Colder Than Ice Part 16

Allison searched Michela's face. "Do you want me to?" she asked quietly.

"No, no I don't," Michela answered softly. Allison nodded and closed the door behind her.

The remaining three team members were in the mess when Michela arrived, and after a cup of coffee and the abbreviated version of events, she got down to business. "We're all adults here, so I'm going to get straight to the point. What happened the other day shouldn't have and I'm as much to blame as anyone else." She held her temper as a smug look crossed Rick's features. "It's for that reason, I'm going to implement the following rule. No one, I mean no one, leaves the confines of this camp without discussing it with me first."

Allison jumped out of her chair. "You've got to be joking. Just because idiot features over there stuffs it up, doesn't mean everyone should pay."

"I'm sorry, Alli, but it does. I don't intend to lose anyone else and if that means I have to hide the batteries for the ski-demons and the sno-trak, then that's what I'll do." Allison stomped out the door before Michela barely finished her sentence. "This is a non-negotiable issue people." She stood and hurried after Allison.

She entered their hut and slammed the door. "What is it with you? Why the h.e.l.l must you walk out of every d.a.m.n meeting I hold?"

Allison wheeled. "Why must you treat us all like children? It's Rick that's at fault here. Why do we all have to suffer?"

Michela battled to control the level of her voice, remembering the last time they argued in a confined s.p.a.ce at Wills Station. "Because I'm the team leader and I say that's the way it's going to be." Allison took a step toward the door.

Michela grabbed Allison's hand and pulled her to her with more force than she'd intended. Allison's hands pressed against Michela's chest.

"Why is it that you're always walking out on me?" Michela asked, her breathing ragged, her body painfully aware of Allison's closeness.

Allison could feel Michela's b.r.e.a.s.t.s through the layers of clothing. "Why do you have to always treat me like a child?" Pa.s.sion blazed in her eyes.

Michela brushed an errant hair away from Allison's cheek and ran her fingers through the back of Allison's hair. "And why do you have to be so d.a.m.ned frustrating," she whispered as she lowered her lips to Allison's waiting mouth.

They broke away at a knock at the door.

"What?" Michela called in frustration.

"Maddi's returned to Wills Station and she's on the radio. She wants a debrief from you. Do you want to speak with her now?" Sarah asked through the closed door.

Allison stepped away from Michela, putting distance between them. "Best you go. After all, you wouldn't want to keep Maddi waiting."

Michela blinked, torn between reporting in and finishing what they'd started. She stepped toward Allison, who turned her back. "I'm on my way," she replied and left the hut.

Chapter Nine.

My Darling Charlotte, We are woefully behind time. At least two weeks ago we were ready for me to lead another, more organized expedition onto the Antarctic plateau. To our dismay the weather closed in, making any movement beyond the confines of the immediate base almost impossible.

Walking in this weather is to risk life itself, with my men bent over, headfirst into the wind as they endeavor to feed the dogs who so stoically brave the horrendous cold, just the other morning it was my turn to feed these animals and I felt my leg collapse from underneath me. The doctor says it is a serious tear of the muscles surrounding the ankle and that I must keep my weight off it. Sometimes I feel so helpless out here.

Yesterday the weather finally broke, allowing us to get our second expedition under way. They will spend the next twenty days pushing up onto the plateau, forging a path for our next journey to Antarctica. Alas, with my ankle in such a state, I will not lead thema"that I leave up to my second in command. They will take the rest of the dogs and enough rations to see them through their journey. Two others and myself will remain behind, keeping an eye on our base and eagerly awaiting their return. I cannot wait to hear of their adventure! All my love, ERF.

Antarcticaa"2010 SARAH OPENED THE door to the mess hut and was surprised to find Michela there. "Now I really do think that people are going to begin to talk about us. What are you doing up at four-thirty in the morning?"

Michela looked at the notes spread out on the table. "Catching up on some work. With everything that's happened lately, I've had very little time to consolidate my research."

Sarah nodded. "I know what you mean. What a week. Getting everyone to sit down and record their version of events in relation to Ewan's death was like pulling teeth. I swear at one stage there I thought I was going to have to physically restrain Rick to a seat so that he gave his side of the story."

Michela slammed her pen down. "That's what frustrates me. We all know that Rick planted the seed of an idea with Ewan. The problem is the coroner's only going to see it as death by misadventure. It frustrates me to h.e.l.l to think he's going to get off."

Sarah placed the kettle on the gas burner. "I know what you mean. I'm about to make tea. Want one?"

"Hang on. What the blazes are you doing up at this hour?"

Sarah flopped down in a chair opposite Michela and motioned toward the door. "Rob had one too many scotches tonight and he's snoring like a b.l.o.o.d.y baby elephant. I've gotten up out of bed and prodded him more than once, but he keeps right on going." They shared a quiet laugh. "So, why are you really up this late?"

Michela's features sobered and she idly searched her papers. "As I said, catching up on research. I hate to think what my boss would say if I returned with nothing to show for my efforts but a really great story or two."

Sarah stood and walked to the kettle. "Yes, I don't think anyone would be happy with that. You seem to have gotten through a bit, if that pile's any indication."

Sarah poured tea for them both and handed a cup to Michela before taking her seat at the table. There's something not right here. She hasn't been the same since the loss of Ewan and, by the looks of it, things aren't getting any easier.

"Can I ask you something?"

Michela raised her head and looked at Sarah. "Sure, is everything okay?"

Sarah smiled. "I could ask you the same thing. You haven't really been all here since the accident with Ewan."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at you. From the bags under your eyes, it's obvious you've been burning the candle at both ends and have probably had more than one late night over the past few days." She watched as Michela nervously shifted. "Plus you've been like a bear with a sore head. Listen, I know Ewan's death hit the team hard, but you seem to have been affected quite badly. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Michela looked away as if searching for something. Running her fingers through her hair she returned her gaze to Sarah. "It's not Ewan."

Sarah sat back, a frown on her face. If it isn't about Ewan then who is it about? Ah, of course, how stupid can you be, Sarah? "This is about Alli, isn't it?"

Michela vigorously rubbed her forehead. "Yes, it is."

"I suppose that would've been my next question. I don't mean to pry, but is something going on between the two of you? Has something happened?"

Michela shrugged. "You could say there is and you could as easily say there isn't. In the same vein, you could say something's happened but you could as easily say it hasn't."

Sarah lightly grasped Michela's hand. "There's one thing I do know. It's affecting you and the way you are with others. What happened?"

"It started in the emergency hut when we were so cold I suggested we join the sleeping bags together. Sometime during the first night we ended up against each other and Alli woke up and freaked. I opened my big mouth and she shot out of the bag. It took some convincing by me, but she eventually came back to bed. The next night we were in a similar position, but worse. I swear I almost kissed her, but I stopped myself. All the same, she seemed to react differently, I can't explain how. We were both aware something had happened and so I tried to talk to her about it the following morning. Before we could get into the conversation you called on the radio."

Sarah smiled. "Sorry about that, mate. Did you try and speak with her when you returned?"

"Not about that exactly. You remember when the Dianne and Rick thing happened and we made the change to accommodations arrangements?" Sarah nodded. "When we returned from looking for Ewan, and given the extra s.p.a.ce in the googie, I gave her the chance to move in with you and Rob. She asked me if I wanted her to leave and I said no. I can't describe it, but something pa.s.sed between us. It was as if she really didn't want to leave me.

"Then we had that team meeting that she walked out of. I came back into our hut, pretty angry that she'd stormed out and told her as much. She tried to storm out again but I grabbed her hand. We ended up in a clinch and I swear to G.o.d that had it not been for you knocking on the door I'd have kissed her. And by the look in her eyes I think she would have kissed me back."

"Bad timing again. So have you spoken to her about that?" Sarah ventured.

Michela shook her head. "I've tried to bring it up, but she seems to want to avoid it, as if nothing's happened between us. I don't want to go down a path that's a dead end. It's too painful. And besides, by the looks of it, she's woken up to what happened and is now more interested in avoiding me than anything else."

So, the strange way Allison's been behaving recently is now falling into place. "Are you sure about that?"

Michela picked up her tea. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I've been watching our errant archaeologist over the past few days, concerned she may be suffering a little bit of post traumatic stress disorder. When you're not watching, Alli follows your every move. But, the moment you turn her way, she looks elsewhere. There's a need in her face, as if she wants to speak with you, but is afraid of how to raise the topic. I just a.s.sumed she wanted your professional advice on something. Maybe Alli wants something more." She went to the sink and rinsed out her cup.

Michela frowned in thought. "Do you think anyone else has noticed?"

Sarah chuckled. "Everyone's noticed that something's not right with you. They're so used to you being a calm ship in any storm, that when you turned on Rob the other day because he left a dirty dish in the sink I think they were all surprised. As for noticing how Alli's acting, I don't think Rick, Di, or Rob has picked up on the difference. Di and Rick are still too focused on each other and while Rob's not slow, he's no sensitive new age guy either."

Michela vigorously rubbed her face with both hands. "I don't know what to do here, Sarah. I know I like her. A lot more than I care to admit. But if she's avoiding the issue, then I'm not about to pursue it."

"If that's the way you want to deal with it then that's your choice. But remember, if you want to talk things over or have a rant, then come and see me. I promise what we speak about won't go any further." Sarah patted Michela's hand. "Now, in the meantime you need to get a lot more rest and stop acting like a grumble b.u.m."

Michela rose and mock saluted Sarah. "Yes, ma'am." She stifled a yawn. "I'd better return to my hut and get at least a little sleep before we start the day all over again." She collected her notes and waved a goodbye before heading to her own apple and hopefully some degree of slumber.

After quietly entering the hut, she instinctively turned to Allison. The night light cast a warm glow over Allison's features, making her look at peace. Michela smiled at the rogue strand of hair that always found its way onto Allison's face. She headed toward Allison to brush the hair away, then stopped herself and ruefully shook her head. I really do need to get a little sleep. She walked to her bed and stripped down to her underwear. After removing her bra, she climbed into her sleeping bag, oblivious to the eyes that watched her from the other side of the hut.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE we're digging out these trenches yet again," Dianne said in a grumpy voice. "Why can't we leave them that way?"

Rob smiled at Dianne's frustration. "I don't make the rules here, I just follow them. Alli says it'd be a good idea to maintain this trench as a possible indicator of any changes to the exterior of the hut."

Rick walked through the knee deep snow. "I thought this place was supposed to be drier than most deserts on the earth. If that's the case, how can it snow down here?"

"It's dry and very little snow falls in a year," Rob said. "But once it falls it doesn't evaporate like normal snow would. The blizzards on the continent blow the snow around until it comes across a solid object or some sort of natural barrier and it piles up. Explorers have been encountering this problem for years. I'm sure Finlayson and his mob had similar problems with snow drifts."

Rick snorted. "I guess we'll never know. At the rate we're going and all the delays, we're not likely to know what happened to him."

Rob stepped into Rick's personal s.p.a.ce. "If I were you, I'd get on with what I've been told to do. Or have you forgotten that one of those delays was due to the loss of one of our team members? Something you're more than accountable for?"

Rick stumbled away from Rob. "He made up his own mind. I didn't make it up for him."

"Bulls.h.i.t!" Rob roared, rushing forward as if to strike Rick. Something cold impacted on the top of his head and he looked up.

"There you are, you big oaf. Something's gone pear shaped with the generator. Do you think you can have a look at it?" Sarah asked.

Rob glared at Rick before silently walking around Dianne, and out of the trench. He followed Sarah away from the trench. "I swear, if he gives me one more reason, I'll flatten him. Then you won't have to worry about drugging him."

Sarah hugged Rob's waist, since he was too tall to reach his shoulders. "Trust me, he's not worth it. I know Ewan's death has. .h.i.t you hard. You know if you want to get if off your chest, you can always talk to me."

Rob removed Sarah's cap and playfully ruffled her blonde hair. "I know, sprite. It's just that sometimes I wish Rick would give me a reason. I hear you though. Maybe we can sit down tonight after a few drinks."

Sarah nodded. "No problem. For the moment, can you go and check the solar panels? Michela's doing Ewan's shift for tea and she says she can't see to cook in the hut at the moment."

"I'm right on it." Rob turned and headed in the direction of the solar generator.

Sarah sighed. Thank heaven's I wasn't a little later on the scene. The last thing I can afford to be doing is patching up Rick after Rob's finished with him.

AFTER WHAT SEEMED like an eternity of shoveling snow, and a checking of the walls by Allison, the team was again ready to focus its efforts on the hut's interior.

Allison scanned the room with childlike wonder. Makeshift shelves lined the wooden walls. "Look at this. This must have been one of the member's personal s.p.a.ce." She lightly ran her hand over the eclectic collection of books on the shelves. "It's like a time capsule from the 1890's."

Dianne opened one of the novels. "Moby d.i.c.k. My G.o.d, it's a first edition."

Allison picked up the pile of loose sheets that were acting as a bookend. She chuckled. "Music hall tunes. At least that was one way to while away the time. And they're amazingly intact." One half of the next shelf contained a man's shaving mug and razor, with a half-used stick of lather stuck in an almost jaunty angle in a willow pattern shaving cup.

Allison squinted at the slightly faded writing on a bottle in a collection of small bottles. "Mason's remedy for indigestion. This must have been their medical stores." She pointed. "And look at those spirit bottles. I suppose that's one way to keep warm."

Next to a small table stood the remnants of a well-used rattan chair. A man's pipe lay on the seat where it had been left. The eerie windswept silence of the sight affected Allison as she walked with care around the building's interior. By the look on their faces, she could tell that the others felt the same.

Rick and Dianne quietly took photographs of everything, while Allison and Rob continued to carefully use the blades to widen the path into the hut.

Rob broke up yet another sheet of ice in front of him and jumped back in surprise. "s.h.i.t!"

Allison turned to see that Rob had uncovered the first of the beds.

Dianne pointed at the long object. "What's that?"

Allison stroked the rough fabric and felt the distinct shape of something hard inside. She stood, wiping her hands on her trousers. "Rob, can you go and get Sarah and Michela?"

Rob disappeared and returned minutes later with the Sarah and Michela in tow.

"Wow," Sarah exclaimed. "You're really getting down to the bits and pieces now. This is like the museum exhibit I saw years ago in Auckland. Someone had gone to the trouble of recreating Scott's accommodations. I thought that was good, but this is like going back in time."

Allison motioned Michela and Sarah to her. "I suspect somewhat too real for my liking."

Sarah sobered and looked at the lump on the bed. She touched the fabric and ran her hands along its contours. "It looks like someone's used a sleeping bag as a funeral shroud."

Rick peered over Michela's shoulder. "What, you mean there's a body in there? That's disgusting."

Sarah shook her head. "No, not disgusting. In fact I'd say it's entirely practical. If someone died it'd be just as easy to sew them into their bag and allow the climate to do the rest."

Dianne put as much s.p.a.ce between her and the body as was possible. "Why would someone die in here? And why wouldn't they be buried outside?"

"There could be a number of reasons. There could have been a blizzard that prevented his burial or the person or people who did the sewing may not have been capable of moving the body outside. I won't be sure without further investigation." Sarah studied the st.i.tching at the top of the bag.

"That's what I wanted to speak to you two about," Allison said. "I'm interested to find out what's within, but I didn't know where I stood, it being a possible body and all. Michela, as team leader, what's your call on this?"

Michela looked as if she was taken off guard. "I'm not quite certain, but as long as we're respectful with how we check the body, then this shouldn't be a problem." She tapped Sarah's shoulder. "What do you think?"

Sarah stood. "I think you're right. Of course, it does help that before I studied to become a doctor I trained for a while in forensic anthropology."

Rob scratched his head. "b.u.g.g.e.r me, woman, is there anything you didn't do?"

Sarah casually shrugged. "When you're a child prodigy you've got to do something to occupy your time. After I finished my first degree, this seemed like a good way to fill in time before I worked out what I wanted to do next. I studied it for a while but found the whole thing too morbid. But it did prepare me for my medical degree."

Dianne shuddered. "That's awful. Playing with dead bodies."