“I couldn’t agree more,” Bernadette said. “From what I’ve seen of civilization, it’s based on buying things online and watching Netflix. Not much competition with the Inuit.”
The grandmother approached and took Bernadette’s hand. In it she placed a rock that felt odd, like it had many facets in it, but she could only feel them and not see them.
“What is this?”
“This is a rock my grandmother found many years ago. She said she fell asleep on the beach and had a dream of Sedna, the goddess of the sea. Sedna gave her a rock, told her it was from the headwaters of the River of Thule. One day a woman would appear who would take it back to its origin.”
Bernadette felt the rock in her hand. It had a heaviness that far outweighed its size. “Is it from a meteor?”
“No, it’s from Sedna,” Danny said.
Bernadette smiled at Danny’s grandmother. “I will do my best for you and your people. I will search for the River of Thule and place this back there.”
They exchanged goodbyes with the grandmother. She watched them walk towards the plane. Her head was nodding and a low chant came from her lips, as if she was throwing a good luck song in her native tongue to speed them on their way.
“You believe any of what you just said back there to the old woman?” McAllen asked.
“Damned if I know, but it seemed the right thing to say. But I don’t know, the more we get into this journey, the stranger it gets. Maybe this River of Thule is real. Maybe this rock is real. And as far as Sedna being the goddess of the sea, who knows? I’m Catholic, we have so many patron saints and visions bouncing around, that I can’t judge anyone else’s.”
They found places amongst the packing crates on Danny’s plane. He wasn’t joking about Muskox horns and seal meat, the plane had the smell of meat and a musty odour from the horns. Within minutes of them putting on their seat belts Danny turned the plane onto the runway and they were airborne.
Bernadette sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept that well last night and she hoped to nap on the flight to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The journey would take just under four hours. There was nothing to see below in the darkness and she needed her mind to go blank for a while. It had been on overdrive the past few days and it needed a time out.
The engine’s big single propeller lulled her into a long nap. When she woke her head was lolled to one side and a stream of drool was coming out of her mouth.
McAllen was on his cell phone next to her confirming their next flight. He’d been able to hire a NetJets Gulfstream G5 that was to fly from Edmonton, a city just under a thousand kilometres south of them to pick them up in Yellowknife.
They were to fly straight to San Francisco, another long haul of over 2,400 kilometres. As the plane started its descent into the Yellowknife airport Bernadette got a queasy feeling in her stomach. Was it all the landings and takeoffs, or another possibility of meeting with airport officials and being recognized? She wiped her face and tried to pat her hair into shape.
The lights of the small city of 20,000 came into view. Apartment buildings and government buildings shone their lights into the northern night as the plane flew towards the airport.
The little plane bumped along the airstrip and Danny powered the engines towards the industrial hangers. The Gulf Stream had already landed. It was a short distance from where they parked their plane. Bernadette felt a sense of relief. They could board the jet without going through airport security.
She grabbed her duffel bag and followed McAllen out of the plane. A welcome wind of cold air washed over her that was refreshing after the stifling airplane trip.
She stopped for a second and stretched. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two uniformed RCMP officers making their way towards her.
42
The two officers were all business. One was a tall dark male, Bernadette thought he was Cree, like her, and the other was a short female who had the unmistakable features of an Inuit.
They walked passed Bernadette and approached Danny. The female officer, her name badge stated Corporal Aglukkaq, seemed to know him.
“Hey, Danny, we got word of someone doing some smuggling up here in the North. That wouldn’t be you would it?” Aglukkaq asked with a smile.
“Hey, Daniele, you know I’m so legit it hurts my business,” Danny said with a grin.
Bernadette watched the exchange carefully. Her training as an RCMP officer told her all the body language of an officer and a suspect. There was none of that here. The officers’ hands were not on their guns, but thrust deep into their pockets to keep warm. Not a ready position for a take down.
“So, what are you bringing in?” Aglukkaq asked.
“Oh, just seal meat and some Muskox horns from the Inuit Cooperative store,” Danny said. He was still smiling at the female officer, his hands down by his side.
“And these two are your passengers?” The male Constable asked. His name badge said Ladamer. He didn’t seem as impressed with Danny as his female counterpart.
“Ah, just two people that needed a lift from Iqaluit. They’re catching a ride on the Global G-5 over there,” Danny said pointing over his shoulder to the big private jet with the crew standing by to receive Bernadette and McAllen.”
“Nice ride. Must be some pretty important folks you’re flying around these days, Danny. You mind if we get their names?” Aglukkaq asked.
“Ah sure, um… you want to give the officers your names?” Danny said to Bernadette and McAllen.
“You don’t have them on a passenger manifest?”
“Not handy. It’s in the plane,” Danny said. His hands went from his sides as he crossed his arms.
Bernadette shivered inside. To an RCMP officer, this was a sign someone was lying or uncomfortable with the facts. If this young female corporal were any good she’d see it in a heartbeat.
“Why don’t you get it for me, Danny,” Aglukkag said turning to McAllen and Bernadette. “Could I see your identification please?”
“Is there a problem, Corporal,” McAllen said. “We’re running behind for an important meeting in the USA.”
“Well, since you have your own plane, I doubt if they’ll leave without you. Now, I need to see your IDs.”
McAllen and Bernadette pulled out their fake passports and handed them over. Constable Ladamer shone his flashlight at the document and then up at their faces.
Constable Ladamer stared hard at Bernadette’s passport. “You remind me of someone,” he said shining his flashlight in her face.
“Really? Who’s that?” Bernadette asked.
“A girl I knew back at Twin Pines Reservation in Northern Alberta. Her name was Bernadette Callahan. She left when I was young. I think she got into some trouble there,” Ladamar said.
“Twin Pines, nope, never heard of it. You say it’s in Northern Alberta?”
“Yeah, you say you’ve never been there?”
“No, Constable, if you look on my passport I was born in the USA. This is my first time in Northern Canada,” Bernadette said.
“And what exactly are you doing this far north?”
“We work for a private art collector out of San Francisco. We were looking at Inuit soapstone sculptures in the Arctic,” McAllen said.
“Who’s your collector?”
“Sorry, he’s real shy, as I said, he’s a private collector,” McAllen said. He let his words sit there for the constable to mull over.
Danny came out of the plane with a clipboard. “Here we are, Daniele, sorry I should have had it on me when I got out of the plane, my bad.”
Danny walked up to the four of them and handed the papers to Corporal Aglukkaq. He felt the tension in the air. Constable Ladamer’s jaw was clenched.
“You didn’t just write their names on your manifest in the plane did you, Danny?” the corporal asked, staring at the papers.
Danny had a pained look on his face, as if the officer had asked him an offensive ques
tion. “No, that would be wrong.”
“Okay, we’re fine here,” Aglukkaq said. She smiled at them. “Have a nice flight.”
“But, this lady looks an awful lot like the one on the APB,” Ladamer pointed out.
Aglukkaq shook her head and smiled at Bernadette. “Sorry, but my partner thinks he’s going to make the big collar of some rogue RCMP Detective all the way up here in Yellowknife.” She gave him a gentle push. “Come on, Ladamer, it’s your turn to buy coffee and donuts and I’m getting cold out here.”
Danny, Bernadette and McAllen watched the RCMP officers walk away.
“That was close,” McAllen said. “Did you actually know that constable?”
“Hell, yeah,” Bernadette said. “I used to hang out with his older sister. He was a total pain in the ass five-year-old brat. I beat the hell out of his cousins, the Cardinals, before I left the Reservation.”
“Do you think they were looking for you?”
“Well, if they were, that’s the worst interrogation I’ve ever seen,” Bernadette said. “I can’t believe how quickly the corporal shut it down. You know anything about her, Danny?”
“Yep, her grandmother is tight with my grandmother. They’re both into the ancient ways and believe that the River of Thule exists. My guess is she came to check out the lady who’s about to return the stone to the headwaters,” Danny said.
“Really, you think that’s why she came to check us out?” McAllen asked.
“I’d bet you a whole load of dried walrus,” Danny said.
McAllen and Bernadette said goodbye to Danny. Bernadette gave him a hug and they boarded the private jet. The pilot and co-pilot were female and so was the cabin attendant.
Bernadette kicked off her boots and slunk down into a white soft leather chair. The cabin attendant introduced herself as Meghan and brought them both a large glass of single malt scotch and some glasses of iced water.
Once they’d attained cruising altitude, Meghan informed them that she’d be preparing Filet Mignon with roast potatoes and vegetables for dinner followed by a cheese course and then a crème brulee for dessert. She placed the wine list beside them and left them to relax.
The jet taxied down the runway, then took off with a smooth acceleration. Bernadette looked down at the little city and watched the lights fade into the night.
She sipped her scotch and placed her hand in her jacket to feel the rock. There was something odd. When she received the rock it was round. It was now narrower with a point. Bernadette took the rock out and stared at it. She looked over at McAllen to see if he’d noticed anything but he seemed lost in thought. Maybe she’d tell him later.
The captain came on the intercom to tell them their destination of San Francisco was 2,400 kilometres away. Their air speed would average 880 kilometres per hour and the flying time would be two hours and 45 minutes. The captain told them to please enjoy the cuisine and beverages provided by the amazing Meghan.
Then the captain came back on and explained that they were intending to land at the Hayward Private airstrip in San Francisco, however, they were still monitoring the rising seas in the inner harbor.
“At present,” the captain continued, “San Francisco International airport is under water and no longer operational. We’ve been informed that Hayward has several dykes in place to stop the rising sea, however, if these become too tenuous we’ll be diverting to an inland airport.”
“I’ll keep you advised as we get closer to San Francisco, and our flight and ground crew will make every effort to ensure that you reach your final destination.”
McAllen and Bernadette exchanged looks. “Where are Sebastian and Winston supposed to meet us?” Bernadette asked.
“I told him the Hayward airport, but then if things change we’ll have to deal with it,” McAllen said.
“Do we have a plan when we arrive?”
“Yeah, we’ll make a visit to the Regent Marine location.”
“I’m with you on that. What do you think we’ll find?”
“No idea, but I asked Sebastian to bring along a few things, just in case.”
43
As they stepped off the plane they smelled smoke. It grabbed at their throats and stung their eyes. The captain was at the bottom of the airplane stairs and informed them there were numerous forest fires in the area and smoke coming in from the massive fires burning in the Los Angeles area.
The captain said, “I hope you’ll be okay here. We won’t be able to wait for you and we’ve been informed not to land at this airport again. The dykes could break at any time. Our company can arrange to pick you up in Sacramento or San Jose on your next journey. Please stay safe.”
Bernadette spotted Winston and Sebastian coming out of the building to greet them. “Well, this is a nice surprise,” Bernadette said.
“Hey, for us too. When we heard of all the action up in the Arctic, we thought you two were casualties,” Winston said. She came up to Bernadette and gave her a hug. “Glad to see you’re with the living.”
“Always glad to be above ground,” McAllen said as he engulfed Sebastian in a bear hug.
“Hey, don’t mess my new threads,” Sebastian said pushing himself out of McAllen’s hug and straightening his jacket.
“No, he was never one for bromance,” McAllen said. “Only likes hugs from the ladies.”
Sebastian gave McAllen a sour look. They followed him out of the terminal to the Lincoln Navigator he’d rented. He opened the back of the SUV and showed his new purchases.
McAllen looked around to see if anyone was watching before he picked up one of the submachine guns.
“You couldn’t get us some Israeli Uzi’s or German MP5’s?” McAllen asked looking at the American MAC-10 submachine gun.
Sebastian shrugged and shook his head. “Look, this was short notice. There so many people buying guns right now to protect themselves from what they think is the next Armageddon, that all I could get was what people don’t want.”
McAllen picked up the Smith and Wesson 9mm handguns and smiled. “These you had no problem getting?”
“Are you kidding? A handgun in America is a staple. I’m surprised the drug stores don’t have them in the aisle with the pain killers.”
They armed themselves with the weapons. Winston, Sebastian and McAllen chose the submachine guns and a handgun each while Bernadette chose only a handgun with some extra clips.
Bernadette checked the sites of the handgun and looked at Winston with the submachine gun. “You know, Winston, those things just spray bullets. I like to aim at what I’m going to shoot at.”
“Whatever knocks the bad guy down the fastest is where I’m at,” Winston said. “I’ll ask them if my aim was okay when they’re on the ground.”
“Now, that we’re all armed and dangerous, how far are we from the warehouse of Regent Marine?” Bernadette asked looking around at everyone.
“The place is about twenty minutes from here just off the Nimitz Freeway. Winston and I scoped it out when it was light. The place has a doorway at the front with large freight doors at the back. There’s a little plaque on the front door giving their name, but we didn’t see any signs of people in the building.”
“I guess we go check it out.” McAllen looked at Sebastian. “You have anything else you want to add?”
“Nope, I got nothing,” Sebastian told him.
Bernadette looked at the two of them. There was something in their exchange that was stranger than usual. She got into the back of the SUV with Winston and checked her gun again.
It was just past midnight when they got onto Nimitz Freeway. The surrounding area looked unusually quiet. From the reports Bernadette had seen on her phone, people were evacuating. They were heading to higher ground. The rising sea was flooding the bay.
Evacuation centers had been opened in Sacramento, however, with the forest fires and smoke, there was a stream of people heading north towards Oregon. Much of the population of America was on the move. Lookin
g for either relief from the rising ocean or the smoke and fires caused by the lack of rain and the extreme heat.
They motored passed a Costco, auto body shops and warehouses until Sebastian took an exit that led them down a street with a row of darkened warehouses.
They stopped half a block away from a low grey cement building. The building had covered windows and a door with a small sign that read Regent Marine. There was a van parked out front. No light shone from inside. One floodlight shone over the doorway.
“You see any signs of an alarm?” Bernadette asked.
“There’s an alarm company sign on the door, but I looked at the outside of the building, and the phone lines aren’t hooked up. So, if they have an alarm it’s not going anywhere.”
“Unless it’s working on a wireless system.”
“Ah, yeah, forgot about that. I’ve been out of the burglary business for some time,” Sebastian said.
“So, what do we do? Should we just go in?” Winston said.
“My money’s on a bust down the front door, Winston and Mac, you cover me with your submachine guns and I’ll drop low and fire a spray of bullets to take down anyone inside,” Sebastian said.
“And if that’s the people who are cleaning the building, you’re okay with filling them full of bullets?” Bernadette asked.
“Ah… no… not to kill the cleaning people… if that’s who’s in there…” Sebastian said as he trailed off into thought.
“How about if we go, jimmy open the front door, and take a look around to see what’s going on. If we meet any resistance—other than the people cleaning the place we’ll deal with it. Okay?” Bernadette asked.
“Fine. Let’s go.” Sebastian pulled back the lever on his submachine gun to chamber a round.
Climate Killers: Book 3. Bernadette Callahan Detective Series Page 22
