January 9, 1986

There was no phone, and the window to the outside was too small for anyone but a small cat or a large rat to crawl through. Slitting her fingers through the envelope and withdrawing the letter yet again, she felt her remaining hope disappear instantly. The envelope that had been left in her office mailbox was supposed to have interested her. At first she had been excited but with every reading of it from agitation gave way to despair. Amanda Hylen had been awaited for this rendezvous for months now but it appeared as though it may never happen. Amanda had never been a patient person or a very caring one either. She was best known around her office for disregarding other peoples’ opinions and rarely did she consider the impact her action might have on another person or their feelings. Behind her back, her colleagues often referred to her as being selfish, uncaring, arrogant, and unkind as well as many other names that shouldn’t be repeated. The fact that she was short and had a prosthetic leg didn’t help her temperament. Fits of rage filled with flailing arms and spit had a reputation through her office. Her chestnut hair sprinkled with golden highlights that resembling the leaves of a poplar tree in autumn allowing her turquoise eyes to look even brighter and more welcoming. Her features allowed her to conceal her true employment with almost anything while she was away. Most of my colleagues wouldn’t take this trip – to the Bay of Frobisher in January- even if their lives depended on it. The rusted hinges on the weathered oak door - caused by years of hail, snow, rain and fog- helped give the cabin an abandoned the appearance. This cabin had been built in the early 1900s and, having survived two World Wars, was still a choice spot for meetings of this kind because it was situated almost twenty miles from the nearest Inuit community. Situated on a north facing hillside, surrounded by lush bushes and moss, this cabin was visible on only from the water when there was no fog or snow. The actual structure of the house was made up of British Columbian cedar that had lost its scent several decades ago, held together by rusting steel nails bent in every direction. Due to the harsh nature of the climate, most of the wood was now a breeding ground for moss and mushrooms or a few of the local birds. The lichen covered roof tiles often leaked and made parts of the inside moldy, damp and sultry when the fire was burning. The decor and amenities were also very basic. Other than a window, the light emitted by the fireplace- that danced around room- it was often dark except in the months of June and July during which it was light almost 24 hours per day. There was a musty smell amplified whenever it snowed, rained or even when it was foggy for an extended period of time due to the moisture that was trapped in the cabin and the precipitation that leaked through the roof. According to official government records, the cabin that Amanda was using no longer existed; it had been destroyed by a fire shortly after the Second World War However, that ruse had been created to dupe local citizens into believing what the government wanted. The truth was that this house was still used for meetings, such as the one being preformed by Amanda today. Organizing this particular appointment had put considerable strain on Amanda, as she had been obliged to use many subterfuges so as not to reveal the true nature of her mission to her coworkers. If the Soviets learn of all our failed and succeeded experiments, we will be giving them the chance to perform the same work as us and my job will be rendered harder. Our economy, our jobs our lifestyles! They will all suffer, because of some idiot who thought that the Soviets were our friends! If any moron ever does that I will wring my hands around their neck and ensure they know that the Soviets are our enemies. As soon as she had graduated from university, a job offer from the Canadian government had come which Amanda had been unable to refuse as the possibilities for fame and respect by her colleagues were plentiful. Her current field of work was officially and publicly known as The study of the changes of the northern climate caused by global warming. However in reality Amanda’s domain was much smaller than that. Her actual reason of employment was to develop or invent technologies to help reduce or stop the effects of global warming and then help Canadian and American companies build them. Amanda’s patience was short when she was in a charitable mood, which made having to wait for her American counterpart almost unbearable. Frustrated, Amanda hobbled outside to check if anyone might be in the area as well as to smoke a cigarette in the hope it would alleviate part of her stress. She knew very well that smoking might eventually kill her; her doctors had warned her and urged her to quit many times while she was in hospital being fitted for her prosthetic leg however it was her only pleasure. She shuddered at the thought of returning to the hospital and being confined to a hospital bed. She was pulled from her dream by a sudden noise. Instinctively she crouched, however Amanda soon realized that her fright had been provoked by a mere bird flying overhead in search of food. The light southerly breeze caused ripples on the surface of the bay which prevented a perfect reflection of the moon and hillside, the scent of growing moss filled the air as the cigarette smoke wafted upwards toward the moonlit sky. After a brief walk around the hillside cabin, Amanda returned inside to resume her sentry duties. Fatigue and stress soon gave way as Amanda crawled onto a polar bear fur carpet to sleep the remaining nighttime hours. Awakening promptly at dawn the next morning, Amanda gazed around the room in hopes of finding her American counterpart. It soon became evident that he was in the cabin and the possibility that she would meet her American colleague diminished even further to the point. I really should just pack my bags and return to Churchill. In hopes of a gaining a new perspective on the circumstances that faced her right now, Amanda ventured outside and opened the thermos of hot water that had accompanied her to the North and slit the pouch of instant coffee and pouring it in to the hot water. A branch off a dead bush fulfilled the purpose of mixing the powder into the water and without impeding herself with a cup, promptly drank a quarter of the thermos in one swig before wiping her mouth off with the sleeve of her pale pink parka, leaving brown smear marks down the entire lower right sleeve. After lighting a cigarette she gazed at the scenery around her, reminiscing how sad it was that humans couldn’t live in peace and always needed more territory. Always wanting more, needing more. How can people live like that? Even the North is filled with ships and people now. If Amanda could have had her wishes fulfilled the world’s animal population would be restored so as to render species in danger of extinction fully populated. The new discoveries, she and her associate were making could have two effects. The first would help global warming. The fallout of this was that companies and possibly nations would be having wars to decide who would get the rights to develop this technology. After a final puff on her cigarette, Amanda disposed of it in the waste bin, she returned in the cabin where she began packing up her possessions and readied herself for an empty handed return trip to her home and office in Churchill. Amanda peered down at the floor and saw a small silver metallic object was jutting out from under the bed and was reflecting the firelight it was receiving. Having no such recollection of bringing an item of this kind Amanda feared that the object might be a firearm left from a previous encounter or that there might be a corpse under the cot, opposite the fireplace. To discern what the item might be, she pulled the bed approximately five feet from the wall so as to position her across from whatever discovery she might make. She put on a pair of gloves so as not to tamper or leave any marks on the commodity or commodities she might discover. Using a spare log for the fireplace she butted the segment of the metal object so as to see the entire object at once. Not only was the object much larger than she expected it was also considerably heavier than what she had been prepared for. After many efforts Amanda changed tactics and decided to grasp what she could of the object and attempt to pull it out. She managed to do this however the item had been lodged against one of the cot’s feet and therefore the sudden change in momentum flung Amanda backwards, landing mere inches away from the fireplace. After going outside to retrieve some drinking water and sipping at it, she contemplated whether to look at what the object was or not. After a light jog around the cabin, she decided that it would be in her best interest to examine the object. As she returned inside, she heard a hunting boat rumbling past her and into the bay, most likely heading towards Iqlauit to disposes of its contents. So as to ensure her safety Amanda locked the door with one of the few retrofits of the cabin, a dead-bolt lock, which was reinforced by a plank of wood that crossed over the door and prevented it from being opened from the outside. She placed the object on an end table and illuminated it using an oil lamp she had brought with her in the event of an emergency as well as the glare of the fireplace reflected off the glass window. The metal on the object had been mangled which indicated that a struggle between the holder and either someone else or an animal had taken place prior to the case being strewed across the floor and abandoned in such a rural place. However this potential struggle was the least of Amanda’s concerns. It is impossible that my mission could be compromised! Only me, Richard and a few of our colleagues know about this place. If anyone had come here they were pros, real pros. Oh no! If it is the Soviet government well… there goes my job, my career and my passion. She pulled out a halogen, battery powered flashlight and she peered out through the window so as to ensure her risk of being discovered was minimal. The only things she could see were the snow-white icebergs floating in the bay. When Amanda concluded it was secure to proceed, she began shining the light over every segment of the case in hopes of finding anything new to indicate to her what may have happened at this very location. Once she had shone the light over the foam interior of the case, even lifting the foam to check between it and the outside. She turned the case to view its outside. The first thing she noticed was that the mangled metal was in fact two locks. Someone must have used a crowbar to open this. Other scratches on the case indicated that there had been a lengthy fight to recover the case. What troubled her more was that the case was made of a Kevlar coated material, which could only be penetrated by firearms as well as blades such as machetes and swords. The various traces gave Amanda the impression that there may have been more than one assailant. Starting to feel overwhelmed by all this new information and troubled by the fact she didn’t know who the case belonged to nor what it had contained she decided to retreat to the adjoining bedroom to make notes of her discoveries as well as to refresh her mind in the hope she might see another possibility or option. Amanda returned to her inspection of the box, which so far she had concluded to be a bulletproof lockable case that had been forced open; however she didn’t know and possibly the most important part of this enigma was where the case had originated and to whom it belonged. If Amanda was able to uncover this information it might help her identify the contents as well as who had appropriated the contents and for what purpose. This time Amanda was twice as careful looking over the inside with her halogen flashlight and once more she discovered nothing that might be of use to her. This is a surprise, no serial number, no anything. If this doesn’t belong to the government, well I guess it belongs to some druggie. Due to the location where she was and had found the case, Amanda deemed the latter more probable and the latter almost banal. She noticed that there was an identification sticker. This is American government property! This must mean that Richard has been here. This is his case, no wonder I couldn’t find him. Her fears were only confirmed when she found her colleague’s wallet and identification strewn behind the wood for the fireplace. To aggravate the situation, Amanda was unable to communicate with anyone to inform them of the missing scientist, especially the government or the media, to request assistance due to the fact that her current work and mission did not exist on the government records. Now knowing what this case had most likely contained- the documents she was supposed to have received- and to whom it had belonged, Amanda decided it would be a wise idea to comb through all the furniture in hope of finding any other clues as to the disappearance of Richard Van Maar. The first place she looked is near the fireplace where she found the case, figuring that any additional clues will likely be close to her original discovery. After wrestling with the pot- bellied stove for about twenty minutes so as to be able to check behind the fireplace itself, her hunch paid off as she discovered all the evidence needed to convince her that her colleague had indeed come to the rendezvous but had been attacked by a band of unknown assailants. This last piece of evidence was a length of burgundy fiber from a parka that Amanda knew Richard would be wearing. Without any notion in which Richard had been taken, Amanda could have easily abandoned her mission, returned to Churchill and explained what had happened to her supervisor. However Amanda had given up on too many things and she was not prepared to lose yet another part of her life and be left with almost nothing. Deciding that it would be in her best interest to sleep through the night and leave this shelter in broad daylight as opposed to a cloudy night, Amanda skipped dinner so as to have as many rations with her as possible as she had no idea how long it might take her to find her partner. Her night was anything but restful. Amanda awoke many times through the course of the night, after dreaming that she too was being attacked like her colleague had been. Albeit the fact she may have been tired, Amanda willed herself out of bed and went outside so as to collect some water to heat to make coffee. As Amanda returned she decided that since the day may be very long and had no idea what may happen to her, she decided to make the coffee stronger than usual so as to make her more alert. Amanda’s instructors’ had always emphasized the point that if you had to travel, you should only bring the minimum amount of supplies with you. With this tidbit of wisdom in her mind, Amanda filled her backpack with rations, similar to the ones handed out to military personnel in the field, to which all she had to do was add a small amount of water so as to bring the food back to its normal consistency. Ensuring that the cabin was in its original state with all of her baggage stored randomly in the cabin, mainly under her bed or in the main room, Amanda laced up her boots and departed the cabin in search of her partner. Unfortunately Amanda did not know which way the assailants had gone, which forced her to presume in which direction they would have traveled. Knowing that the end of the peninsula was a mere 15 miles from the cabin Amanda figured it would be wise to start by venturing in that direction because if she did not find Richard she could always return to the cabin and prepare to go in another direction. Another element that was going against Amanda was the weather. Since she had arrived a light dusting of snow had been sprinkled over the scenery, which, although the amount may have been minimal, it would have erased any boot or vehicle marks that would have surely been left in the snow in the proximity of the cabin. Not only that but Amanda had listened to the radio prior to leaving and had heard that a blizzard warning was in effect for the region approximately fifty miles to her west which, although the most severe part of the storm would bypass her, the edge of the snow and wind would most likely affect her voyage, which could hamper her visibility and ability to continue her search. As the sun was already fairly high in the sky Amanda grasped the fact that she couldn’t stand near the cabin forever and set off at a brisk pace, hobbling through the snow covered rocks and moss. Amanda knew the surrounding area very well and was aware that it would be in her best interest to reach an area protected by rocks and stone about five miles from where she currently was before dusk as otherwise she would be forced to camp in the wide open visible to any passerby as well as prone to animal attacks. If she was able to reach the place she had in mind she would be able to protect her and remain there until any danger had passed or until she had been able to assess her situation and decide on a course of action. The wind gained speed abruptly and pinned Amanda down to the ground. Bushes swayed in the wind similar to people ballroom dancing. Not only was the wind getting stronger, but also menacing clouds were forming on the horizon. They resembled blackened marshmallows. Amanda wasn’t the only one who was alarmed by he rapidly changing weather; the seals that had been resting on the ice flows perked their heads up and started barking to warn each other of the impending danger. One after another they dove in head first, abandoning their young pups on the ice- easy pray for a polar bear that might be strolling through the area. Amanda knew that she too had to be like the seals and get somewhere out of the storm’s path. Scampering to get out of the way Amanda struggled to move to safety, often having to grab her prosthetic leg because the knee joint was being filled with cold air, snow and water were reducing her mobility. Cursed leg! I should never have agreed to this assignment! Fortunately, the area that he was traveling in was composed of uneven terrain- like the walls of the Grand Canyon- and covered in lush bushes. Tearing branches off bushes like a puppy tears shoes apart, Amanda sent tree needles fling into the gloomy sky. With these she settles into a crevasse and placed the branches in a way to protect herself form he snow and what felt like tornado strength wind. I have no idea which direction to go. All the snow covered my landmarks. The only thing I know is that the bay was west of here, which is… I think to my left but how can I be sure? One misstep and I’m in the water. As Amanda rose from what could have become her grave she realized that more snow that she had thought had fallen. The branches of the formerly green vegetation sagged, weighed down by wet snow that had accumulated like wrapping paper on Christmas morning. Some branches had been ripped off the trees and were strewn around the snow, like unwanted newspapers. Being in the wilderness had never seemed so lonely to Amanda. That was until footsteps in the snow. Squish, Squish, Squish. These aren’t the locals because most of the locals have boots made of skins and furs; those don’t make nearly as much noise in the snow as rubber soled ones that are found in southern Canada. To her surprise it was a young man. His worn fur jacket had been used for some years as though nit appeared that it had just been run through a drycleaner’s press. The fur was matted covered in stain of every colour, mostly red; this was probably his hunting jacket and therefore one of his proudest possessions. Hats like the one he was wearing were much more recognized in Siberia than here in Canada. That looks like snow leopard or some other lavish animal’s fur. How cruel can a human be? I mean? Why would you kill an animal just to have its fur? Some humans are just too greedy and caught up in the trends. The young man approached Amanda with a confident step; one that Amanda wished she still had but had long lost as her mood had grown gloomy over the years just as the sky had mere hours ago. “Ар иуАманда?” asked the man confirming that she was indeed Amanda. Amanda was bewildered by this mystifying visitor who spoke an unknown language, though Amanda reckoned that it must be an eastern European accent for when the teenager spoke again- this time in English- he had an accent that was definitely eastern European but Amanda couldn’t place it. “You Amanda?” tuttered the young man with some difficulty. It was at this point that Amanda knew that something was about to go terribly wrong again. “О с мной” instructed the man, ordering Amanda to follow him. Amanda was tempted to resist and claim she didn’t understand, what he was saying. However his body language and gestures made it perfectly clear to Amanda what she was supposed to do. He thinks just because I have a prosthetic leg that I am weak and that he can order me around. Well, let me show him that that’s not the case. When the man produced a sleek pistol Amanda knew promptly knew that arguing with this man would not be a good idea because one did not argue with the barrel of a handgun. “Следуйте за мной теперь” spoke the young man indicating the direction towards the water with his free hand, while he kept the gun trained on Amanda. Unwilling to risk her life, Amanda resigned herself to the fact that she did not have much of a choice. Either you follow him and go God knows where or you get yourself shot know and your cadaver left for polar bear food. Not much of a choice. This arrogant Russian thinks he can just walk wherever he wants and tell people what to do “Вы хотите умереть? Или Вы собираетесь следовать за мной?”yelled the young man obviously in a hurry and unwilling to accept Amanda’s deliberation. “You no start moving, I kill you right now! You understand stupid lady?” the teen’s patience was obviously wearing thin. His confident smile gone, replaced by rose red cheeks caused by the cold and his building rage. To worsen his mood, Amanda pretended to not here him and just kept staring over his right shoulder as though there was the greatest sight ever right behind him. “I count ten. If you no start moving, gun goes bang bang! You follow or not?” Amanda was quite tempted to argue with this Russian, but sanity prevailed and instead of tempting her luck and fate she obliged to him. As they walked Amanda feared she would lose her sanity; the noise made by the young man’s boots were irritating at the best and repeated they were comparable to squealing tires. As the sun was setting in front of them, the golden light reflecting off the surface of the choppy waters filled with whales coming to the surface before disappearing again, she noticed a black structure on the horizon; likely a fishing trawler that was finishing for the day before returning to its homeport of Iqlauit. Withdrawing his pistol from his pocket, he saw Amanda drop to the ground out of the corner of his eye. She IS skittish, just like our prisoner said. Maybe if I point the gun at the ground she’ll relax. As he lowered the gun he saw Amanda’s hands slowly come off her head and she started to breathe normally again instead of like a marathoner in the middle of a race. With it he pointed to an old wooden bridge. Long wooden planks of wood help together by mere staples provided access to the vessel. The ropes that went along the sides of the planks to provide a place to hang onto while you walked on were frayed; the fibers were flying in the wind in every direction. As Amanda climbed on, she heard one of the staples give way and a portion of one of the boards almost came off and was left dangling over the ice floes. Amanda scampered up the remaining boards as quickly as she was able to. What made her even more nervous was the fact that the poles holding up the strings were rusted and looked like the rust could have covered an entire house. When they were finally onboard, Amanda was lead to her cabin. As she was conducted to her cabin, she saw a man wearing the uniform of a KGB major. “Какой идиот, чтобы следовать за мной!” mumbled the young man to his superior with some urgency. The elderly man simply nodded his head before heading in his own direction. Amanda’s cell was comparable to a padded cell in an insane asylum. The walls were covered in a soft material almost like down, which was covered in ivory tissue that was beginning to tear at the seams. The only commodities that she had were a barrel to use as a toilet, that had been painted metallic grey to make it more esthetically pleasing, but that did little to improve Amanda’s mood. Her first meal was delivered by a narrow slot in the door, which Amanda promptly flung back out through the same opening. It had consisted of rice that would have been fit to plug a hole in a tire smothered in crazy glue with the texture of wallpaper glue. After spending almost a week according to the monotonous routine of meals, a low-ranking officer came and retrieved Amanda from her prison. They treat me like I’m an animal; they lock me up in a cage and treat me like I treat lab rats. This gentleman was probably a KGB spy in training that was on his first assignment to learn about such missions. He did not speak to Amanda as he locked her cell behind them; merely he pointed with an outstretched arm. Amanda had to fight the temptation to scream when she saw the man’s left hand. That is scary; a hand with six fingers. The poor soul’s family must have lived near Chernobyl before he was born. The KGB will never let him go very far in the organization. A balding man was sitting with her back to her as she entered. He was garbed with a suit, one that was American in appearance. As Amanda approached, she saw that this gentleman had probably not shaven in sometime, as his face was overrun by his chocolate brown beard, almost like a young child after eating a chocolate bar. “Amanda, it’s about time you showed up!” hollered the man. Amanda recognized the voice instantly. That slight southern drawl and lisp were that of her associate Richard, without the slightest doubt. “They’re going to let us free if we translate our documents for them. If we don’t, well then I hope you enjoy a Russian prison cell.” “Richard there is another way out of this mess we got ourselves into; but first how did they find you?” demanded Amanda with some urgency to her voice, not knowing how, long they would be left alone. “They followed my boat in apparently, and I just learned that someone in my office is facing treason charges. That’s why we’re both in this beautiful and spacious ship” replied Richard with a large sarcastic smile at the end. “Now what’s your idea?” Amanda smiled before answering; the situation had finally put her in control. “We don’t do anything because before they head to Russia they might have to go to Iqlauit. When we get there the crew generally gets off the ship except for a few guards. We can sneak off then.” Richard was stunned when Amanda proposed this; he knew it was possible, he just didn’t think it was worth the risk. The captain of the ship came to visit them. He was a balding man, probably in his 50s at Amanda’s best guess. Every time he asked a question the answer would be the exact same, a smirk. After trying to muscle the answer out of them for two hours the captain decided to change tactics. He invited the two prisoners up to the observation deck to let them have a look at the world they may never see again. I’ve tried this tactic before and it’s worked. I just hope I can get them to accomplish their task before we arrive in would be available and a brief synopsis. Maybe I should’ve been more careful but oh well. Richard was finally relaxing as he realized that the documents were of minimal importance without the technology he had developed. He leaned his head back against the rusted metal edge of the raft and allowed Amanda to paddle the remaining distance to back shore. He promised himself that the first thing he would do when he got home would be to take a vacation to relax a little bit. Whatever care. I think I might just move up here to learn more about the local wildlife. As soon as they arrived on shore, they parted their separate ways; Richard went directly to the airport so as to return to the United States, where as Amanda rented an empty store front to install her own office to permit her to study marine biology.