Ninth Cycle Antarctica: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 2)

by JC Ryan

  An emergency meeting of the Board was about to take place, and though Sarah had already put herself on maternity leave, she was on hand. The rest of the family, both her side and Daniel’s, had also been invited, as well as representatives from the families of most of the expedition members. Carmen’s parents had been unable to make the trip, but Antonio Santiago, who had been among the scientists that were extracted early, came as their representative as well as a concerned team member. He might have been with the missing if he hadn’t opted to leave early because there had been nothing to which he could apply his specialty. Most of the people who were to attend the meeting were being served coffee and pastries while Sarah and Daniel’s parents tried their best to calm Daniel down. It wasn’t working.

  “I might as well have killed him with my own hands! Oh, God, what have I done? He didn’t want to go…I forced him to!”

  It had been a variation on this theme, without much respite, for the past twenty-four hours, since the news came in. At first, Sarah just held him while he sobbed, but after several hours, she called her OB-GYN for a referral to a doctor who could prescribe a sedative. It reminded her that Becca Mendenhall had been among them and brought fresh tears for Sarah, but she had to remain strong for Daniel. Daniel refused the sedatives, saying he had to keep a clear head to determine a response.

  His first thought was to race to Antarctica himself, with a rescue mission, but cooler heads had prevailed. The team had been trapped in the cave with little food and water for more than seventy-two hours by the time the Russian had made it back to base, making it unlikely they’d survived even then. Then twenty-four hours for the initial reconnaissance from McMurdo, which had taken place yesterday.

  It would require another twenty-four hours, minimum, for anyone to reach Antarctica from North America. There was no chance it would be anything but a recovery mission, experts agreed. That meant there was no hurry. There was too little time before the winter conditions made travel on the continent impossible, anyway. They could wait the nearly seven months for another summer season, so as not to risk more lives. Daniel was tortured by the thought of his brother, perhaps alive still, slowly losing hope of rescue and dying of hunger and thirst with the knowledge that no one had come. Every time his thoughts turned in that direction, which was often, the power of his emotions would wring a cry of anguish and frustration from him, followed by wrenching sobs that frightened Sarah half to death.

  Daniel wasn’t unaware that there were others involved, but they had all signed on for the expedition willingly, eagerly even. It didn’t make the circumstances of their deaths less tragic, but Daniel didn’t feel as much personal responsibility for them, as he did for his baby brother. He couldn’t stop thinking, didn’t want to stop thinking, and the anguish wouldn’t let up. After a sleepless night, Sarah was at her wits’ end for how to comfort him, and his parents were now beginning to realize that they were in danger of losing their eldest to deep depression as well as having lost their baby. Only their strong Christian faith kept Ben and Nancy Rossler on their feet. Nicholas was staying strong, but Bess had been hospitalized with chest pains, and he was with her rather than at Foundation headquarters on the day of the Board meeting.

  More than an hour past the scheduled time of the meeting, Daniel had finally collected himself enough to preside, though Sarah fretted that the discussions would set him off again. She had called the doctor and begged him to come to their building and stand by. With everything in as much readiness as they could accomplish, the Rosslers filed in as a group. Daniel called the meeting to order.

  In their years together, Sarah had been given cause on more than one occasion to be proud of her husband, but never more so than today, when he put aside the turmoil inside him to present a calm demeanor to the Board. Only moments before, he’d been shouting that there had to be a faster way to get to Antarctica so that he could go and get his brother. Now he was reading the report from Cmdr. Andersen soberly but without any evidence that he had broken down repeatedly in the past twenty-four hours. Sarah gave a thought to the victims, especially those she’d known personally, before schooling herself to listen to what was being discussed.

  Daniel finished reading the report and looked up, glancing in turn at each of the family members or their representatives who were in attendance. He cleared his throat.

  “I first want to express my heartfelt condolences to each of you on the loss of your loved ones. I stand with you in grief that these bright young lives have been cut short. I particularly regret that it was under the auspices of the Foundation that such a tragedy has occurred. Today we also remember the two lives previously lost during this expedition. As of this date, only one family has had the comfort of having their loved one’s remains returned to them for proper burial. The Rossler Foundation is committed to correcting that circumstance to the best of our ability, as soon as it becomes practical.

  “Before I go on, for the benefit of those who are unaware, I’ll give you an overview of why our recovery mission cannot begin immediately. Antarctica is a land of extremes. Most of the continent is covered in an ice sheet that is thousands of feet deep. You may be aware of the progression of day and night there. Within the next three weeks, near-total darkness will creep over the land, deepening for some weeks and lasting for approximately six months. During this time, extremes of cold and vicious winds make travel virtually impossible.

  “We understand from the reports we’ve received that the canyon in which the expedition went missing is approximately two hundred miles from Amundsen-Scott base. Travel to the area by ground transportation takes two to four days, depending on weather conditions, and it is already very difficult and dangerous to get there by helicopter. A rescue mission sent from McMurdo base by helicopter has already determined that there is no sign of the opening where the expedition entered the cave. We also know, thanks to the survivor, that the group entered the cave with less than one day’s rations of food and water, expecting to be there only a few hours. It has now been just over six days since our loved ones entered the cave. It is extremely unlikely, if not impossible, that they have survived this long, or could survive another forty-eight hours while a rescue mission is mounted.

  “The reality is that we will be unable, in all practicality, to excavate until next October at the earliest. However, rest assured that we will spare no expense in returning your loved ones to you as soon as humanly possible.

  “Are there any questions?”

  A subdued babble of voices ensued before the family members quieted and one voice rang out.

  “What if they’re still alive?” Immediately, the conference room was engulfed in noise. Sarah gasped, and then looked fearfully at Daniel. This was what had been torturing him. Would he be able to maintain his professional demeanor? She saw that he had dropped his head, bowed with the weight of the knowledge that others feared what he did. Unable to speak for several moments, Daniel allowed the noise to increase, until Sinclair stepped forward.

  “Quiet, please!”

  As people noticed that someone else was at the podium, they began to quiet so that he could speak. Gradually, the room became silent.

  “A question was asked and needs an answer. I can speak for Mr. Rossler here that no stone has been left unturned in his desire to go to the rescue of the expedition. I’ll remind you that his own brother is with them. The truth is that, if they are still alive, there isn’t a way to reach them before it’s too late, as Mr. Rossler has told you.

  “They don’t have enough water, and the cold is deepening due to winter coming on. I want to assure you that death by hypothermia would almost certainly have occurred within twenty-four hours of being sealed into the cave. Your loved ones would not have had time to get unbearably thirsty, or even painfully hungry. Hypothermia has been widely reported to induce feelings of drifting, even bliss as the body shuts down. They would not have suffered, or not for long. Does that answer your question, sir?”

  “So they
were dead by the time the Russian got to the South Pole for help, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Almost certainly,” Sinclair replied. Daniel gripped his arm in a gesture of thanks and fought to compose himself once more. He had one last thing to say.

  “The Rossler Foundation also stands ready to assist with funeral expenses once the remains have been recovered. Please see Miss Welch from Human Resources to provide your contact information so that we can reach you when we have further news.”

  Daniel dismissed the meeting; however, immediately after a catered lunch, just the Board would be meeting to discuss how they’d fund the recovery operation later in the year, and what plans needed to be made. Almost a year to the day after the first expedition was approved, Daniel would be seeking funding for a second, more somber expedition. This one he would lead himself. Nothing would stop him from attempting to recover JR’s body—he owed his brother that if nothing else. Nothing would ever lessen his guilt for sending JR into that icy hell, but at least his parents would have the satisfaction of knowing that he rested safely where they could visit and mourn.

  Chapter 22 – The Arrival Of NJ Rossler

  Sarah had quietly left the meeting with the some of the family members, leaving Daniel to deal with the other Board members as necessary. She didn’t expect him to have much trouble convincing them that their fallen expedition members would have to be retrieved as he’d promised the families, and she wasn’t feeling very well. Emma, her mother, urged her to go home and rest, since her due date was less than a week away. Ben, Nancy, Emma, Sinclair and Martha were going to the hospital to visit with Bess, since Nicholas had sent a text that she was much improved and wanted company. The emotion of the meeting was still clinging to them, so Ben and Nancy especially wanted to assure themselves of Bess’s health. JR’s loss was something they’d have to absorb as the days went on, but for now they turned their thoughts instead to Bess, who’d taken it very badly.

  Sinclair and Martha volunteered to drive Sarah home, as she would no longer fit behind a steering wheel and still reach the gas pedal, despite her long legs. They chatted idly about anything they could think of to take her mind off JR as Sinclair drove. When they reached the house, Sarah asked them to stay with her, telling Martha she was really very uncomfortable and could use a distraction. Martha made a nest for her with a blanket and sheet in a big easy chair, and had her put her feet up on an ottoman.

  Sinclair was in the kitchen getting some tea for the three of them when he heard Martha shout.

  “Sinclair, come quickly!” He ran into the living room with the tea kettle still in his hand, to discover Sarah writhing in pain and Martha wringing her hands.

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  As Sarah’s agony began to subside, Sinclair remembered that Martha had never had a child. “I’d say she’s in labor,” he answered in a whisper. “When’s her due date?”

  “Not ‘til next week,” Martha whispered back. “That’s why I was going to stay, to be here when the baby’s born. Should we call an ambulance?”

  “No need for that,” he answered. “She’s got a journey ahead, but we can get her to the hospital before the next pain hits, I think. Does she have a bag packed?”

  Sarah had regained her breath, though her face was white and her eyes round and staring. “I’m right here, Sinclair. Yes, I have my bag packed.” Directing Martha to the master bedroom to find it, she struggled up from the chair. “Okay, Sinclair, let’s go. And would you call Daniel, please?”

  A bit of confusion ensued at the hospital when the three presented themselves at the desk for Sarah to check in. The registrar asked Martha if she’d like to help her daughter in case another labor pain hit her, and Martha demurred, though she thought of Sarah as a daughter. They dispatched Sinclair to the floor where Bess was being treated, to find Emma, while Sarah calmly gave the registrar her information. It had been nearly half an hour since that first pain, and nothing in between, so she felt confident it was just a particularly strong Braxton-Hicks contraction. Nevertheless, since she was at the hospital, she might as well pre-register while waiting for her doctor to arrive and pronounce her okay to go home.

  Five minutes later she was suppressing a scream. This wasn’t what the classes and her doctor had prepared her for. Sarah began to worry that something was wrong. Having finished the registration process, the registrar sent for a medical assistant to take Sarah to Labor and Delivery in a wheelchair, stopping at the corridor doors for a brief moment when Sinclair returned with Emma in tow.

  “Mom, something’s wrong,” Sarah sobbed as soon as she saw her mother. Emma went to her knees, impeding the wheelchair and hugged her daughter.

  “No, honey, nothing’s wrong. You’re in good hands and everything’s going to be fine.” Emma got up, dusted her pant legs, and said to the MA, “What are you waiting for? My daughter is in pain, let’s get her into a bed.”

  Emma and Martha followed the wheelchair, while Sinclair, feeling a bit like a fish out of water, made his way back to sit with his old friend Nicholas Rossler. He didn’t know what would have become of him without these Rosslers; first his old friend had recommended him to his grandson as the linguist to help break the Pyramid Code, then the grandson, Daniel, had persuaded him to move to Boulder and become head of the Foundation translation department.

  The younger Rosslers had become like family to him, but an unexpected bonus had come in the form of Sarah’s dear friend Martha Simms. The lovely Martha was much on Sinclair’s mind these days. They had become very close, and he was hoping to persuade Martha to marry him and move to Boulder soon. In his confusion, Sinclair forgot to call Daniel until he found the others visiting with Bess.

  “What’s going on?” Nancy asked.

  “Oh, I think Sarah may be having her baby. Good heavens! I’ve forgotten to call Daniel!” Sinclair stepped out of the room to make the call, unaware of the stir he’d caused. As he dialed, Nicholas, Ben and Nancy were all trying to persuade Bess to stay in bed, rather than jump out and go to Sarah’s side. When Sinclair came back in, a barrage of questions hit him.

  “Only one contraction so far, that I know of,” he answered. That information allowed Bess to relax and wait for her doctor to give her the okay to get out of bed. Nancy, though, left to go to Labor and Delivery, promising to send a report back for Bess’s peace of mind.

  Daniel had received the call while the meeting was still going on, his secretary slipping in with a portable phone and a message that it was urgent. His heart beating rapidly, he took it, thinking that he couldn’t take any more bad news. What Sinclair had to tell him stunned him.

  Without so much as a goodbye, Daniel tore out of the boardroom, almost taking the doorframe with him. As he ran down the hall, he was considering whether running to the hospital, less than a mile away, might be faster than going for his car. His legs took him to the car, though. A few people in the parking lot heard him utter a whoop of joy and wondered what had happened.

  As he drove, with no attention to the speed limit, he had time to collect a thought or two. As long as Sarah and the baby were okay, maybe this was a blessing, that little Nicholas was apparently preparing to arrive a week early. Daniel wondered if Sarah would be okay with them giving him a different middle name than the one they’d settled on. Instead of Nicholas Daniel Rossler, maybe the little guy would be Nicholas Joshua. It had a distinguished ring to it, he thought.

  By the time he reached the hospital, Dr. Sanders had arrived and was examining Sarah. Daniel was stopped in the waiting room by his mother and told he’d have to wait. A few minutes later, Dr. Sanders stepped out and greeted him. She’d met Martha, Emma and Nancy a few minutes earlier and remarked that she was lucky to have three moms at her side.

  “Daniel, Sarah’s in some distress and it’s causing her to feel the pain more than she should be. I’ve ordered a sedative that should be fine for the baby, but what would be best for her is for you all to take turns sitting with her an
d assuring her that everything is okay. Can you do that? I must insist that no one talk about your brother. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Daniel’s face had fallen when Dr. Sanders mentioned JR, but he understood. Stress over JR had more than likely brought on early labor, but fortunately a week was seldom a problem. Dr. Sanders confirmed that the baby seemed fine. If they could keep Sarah calm, her labor would go more comfortably. With an effort, Daniel put his brother into a small compartment in his mind and gave the rest to Sarah and their baby. JR was beyond his help, but little Nicholas would have a father who was present, focused, and committed to his health and safety.

  Since Sarah had come to the hospital so early in her labor, it was near midnight when Nicholas Joshua Rossler made his entrance into the world, much to his mother’s relief and his dad’s pride. He was a robust baby, nearly 21 inches long, weighing eight pounds, and roaring his disapproval of being thrust into the cold. When he heard that lusty cry, Daniel’s chest and shoulders expanded so much he thought he might burst his buttons, and possibly need a larger shirt size from now on.

  Despite how tired everyone was from the long day, the baby’s early arrival raised everyone’s spirits and gave them the emotional strength they would need for the memorial service, set for day after tomorrow. Daniel’s staff were doing all they could to prepare, so he could spend the next two days with his little family before presiding at the service.

  Chapter 23 – Tovarich JR

  Roosky had flown home out of Amundsen-Scott via Vostok Station, his own country’s Antarctica base as soon as the interrogations were finished. He was repatriated to Russia, where another OS operative met him personally and transferred a large sum in hard currency. After the money was stashed to his satisfaction, Roosky accepted the invitation to visit Würzburg, in Germany, to be personally congratulated by the leadership of the OS in its entirety during the quarterly meeting set for the end of March. Until then, he was welcome to rest and recuperate from his ‘ordeal’. It was an arrangement that suited him well.