Sacred Ground

by Alex Archer

  “Great,” Annja said. “More sore-butt syndrome.”

  “Excuse me,” a voice called out.

  They turned and saw the counterman gesturing to them. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Did you say something about Hendrick’s Highway?”

  Derek nodded. “We’ll be driving it today. We need to reach our other party to the east.”

  The counterman shook his head. “Well, you won’t be going by Hendrick’s, that’s for sure.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s closed. About twenty miles from here. They had a bad truck rollover last night in the storm. Whole highway is blocked and frozen in. They’re saying it could be a couple of days before they get it cleared.”

  “A couple of days?” Derek shook his head. “That won’t work for us. We need to get moving today.”

  “Where ya heading?”

  Derek frowned. “Tokrak.”

  The counterman smiled. “Well, that’s no problem. You can just go the other way.”

  “What other way?” Annja looked at the counterman. “There’s another way to get there?”

  “Sure enough,” the counterman said. “You just take the ice road.”

  Annja’s stomach dropped. “You mean the river?”

  The man smiled and nodded. “The Mackenzie. She’ll take you there no problem. Just hang a right at the sign for Erop and follow that east. Should hook up with Hendrick’s farther on.”

  Annja sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was drive over a frozen river. She’d faced plenty of challenges before, but risking life and limb like this just didn’t feel right.

  “Annja?”

  Godwin was staring at her. “You okay?”

  “I’m not crazy about the ice-road option,” she admitted.

  “Only option you’ve got,” the counterman said. “Otherwise, you’ll be waiting here for the next few days. And it doesn’t look like your boss here is content to do that.”

  Derek nodded. “He’s right, Annja. We’ve got to get going. Think of it this way—if you don’t get to the site, that’s the number of days less that you have to get the things done you need to do.”

  Annja frowned. “Yeah, I know.”

  She looked at Godwin. “Ever driven it before?”

  “Once or twice.”

  “That fills me with so much confidence.”

  “Better that than me lying to you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Lying wouldn’t be such a bad thing in this case.”

  The counterman finished writing up the receipt for Derek. “Just remember that when you’re out there, the big rigs have the right of way. You have to pull over and let them pass. Trust me, you don’t want that kind of momentum coming up on your tail, if you get my drift.”

  “Can’t they slow down?” Annja asked.

  The counterman shrugged. “Not really a question of slowing down as much as it is about staying ahead of the wave.”

  “The wave?”

  He nodded. “All that weight on the ice creates a wave under the surface that rumbles along under the truck chassis. They have to stay ahead of it as they drive or it can erupt through the ice and you get a trapdoor.”

  “Gosh this is sounding so fantastic,” Annja said. “What’s a trapdoor?”

  “The ice, she opens up and the truck just disappears. Then the ice floe slides back into place like nothing was ever there. Incredible, really.”

  “Wonderful,” Annja said. “How long will we be on this ice road?”

  The counterman shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe an hour. You can’t burn like you do on normal roads. But you can go at least forty kilometers an hour.”

  “That won’t be nearly fast enough,” Annja said.

  “I AM SO NOT HAPPY about this,” Annja said. She sat in the front next to Godwin as he drove through Inuvik toward the entrance to the ice road.

  “We don’t have the luxury of time,” Derek said. “Better we go through some discomfort and reach our destination. Otherwise, it’s time lost.”

  “Discomfort is one thing,” Annja said. “Falling through some trapdoor and plummeting to our icy death is quite another.”

  “Relax,” Derek said. “The company has a great life insurance policy.” He frowned. “Well, it does for Godwin and me. Contractors are—”

  “Screwed,” Annja said. “Yeah, I gathered that.” She nudged Godwin. “I don’t want to die in this river, okay?”

  He smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Do better or I’ll kick your butt.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Derek pointed between them. “Is that it?”

  Godwin nodded. “Yep, it feels a little weird knowing you’re leaving dry land, but then you kind of forget about it.”

  “Doubtful,” Annja said. But she looked out the window as the SUV rolled down the embankment and then the wheels slipped for just a moment before they found purchase on the thick ice. Annja tried to guess how thick it must have been.

  “Probably about five feet in some places,” Godwin said suddenly. He glanced at Annja and smiled. “Everyone asks the question eventually. I figured I’d beat you to it.”

  “And the heavy trucks drive on this.”

  Godwin pointed. “See there? That’s one coming right at us.”

  Annja stared through the windshield at the approaching rig. It was a flatbed and seemed to be carrying something square and huge. “What is that thing?”

  “Generator by the look of it,” Godwin said. “Probably coming back down from the refinery project on the delta. The government has a few of them up there. I think they’re trying to extract petroleum from ice crystals of some sort. Pretty interesting actually.”

  The rig honked its horn and Godwin waved as the massive truck rolled past them. Annja shuddered, praying that the ice would hold. But then the truck passed them and was gone.

  Annja breathed again.

  Godwin smiled. “If the ice road wasn’t mostly safe, no one would be allowed to drive out here, Annja. Just relax and try to enjoy the scenery.”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll do that.” She leaned back in the seat. But there wasn’t much scenery to look at. Frozen carcasses of pine trees poked out of the snowy white landscape. Rolling hills and mountains of white surrounded the river road, and beyond that there seemed little of interest aside from the occasional sign.

  She glanced at the dashboard and saw that Godwin had increased their speed to a little past forty kilometers per hour. “Aren’t you going too fast?”

  Godwin shook his head. “Smaller truck means we can travel at this clip pretty well. Besides, I know how badly you want to get back onto dry land so I’m doing my best to deliver.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No bother.”

  Derek unfolded a map and pointed out their location to Annja. “We’ve got maybe twenty miles to go. Maybe thirty minutes more on this.”

  Annja took a breath. “That’s a relief.”

  Godwin nodded. “I’ll get you there in one piece, Annja. I promise you that. Whatever happens from there on out is up to you.”

  “You say that like you expect something to happen. Everything all right?”

  “I’m concerned.”

  “About what?”

  “The assassin’s dagger that guy was using. I want to know how he managed to get his hands on something like that.”

  Derek cleared his throat. “He said he won it in a poker game. Couldn’t it have been that innocent?”

  “Actually, no. The dagger represents everything to the assassin. There’s no way it would have been wagered. And there’s no way it would have been given up without a terrible cost.”

  “You think someone dispatched those guys to warn us?” Annja asked.

  “Possibly.”

  “But about what?”

  Godwin shrugged. “Probably the dig site. I’m sure there are quite a few Araktak traditionalists who are not pleased about the prospect of relocating what they consider to be sacred burial gr
ounds, all for the sake of some giant faceless company.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “No offense, Mr. Wainman.”

  “None taken,” Derek said. “This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened. Although usually we’re able to resolve the situations without much difficulty.”

  Annja glanced in the mirror out of her window. “Holy crap, that’s a big truck.”

  Godwin glanced back. Behind them, a large rig was barreling down on them at a high speed.

  Godwin frowned. “He’s going way too fast. And with that much weight, he’s going to cause problems.”

  Annja’s stomach sunk. “Problems?”

  “Just hang on.” Godwin put his foot down on the gas pedal and the smaller truck shot forward across the ice road. But the giant truck didn’t fade into the distance. It kept coming.

  “He’s still coming for us,” Annja said. She glanced back at Derek. “Would this possibly fall into the category of ‘situations’?”

  “Possibly,” Derek said. He was staring out of the back of the truck. “Can we lose him, Godwin?”

  “Doubtful. It’s not like there are any side streets or alleys to duck down around these parts. And he’s coming much too fast for me to lose him even if I tried.”

  “He looks overloaded, even from this distance,” Derek said.

  Godwin nodded. “He’s got too much load on him. Way too much. I don’t understand it.”

  Annja glanced at him. “Unless someone wants that much weight around us.”

  “You think?”

  “I think,” Annja said, “that we need to find a way to get off of this road and soon. Otherwise that truck is going to steamroll us into oblivion.”

  Godwin nodded. “Hang on. I’m going to let him get closer.”

  “You’re what?”

  “Just wait and see.”

  Annja looked out the back window. The truck wasn’t even honking its horn at them. Whoever was behind the wheel didn’t seem to care that they were a few hundred feet from rolling right over the smaller truck.

  “Here he comes!” Annja shouted.

  6

  Godwin gripped the steering wheel with both hands as he tried to coax any last bit of power out of the SUV. The speedometer cranked slowly higher, but it wouldn’t be enough. He glanced at Annja and shook his head. “Any more and we’ll spin out and crash.”

  The front grille of the lumbering rig grew ever larger out of the back window. Annja thought the truck looked like a hungry shark bearing down on a wounded prey. She could hear the engine of the truck surging as it burned more gas and chewed up the ice as it sped toward them.

  “Can’t we do anything?” Derek asked.

  Godwin shrugged. “Like what? It’s not like you’ll find a cop waiting to bag you for speeding. No one drives this fast out here except for us.”

  “And him,” Annja said. “Except he’s driving even faster than we are. How is that possible?”

  “Bigger engine,” Godwin said. “Plus, he’s got cargo that gives him added weight and therefore force.”

  “Great,” Annja said. “And we aren’t big enough to slow down that force by much.”

  Godwin shook his head. “I’m trying to keep us ahead of him, but I think we’ve got about two minutes before he runs over us.”

  Derek had the map open on his lap, running his finger over the entire area. “There’s got to be something out here we can use.”

  “I’m open to suggestions, Mr. Wainman,” Godwin said.

  Annja stabbed at the map. “What’s that?”

  Derek peered closer. “Looks like a small turnoff, actually. Probably not much more than an uphill slope if these contour lines are accurate.”

  Annja nodded. “Should be about a mile from here.” She glanced at Godwin. “Can we make it?”

  “Don’t know. I’ll try.” The truck surged ahead again and Annja felt the whole thing slide for a moment before Godwin steered slightly left and regained control. Behind them, the truck continued to loom large.

  Through the bright sunlight, Annja could see the snow scattering in the slipstream of the truck as Godwin tried to pour on more speed. Annja stared out of the windshield, trying to spot the turnoff.

  Derek shook his head. “He’s gaining on us!”

  “We’re not going to make it,” Godwin said. “There’s not enough time.”

  “We’ll make it,” Annja said. And then she pointed. “Look!”

  A few hundred yards ahead, she could see the turnoff. It was a slope arcing up to the right off the ice road like some sort of higher bank on the frozen river. “Aim for it now, Godwin.”

  The distance shrank between the huge rig behind them and the back of the SUV they drove. Godwin grunted as the mighty giant brushed their back bumper and sent them zipping farther ahead.

  “Now!”

  Godwin jerked the steering wheel and the SUV fishtailed onto the slope, carrying them off the ice road onto the turnoff. He slammed on the brakes and the SUV came to a rest. Behind them, the giant rig let out an angry horn blast and thundered on past them, soon disappearing in the brilliant sunshine.

  Godwin took a deep breath and released his hold on the steering wheel. “Well, that was a bit too close for my liking.”

  Derek clapped him on the shoulder. “That was a great bit of driving, my friend. I’ll make sure you’re given your due when we get back.”

  “Thank you,” Godwin said. He glanced at Annja. “Are you all right?”

  Annja nodded. “I’ll be fine as soon as we get the hell off of this ice road and I’m somewhere where I can control my own destiny.” She almost chuckled aloud at that thought. She hadn’t felt in control of her destiny ever since she’d come into possession of Joan of Arc’s mystical sword. But no one else needed to know that.

  Derek looked out of the rear window. “The question is, did that big rig leave us or is it waiting somewhere farther down the ice road to ambush us?”

  Godwin took the map and studied it. “Well, unfortunately, we’re going to have to get back on the road and follow it until our turnoff. There’s just no other way to reach the dig site.” He glanced at Annja. “I know, I know, I’m not crazy about this, either, but there’s no alternative.”

  Annja nodded. “I know it.”

  Godwin slid the truck into gear and backed down the turnoff until they were once again on the road. Then he slid the truck into Drive and started off again. “If it makes you feel any better,” he said, “I don’t think we’ll see that guy again.”

  “Why not?” Annja said.

  Godwin shrugged. “I’m not sure. Just a hunch.”

  “Your hunches ever pan out?” Annja asked.

  Godwin shrugged. “If they did, I would have won the lottery by now and retired to some place warmer than this.” He eyed her. “What about yours?”

  Annja smiled. “Sometimes.”

  “And you think that rig is waiting for us?”

  Annja looked out of the windshield at the road ahead of them and calmed her breathing. She felt okay. And she thought that perhaps they might get through this part of the journey unscathed now.

  “Actually, I think we’re good.”

  Derek heaved a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s a twofer, so I’ll accept it as gospel now.”

  Godwin smirked and continued to drive. “Maybe that was another warning for us, huh?”

  “Do you really think so?” Annja asked.

  He shrugged. “First the assassin’s dagger, and then we almost get run over on the ice road. I’d say someone is trying very hard to keep us from reaching our destination, wouldn’t you?”

  Annja sighed. “Maybe. But it’s only because I don’t have a better theory at this point.”

  “Neither do I,” Derek said. “But who would be behind it?”

  “Traditionalists in the Araktak perhaps,” Godwin said. “Maybe they’re less keen on seeing this deal go through than we realized.”

  “Even with all they’d gain from it?
” Derek asked. “Seems to me that would be rather stupid of them. They’d lose out on all of that money.”

  “To them it’s probably not about the money at all,” Godwin said. “They’d see this relocation of the ancient burial grounds as an affront to everything their lineage has taught them to hold dear and respect. All the money in the world wouldn’t convince them of it being a good idea.”

  “So, they’ll kill instead?” Derek asked.

  Godwin nodded. “Some have probably killed for far less than that.”

  Annja glanced at Godwin, but his face seemed set as he drove farther on the road. She wondered what gave him such intimate insight into the inner working of the Araktak. After all, hadn’t he said that they refused to claim him as one of their own?

  “Did you have a lot of experience with them growing up?” she asked.

  He looked at her. “The Araktak? No. Hardly any at all. We moved pretty much as soon as my father was kicked out of the tribe for marrying outside the clan. We headed south to Toronto and I grew up there. It’s a lot warmer. I think it fostered my love of summers.”

  “So, why do you seem to know so much about the tribe if they never accepted you as one of them?”

  “My father,” Godwin said. “He told me pretty much everything I’d need to know about them. The history, the traditions, that kind of thing. That’s why I was a natural choice for the company to use as its go-between.”

  “And what was the reception like when you went there the first time?”

  “Like the rest of the landscape. Icy and cold.”

  Annja smiled. “And yet you persevered.”

  “The Araktak don’t exactly live in luxurious surroundings. The kids need schooling. There needs to be a better standard of living. And if they’re sitting on a land filled with wealth, then they should have the opportunity to tap into that. If not for them, then at least for the generations that follow them. The deal with the company will enable them to have a great life for their children and children’s children. It wasn’t a difficult decision for me to make to come on board and help the company out.”