Colder Than Ice (20 page)

Ewan
went to the stove. “See, Michela, it’s like I said. They’ve come in from
the cold. I’m going to fix some hot chocolate. Does anyone want some?”

Oblivious,
Allison continued to stare at the screen. “I’ll be damned.”

“You’ll
be damned what?” Sarah asked, leaning over Allison’s shoulder.

Allison
pointed at the screen, a smile gracing her features. “I think we’ve
finally found it. See that box-like structure on the end of the wall there? I
think that’s a foyer, like the McKinley construction.” She turned to the
group whose attention was now focused on the small screen. “I think we’ve
found our entrance.”

Spontaneous
whoops and cheers erupted from the group.

Allison
disentangled herself from Rob’s bear hug and turned to the next in line, who
happened to be Michela. Momentarily sobered by the awkwardness between herself
and Michela, she searched for words to hide her reluctance to hug her.
“Now this is a Christmas present. Where’re Di and Rick? They need to see
this. I’ll go and check my hut and see if Rick’s there.” She stopped on
her way to the door and turned around. “Maybe it’s time we did break out
that first bottle of champagne. I’ll go and get Rick. Save a glass for
us.”

Outside,
Allison paused as she braced herself against the chilly wind. Pulling her
beanie firmly down over her ears, she went to her hut.

She
opened the door and could only stare. The wind that had chilled her outside
paled into insignificance to the chill that assailed her senses. Dianne’s
semi-naked form was entwined in Rick’s legs and arms.

“What
the bloody hell do you think you two are doing?” Allison bellowed.

Dianne
quickly reached for her clothes, which were strewn about the cabin.

Rick
maintained his position on his back, head resting on his folded hands, in a
pose of superiority. “What does it look like?”

Allison’s
eyes blazed. “You bastard! You bloody bastard. After all these years and
you leave me for bloody blimbo.”

Dianne
struggled to pull on a boot while at the same time maintain some dignity.
“I beg your pardon. I may be a lot of things but I’m no blimbo, and yes, I
do know what that means.”

Allison
wheeled—the full force of her anger focused on Dianne. “Lady, you may be a
lot of things but you’re going to be something on the end of my fist if you
don’t get the hell out of here!” She grabbed Dianne by her jeans, opened
the door, and threw her into the snow.

Allison
slammed the door and paced the floor, attempting to rein in her temper.
“How could you? Of all the people to leave me for, how could you pick such
an airhead?”

Rick
casually reached for the flannel shirt at the end of his bed. “See, that’s
your problem. You only see things your way. She’s not like that at all. In fact
she’s pretty intelligent.”

“How
long has this been going on then? A week? A month perhaps? How long have you
and that bitch been rutting?”

Rick
smugly smiled as he buttoned his shirt. “About nine months and as for
rutting, well, that might be what you call it, but I’ve got another name for
it.”

Allison
did the mental calculations. “You prick! You two have been at this for
ages. The morning I was late for work and you were supposed to have come over
the evening before. I bet you were with her, weren’t you? And let’s not forget
all those team meetings you had to have at all hours while we were planning
this dig. Of course, then there’s the ‘it’ll be okay, I’ll walk Di home and
then join the others’ excuse you gave in Hobart. I bet you never joined the
others at all, did you? To think for the whole bloody miserable sea journey
down here I washed and looked after you while you puked your guts up. And for
what? So you could run off with some bitch. Christ, after all I’ve done for
you!”

Rick
stood, his dark eyes aflame as he towered over her. “Bullshit! You’ve been
colder than ice for a long time now. Shit, you’ve been so preoccupied in this
damn dig that everything else has taken a back seat, including me. At least
with Di I don’t get the cold shoulder every time I try to show a little affection.”

“If
your idea of showing a little affection is shaking my shoulder after a hard
day’s work and asking me if I’m awake, then you’ve got it wrong. Why her? Shit,
there was a time when you couldn’t stand her.” Allison searched her mind
for a possible reason and then bitterly smiled. “Of course, how stupid of
me. What better way to cement your position at the Museum than getting into bed
with the patron’s daughter? You lousy, politically minded, scum sucking low
life bastard. You can have her. And if it’s any consolation, with a prick the
size of yours, it’s a wonder she gets any satisfaction out of you!”

Rick
raised his hand and Allison lifted her arm, to shield herself from the
inevitable blow. Almost simultaneously the door slammed open and Michela strode
in.

“Rick!”
Michela shouted.

Rick
sucked in a breath and lowered his hand. Michela quickly stepped between them
and faced Rick.

“I
don’t know the full story of what’s going on here. But if I see you raise your
hand to a member of my team, male or female, I’ll have Sarah sedate you for the
rest of the dig or at least until we can get you off the site.”

She
turned to Allison, who had recovered herself and now wore an equally
belligerent expression. “At this point I think it would be best if you
went to the mess hut. And, Rick, once you’re fully dressed, you’re to join us.
This needs to be resolved before this dig can go any further.” She lightly
grasped Allison’s arm and maneuvered her out of the apple.

MICHELA
OPENED THE mess hut door and breathed a sigh of relief that only Dianne was
there. Dianne looked at Allison’s angered features and sank further into her
chair. In order to avoid any possible bloodshed, Michela motioned Allison to
the other side of the room.

Bloody
hell. I mustn’t forget that in my report
—
be
wary of the ability of infidelity to potentially drive a wedge through a team.
I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this occur with this group. These three are
going to have to work out some degree of resolution or I’ll personally drug the
damned lot of them.
She rubbed her eyes and traced a path through her
auburn locks with her fingers. Rick finally strolled in.

Michela
motioned him to a seat a workable distance from Allison and Dianne. “Thank
you for joining us. We’re all adults here and I’m not about to take sides on
who’s wrong and who’s right. But let me make this clear. We’re currently on a
dig and the remaining four of us are relying on direction from you three. So,
this is how it’s going to be. You three can resolve your immediate differences
and learn to live with the change in personal circumstances, or we’ll strike
camp and return to Wills Station. I’m not about to have four innocent people
waiting around, freezing their butts off while you three sulk your way through
the remaining time here. So, what’s it going to be?”

Rick
pointed at Allison. “If you think for one moment I’m going to sleep in the
same cabin as the ice queen then you’ve got another thing coming.”

Michela
swallowed a laugh at Rick’s description of Allison.
Ice queen she might be,
but she has a mean right hook.
“I don’t know that you two have any
choice. We returned the spare apple with the BOB. What we now have is all there
is, and this hut isn’t equipped for you to be sleeping in it.”

Rick
folded his arms as he leant back in his chair. “The answer’s pretty
simple. Why can’t Allison change places with Di and Di can move in with
me.”

Allison
shook her head. “There’s got to be another solution than that. Why can’t I
set up a sleeping bag in the sno-trak, or pitch one of the tents?”

“I’m
sorry. I can’t allow you to do either. The sno-trak has no heating unless the
engine’s running and that’ll burn fuel. As for the tent, the reason why we
slept four in them in the first place was to increase the body heat inside the
tent. With only you, you’d freeze in no time.”

“Oh,
for God’s sake. What’s your problem, Alli?” Rick asked. “It’s not as
if you’d be sharing a hut with Sarah or anything.”

Michela
held up her hand. “Let’s get one thing straight. If you’ve an issue with
Sarah, then you take it up with her. In person.”
That is, if you’re
brave enough.
“Allison, I’m sorry, but there may be only one option
open to you. Any other changes will mean disrupting the rest of the group and I
think the three of you have caused enough of that already.”

Allison
suddenly stood, causing some of the table’s contents to fall to the floor.
“Alright. I’ll change bed spaces, but by God, Dianne, you better be out of
that damned hut before I get there or I’ll start turfing your gear into the
snow.” She turned to Rick. “As for you, I hope you go to the bloody
toilet one night and it’s so cold you get frostbite and your old feller drops
off.”

“Allison.”
Michela barely muffled her laugh. “I don’t expect you to like each other,
but are you going to work together or not?” The three mumbled that they
would. “Okay. Let’s get this move over and done with and get back to why
we’re here in the first place.”

While
the change to sleeping arrangements got under way, Michela gave Sarah, Rob, and
Ewan the abridged version of events. She reassured them, that for the sake of
the dig, professionalism among the three archaeologists would be maintained.

Michela
noted tea that evening was a silent affair and the crew retired relatively
early to their respective huts. Reluctant to face Allison where she was now
living, she took her time in completing her last slops round. Finally, having
no good reason to avoid the issue, she headed for their apple.

She
found a sullen Allison making an entry in her diary.
I
don’t want to
open old wounds, but I really do need to clear the air or it’s going to be an
uncomfortable time over the following weeks.
Michela sat on her bed.

“Could
I please have a moment of your time?”

Allison
raised her red rimmed eyes. “Yes?”

Shit,
she’s been crying. That bastard. I swear to God if he’d hit her today, I don’t
think I could’ve been held responsible for my actions.
“I’m sorry things turned out this way. I know it
can’t be comfortable for you to be bunking with me. But from Rick’s comments,
it’s obvious you haven’t mentioned my sexuality to him and for that I’m
grateful.”

Allison
absently picked at a page in her diary. “I really didn’t see it was anyone
else’s business.”

“Thanks
all the same.” Michela took a deep breath. “I’d also like to
apologize for what I said that day in the room at Wills Station. It was
completely uncalled for and crass. I’d like to reassure you I’d never do
anything to compromise you in any way. All I ask is whether we can maintain a
strong professional relationship. Is that possible?”

Allison
nodded.

“Do
you want to talk about it? What happened today I mean?”

“No,
thanks. I’d rather put the whole thing behind me, if that’s at all
possible.” Allison stood and went to her bed space. “But right now
I’d like some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay.”
Michela turned, giving Allison some privacy. “Pleasant dreams,” she
whispered. She lay down on her bed for what was the first of many restless
nights.

My
Darling Charlotte,

It
is with heavy heart that I make this entry. We have suffered our first tragedy
in this expedition. To understand why the loss occurred, it is first necessary
to understand the pull of this continent. The men’s urge to explore is strong.

We
were barely a week and a half into the preparation of our base camp when four
of my team approached me regarding the dispatch of the first exploration party.
I explained to them that the priority lay in the completion of our base, long
before we could attempt anything else. The discussions were far from cordial,
with me finally receiving a begrudging agreement that the crew would wait.

Imagine
my surprise and dismay the following morning to find the small group had left
in the early hours of the morning, taking half of our dogs and a great deal of
our stores with them. We waited in vain for their return, losing all hope when
our half-starved dogs staggered back into camp. How the animals found us I’ll
never know, but their arrival signaled the worst for the men who had left in
the night
—
I am certain they have
all perished.

I
am sorry my love to bear such sorrowful tidings. I feel as if I have failed in
my leadership of this team.

ERF

Antarctica—2009

Sarah
closed the mess hut door and headed for the kitchen stove. “I wondered
where you’d gotten to. Want a brew?”

Michela
put down her pen and rubbed her neck. “I’m about due for one. I’ve been
catching up on my notes. My digital tablet’s not working, something to do with
the cold I suppose. I’m having to record everything by hand and I’m woefully
behind.”