire incident.

  "It's been censored," Ryan muttered. "Normally something like this would be filled with reports and we'd be hounded by television teams arriving for shots and interviews."

  The phone rang and Karla answered.

  "Patricia Williams, Karla. Did you get a call from the police?"

  "No but we noticed the news about the abduction was cut off on TV-3 and TV-1 never broadcast a thing."

  "No networks were meant to broadcast anything. There is a blanket band on everything and we were told, not asked to say nothing to anyone."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know."

  Karla clicked off and turned to Ryan. "Wilderthorn hinted that terrorists, that overseas casino and everything else with Don Trow are all tied in."

  "But why the censorship of the news?"

  "I suspect that the terrorists want the publicity. What would suit their cause more than to show that one of the more remote liberal democracies is not immune to their terrorism? That guy who abducted us admitted we were just pawns."

  "So what do we do now?"

  "Just say nothing and carry on. No doubt the police will contact us tomorrow."

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Thursday the second to last day of the term, Ryan felt apprehensive as he drove the bus through the pine plantation. It was irrational he knew but his heart thumped when he drove towards the corner where they had been abducted. There was nothing there and he relaxed as he drove on. Unexpectedly, all six children were waiting at the end of the route, as was the Williams' 4x4.

  He stopped and the passengers tumbled in, with the smaller ones first and grins on their faces.

  Aria Meadows clutched her backpack and smiled at him. "Ryan, I'm going to tell everyone about the huge snowman we built," she said.

  "How nice," he replied and grinned to himself. After all the drama including the crashing helicopter, this little girl found the snowman was her highlight. Children were certainly resilient.

  Coira appeared more subdued but gave him a slight smile. "You look better when you've had a shave," she said and sat in one of the front seats that was unusual for, until now she had always headed to a back seat.

  Hamish followed and grinned. "Mum wants to talk to you," he said and nodded back to where Patricia Williams sat in her vehicle with the driver's window down.

  "Right," Ryan replied. He climbed out of the bus and walked across to her.

  She looked quite tired and started with an apology for getting him out of the bus, "It was better than two nights ago but last night was hard. All the younger ones kept waking up and wanted to talk or just hug Nathan or myself. I wanted to keep them home today but everyone insisted on going to school. Can I follow you through the plantation and meet you on the town side to escort you back again tonight?" She grimaced. "We've travelled through there for years without giving the isolation a thought but now... if it affects us as adults like that, how will it affect the kids?"

  "They'll bounce back," Ryan said and told her about Aria's highlight and that Coira was at that moment sitting at the front of the bus. "I think the elder two will take longer to get over it." He smiled. "Of course I'd like the escort. I felt apprehensive as I drove through on the way here."

  Patricia nodded. "In many ways, Coira is more mature than Hamish but is more moody, too She doesn't really say much but her little comments show she is enjoys school now, or until this incident happened, much more than before Karla and you arrived. You know, 'Karla's no stuck up, bitch, Mum,' and so forth."

  Ryan laughed and told Patricia about the girl's comment about his shave.

  "That's her way of saying thanks," Patricia said. She reached out and squeezed his hand. "I know everything was said yesterday but thank you from the bottom of my heart. Having Karla and you at Tuckett is godsend."

  Ryan coughed in embarrassment. "Thanks Patricia but I'd better get going. Can't have them worrying if we arrive late."

  THAT EVENING KARLA arrived on time for the board of trustees meeting but found they were all there before her. The atmosphere was warm, as was the smell of coffee and the selection of sandwiches and muffins on the coffee table in the centre of the staffroom. Sonya and probably the other members' wives had been doing some home cooking.

  "Thought we'd munch and have coffee while we talked rather than waiting until afterwards," Sonya said. "After such a nervous week..."

  Even Ian and Tyler, two of Don Trow's supporters at earlier meetings were relaxed and complimentary as the usual minutes and account payments were passed.

  Sonya glanced up. "Now for general business. To begin, I wish to move that we send Ryan Purdon a thank you for everything he did to help the children after the abduction."

  This was passed and Karla said she had a suggestion. "I think that Hamish and Coira Williams also be sent a letter of appreciation. Ryan said that both of them acted bravely and helped the younger children when they were all terrified."

  "How about a gift, too?" Ian asked. "You know something that they'd like such as a music voucher they can use on the internet?"

  "Perhaps we should even go further and buy the younger children involved, say a soft toy each," Blake added.

  "Dolina too," Karla said. "If she hadn't hidden in the bus, we may
never have known there was even a helicopter involved."

  Everyone agreed and the motions were passed. Sonya said she'd work with Rita in finding suitable gifts for the six children and students and handed the floor over to Roxanne.

  Roxanne in her capacity as secretary looked serious as she produced her usual clipboard that held incoming mail, most of which were now paper copies of internet mail. Again there were a dozen or more usual ones from the Ministry of Education or other authorities but finally she came to, in her words, to the three most important ones.

  Karla listened as the first was read out. It stated that after due consideration to the needs of the local district and the revised roll projections, the ministry had decided to keep Tuckett Area School as a composite school catering for Year Zero to Thirteen students.

  Everyone looked relieved and a motion formally thanking Karla for her continued help at their school was unanimously passed.

  "But it gets better," Roxanne and reached for a bulky yellow envelope with the Ministry of Education logo on the cover. She extracted a large architectural document and left it unfolded on the table. "Stage Four of our building programme has been approved."

  "What?" gasped Ian. "We thought that it had been permanently shelved."

  "Until the fate of our high school section had been solved," Sonya said.

  "What were the first three stages?" Karla asked.

  Ian grinned at her. "This admin block, the new primary block that we now call the East Block and the technology block were all built when we became an area school. Stage four is a five classroom block similar to the primary block but without classrooms designed for the Year one to Three classes."

  "Well let's see it," someone said to Roxanne.

  She unfolded the document and flattened it out on the table. Karla stood back to let the others around but Sonya gave her a gentle shove in closer. It looked interesting. Across from the East Block was a similar five-classroom block that replaced the enclosed walkway and stretched across the tennis court and winter ice rink from the assembly hall back to tuck in beside the Manual Arts and Technology Block. The old secondary block had 'To be demolished' printed across it. Between this new block and the East block was a glassed in courtyard including an indoor netball court. The northern part would open to the field once the old block was demolished. The courtyard would have glass, sliding panels to the north and west as well as the roof that could be left open in summer or closed in winter to make the entire area enclosed. Neat architectural printing showed that it would be heated in winter. As well, a new outdoor tennis court and ice-skating rink was shown south of the swimming pool.