by Ponzo, Gary
“Alisha’s laptop. That traitor kept track of all our moves, but she was vague about the Danish schemes. But we know they’re planning to take over our Northwest Passage.”
Justin nodded as his eyes lost some of their hopeful glare. “As I suspected,” he mumbled.
“D-Day is tomorrow, well, today, April 14, 8:00 a.m.”
“We’re gonna turn it into their Day of Defeat, I promise.” Justin clenched his teeth.
“Calm down, Rambo,” Carrie said. “We don’t know where they’re flying or sailing from, but I’m a hundred percent sure it will be somewhere in west Greenland.”
“It can’t be Thule,” Anna said. “Too close to the Americans for a secret mission.”
“Wherever they’re coming from,” Carrie said, “at least we know where they headed. Nanisivik.”
“Nanisivik?” Justin asked with clear amusement.
“Yes. According to the traitor’s notes, Nanisivik is supposed to be their landing point. It’s far away from Grise Fiord and Pond Inlet, and it has a good deep-water port. And she could have flown there in the blink of an eye.”
“Before we talk about our defense strategy, can you get me some painkillers, please? Whatever they have; my head is exploding.”
“I’ll get you some aspirin,” Anna said, heading for the door.
“Maybe even something stronger,” Justin said.
Once Anna had stepped outside the room, Carrie whispered, “I think she’s in love with you.”
“Puppy love.” Justin shrugged and looked away.
“Listen up.” Carrie leaned closer to his face, so he could not avoid her eyes. “Don’t make the same mistake with her that you did with me.”
“What mistake?”
“Allowing your career to kill your passion. Never underestimate the love of a woman. Learn something from our mistakes.”
“Oh, now they’re ours?”
“Yes, they are. We’re both responsible for our relationship failing. But . . .”
Carrie heard the door crack open, and Anna entered, so she changed the topic. “Once you start feeling better, we’ll come up with a plan. Oh, you’re back already,” she turned to Anna, who handed Justin his painkillers and a glass of water.
Chapter Twenty
Søndre Strømfjord, Greenland
April 14, 06:00 a.m.
Gunter frowned at the first ring of his BlackBerry. He threw a casual glance at it, annoyed rather than curious to learn the name of the caller. GS were the initials on the screen. Grigori Smirnov of the FSB. What did he want? Gunter’s office in the Air Force Command Post had suddenly become very small. Before the BlackBerry could chirp its second ring, he reached for it.
“Yes, Smirnov,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“I believe you and I have some unfinished business,” Smirnov said in an impatient tone.
“As I told you last night, I’ll provide you with timely updates if anything worth mentioning occurs.”
“Patience is not my virtue, Gunter. And rumors travel faster than your reports.”
“What rumors?”
“The US Chief of Mission to Canada, a certain Abraham Locke, is asking questions about our wargame. He’s has been talking to senior Canadian officials. We can’t have anyone stick their nose in our unfinished business.”
Gunter moved the BlackBerry away from his mouth as he muttered a few curse words. He took a deep breath before asking, “How come the Americans are so suspicious all of a sudden?”
“The US Chief has a deep interest in our activities in the Arctic. That’s because the Commander of the US Air Base in Thule rescued three survivors in international waters by Ellesmere Island. They were Canadians, and they repaid him by stealing one of his aircraft.”
“Really? The Canadian way to say ‘thank you’ for saving us?”
“It’s not funny. You’re really not aware of this?”
“No, I’m not, and I don’t see how it affects our mission.”
Smirnov sighed. “Exposure, Gunter. Unnecessary exposure. The Americans are going to be on very high alert. Their teams may circle the area. And they’re also going to monitor everything that happens in there.”
“You don’t have to worry,” Gunter offered his assurances, while fishing for the other BlackBerry in the inside pocket of his jacket. “We’re going to conduct our wargame as planned. The Americans’ prying eyes are not going to find us. However, if you’re having second thoughts, we’re still on time to cancel our show.” He typed a quick message to Yuliya using only his left hand. My office, now!
There was a brief but tense pause. Gunter knew Smirnov was not going to back down simply because the Americans had some vague concerns. It was not the Russians’ way.
“No, we’re not going to cancel it, but reduce the force to the bare minimum to finish the job. That’s it.”
“I’ll get it done,” Gunter replied over the knock on his office door. “Come in,” he said, after covering the BlackBerry with his hand to muffle his voice.
Yuliya walked in.
“Great,” Smirnov said. “You should, if you expect to see you wife alive again.”
Gunter sizzled on the inside but did not let his rage show up in his voice. “I’ll keep my end of the deal, and you’ll keep yours.”
“Of course we will, Gunter. Let me know if you run into any complications.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
Gunter took a deep breath as he ended the call. “That was your fucking boss, Smirnov,” he shouted at Yuliya, standing by the door. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this call?”
“Mr. Smirnov wanted to inform you personally about the situation,” Yuliya replied calmly.
“I don’t understand this. You know I’m not the only one who’s going to lose if our mission goes to shit. You need to talk with me and tell me everything you know.”
“Smirnov called me five minutes ago. He insisted I not tell you anything until you heard it from him.”
“Well, here’s what I know. The Americans in Thule have lost an aircraft. Justin and his crazy bunch are still alive and causing trouble.”
Yuliya nodded. “Alisha should have followed my clear instructions and killed them. I told the fool not to spare anyone’s life.”
“She didn’t. The Americans rescued Justin, and in turn he made away with some kind of aircraft.”
“Yes, that’s what Smirnov told me too. Did he tell you anything about Justin’s whereabouts?” Yuliya asked.
“He didn’t say.”
“Thule has Twin Otters and medical helos, so Justin and his gang made out their way in one of the two. How does this affect our plans?”
“Smirnov wants a smaller contingent, enough to do the job.”
“What if Justin organizes some kind of resistance?”
“I’m not worried about that. By the time the CIS investigates, and the DND dispatches their troops up there, it will be over. Have you heard anything from Alisha?”
“No, not since late last night. I tried her sat phone, but no answer. Not even a busy signal. It’s like she fell off the face of the earth.”
“Let’s make sure she knows about Justin’s escape. He may have informed his supervisors about her betrayal and the evidence they found at the depot.”
“I’ll keep ringing her until she picks up her damn phone,” Yuliya said.
Arctic Bay, Canada
April 14, 05:25 a.m.
“What the hell?” Justin stared at the satellite phone on his hand. “They hung up. They hung up on me. The stupid DND officer said they’re aware of environmentalist nut jobs trying to come up with bogus stories to create trouble in the Arctic. I guess Alisha was afraid Kiawak might escape and notify the DND, so she took care of that by creating this disinformation.” He set the phone on the nightstand by his bed.
“I’m not surprised,” Anna replied. “Even if Alisha had not contacted the DND, this mess is so unreal I can hardly believe it myself.”
“And I can’t get through to our office. For some reason, the connection fails every single time.”
“Does e-mail work?”
“No, nothing works.”
“How come we can talk to the DND, but no one else?”
“The Army uses special satellites, dedicated solely to their communications.”
“If we can’t convince the DND that the Danes are using a wargame to cover up their real intentions, and we’re completely isolated from the rest of the world, how are we going to stop this attack?”
Justin did not reply but began to stand up from his bed. He placed both hands on the nightstand for support.
“You OK?” Anna stood up from her chair.
“Yes.” Justin struggled to find his balance, like a toddler taking his first steps. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, pressing his heels on the floor.
“Where are you going?” Anna asked
Justin shuffled his feet and walked toward her.
“Nowhere. Just wanted to see if I can be of any use. Pacing helps me gather my thoughts.”
“You’re going to fall.”
“I’m not. I made it to the bathroom a couple of times during the night. How’s Kiawak doing?”
“He’s OK,” Anna replied, her eyes attentively following Justin’s unsteady gait.
“Still unconscious?”
“Yes. The nurses are convinced he’s not gonna die, but they fear there may be some internal damage.”
“When can we talk to him?”
“I don’t think we can. I mean, he can hear us, but he’ll not respond to our words.”
“Is Carrie back from Resolute?”
“No, not yet.”
“Is her flight delayed because of the storm?”
“Not sure. But it may take a while to convince the top brass at the Army training center about the Danish threat.”
“OK, so Kiawak is out of play, and we still have to hear from Carrie.” Justin leaned his arm against the window. The storm had grown weaker over the last two hours. At the moment everything was quiet. A gray-white glaze was hovering above the houses. “What can we do against the Danes?”
“Not much, unfortunately,” Anna conceded. “If the information we’ve obtained from Alisha’s laptop is accurate, about two hundred and fifty Danish troops are going to storm Nanisivik in less than two hours. Who knows what they’ll do next? By the time our offices in Ottawa will open for business, Danish flags may be flying over the entire Arctic.”
“Oh, no, Anna.” Justin resumed pacing, “I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“Why, what are you going to do? We’ve come to the end of the line, Justin. We’re telling our Army, our defense forces, there’s a real danger here, and they’re shutting us out. Nobody cares we’re losing our Arctic.”
“Well, you and I do care, and we’re not gonna sit here and watch the Danes take over our country. How many RCMP officers do we have here?”
“We’ve got two Mounties and about a hundred able men, at the most.”
“There’re all patriots. They would die for their land before they see it taken away in front of their own eyes. Count them all in.”
“OK, let’s say we enroll the entire Arctic Bay. Then what?”
“Nanisivik can come up with about twenty other people or so. If Carrie brings another twenty, we’re up to, oh, I would say a hundred and fifty.”
“Yeah, soldiers armed with knives and rifles. Alisha’s notes talk about an icebreaker.” Anna dug in her backpack for a small notebook. “Listen,” she said after flipping a few pages, “HDMS Knud Rasmussen, type of ship, blah, blah, other characteristics. Huh, oh, of course. Here, two hundred feet long. Armament. Two .50 cal Browning machine guns, and missile launchers. The Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile kind.”
Justin shook his head.
“No, I’m not finished. Don’t forget that Rasmussens can be fitted with larger caliber weapons, as if .50 cal wasn’t sufficient, and torpedoes.”
“Great, you’ve completely given me the jeepers.” Justin snorted. “Just for your information, our men have Lee Enfield rifles. The Rangers’ weapon of choice, very reliable and powerful. A single shot can stop a charging polar bear. Those missiles you’re talking about are for anti-aircraft warfare and—”
“Well, that eliminates any surprise Seahawk attack on our part,” Anna interrupted him.
“Who said anything about attacks? I’m talking about setting up a defense perimeter.”
“What? What are you trying to say?”
“Anna, it will come down to a man-to-man fight. Alisha and the Danes underestimated us, and we’ll take advantage of their mistake. We’ll set up a defense perimeter around Nanisivik’s shores and await their arrival. Once everyone’s on the ground, away from their big guns, we’ll pick them out one after the other.”
“That’s our plan?”
“Pretty much. We’ll wait until Carrie’s back before beginning our march. Alisha’s notes indicate the invasion is expected to start early morning. We’ll prepare and wait for the dawn.”
“Don’t we have other options? Why can’t we keep calling our office?”
“It’s impossible to get a reliable signal. Even if we did, there’s not much time left,” Justin said. “Even if we talk to them, by the time the cavalry gets here, it will be too late.”
Anna shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said.
“It’s our last resort, so we better pray it works.” Justin turned toward the door. “Let’s go check on Kiawak and get some food. Then we need to gather our troops for battle.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Arctic Bay, Canada
April 14, 06:00 a.m.
The meeting took place at the Arctic Bay School gym. It was the preferred location for most public events, from court sessions to dances to funerals. Heated indoor space was scarce and the people were pragmatic in their choices.
Pacing with difficulty under the basketball stand, Justin smiled as the small court began to fill with people, mostly young men. Some of them were talking casually to one another, as if this were a sport tryout. A small group approached Nilak and Iluak, who were standing next to Justin. They pulled the twin brothers aside and began whispering and gesturing, mostly with their heads, toward Justin, Carrie, and Anna.
“You know that’s unnecessary,” Justin mumbled at Carrie, turning his back to the group. “The whispering, I mean. I don’t understand Inuktitut.”
“Right, but they don’t know that,” Carrie replied. “When are we going to start?”
“We’ll wait a few more minutes,” Justin said. “After all, it’s only six in the morning.”
“If only those cowards in Resolute would have listened to me,” Carrie said, “and sent over men and choppers, we wouldn’t need to bother these people.”
“You did your best to convince them. Some people just aren’t persuaded that easily,” Justin said.
More people appeared in the doorway. Some strutted in, eager to take up arms, Justin thought. Others dragged their feet, looking as if they regretted getting out of bed. There were very few women. Justin counted only five out of about fifty people in total. Not bad, he thought, but now let’s see how they feel about me calling them into battle.
“Ahem, ahem,” he cleared his throat, but his voice came out raspier than he intended. His cough drew the attention of almost everyone, especially those few who had already been measuring him up. Nilak and Iluak reluctantly walked toward Carrie, who was standing to the right of Justin. They stopped a few steps away from her, a clear indication the twin brothers were not a part of Justin’s group.
“Welcome, welcome every one of you,” Justin said in a strong voice. A big smile adorned his face, and he stretched out his arms toward the people. “I appreciate you coming out so early in the morning.”
He noticed an old man nodding and a few people taking a timid step forward.
“My name is Justin Hall, and I’ve already met some of yo
u. These are my colleagues, Carrie O’Connor and Anna Worthley. We all work for the federal government. We’re part of Canada’s security services. This is—”
“You cops?” asked one of the young men who had been chatting with Nilak and Iluak.
“No, no, we’re not the police,” Justin replied quickly, as a quiet mutter rose up from the crowd. He looked at the young man and tried to read the white letters embroidered in the young man’s bandana. All he could make out was a white skull. He added, “We’re—”
“What then, spies?” interrupted another young man, standing next to the bandana young man. He was wearing a gray hooded shirt with the word Ecko stamped on the front.
“No, of course not,” Justin answered his question before any grumbling could begin from the crowd. “We’re with the defense forces.”
“The Army?” an old man asked. Justin could not see his face, but his voice had a feeble ring to it.
“Yes, today, here, we’re the Army,” Justin replied. I wish Kiawak was here. Justin let out a small sigh, before continuing. “As some of you are aware, we flew here last night, I mean early this morning, looking for our friend, Kiawak Kusugak.”
A few people nodded as he mentioned Kiawak’s name. Justin understood the clue.
“Kiawak Kusugak, one of my best friends and a courageous Canadian Ranger, was kidnapped by someone, someone who has chosen to sell out our country to the enemy.”
Justin allowed time for his words to sink in. The crowd grew wary and agitated.
“Sell out our country?” a woman’s high-pitched voice came from the back of the hall.
“Our land?” shouted another old man.
“Enemy? What enemy?” asked other people.
“Let me explain,” Justin raised his voice in order to silence them. “This person had struck a deal with the Danish military forces to enable their entry into Canada through our waters, so they can take control of our Northwest Passage.”
The crown erupted in a loud noise.
“What?”