Under the Ice

“Sergeant-Major! Forget about exhuming those buried snow cats and get up there on that ridge with the directional receiver. Take Corporal Eviki with you, and see if we’re close enough to pick up that homing signal as yet. I’ll take care of everything else.”

As Cliff Ano crisply saluted and pivoted to begin this task, Redmond turned for the staging area where their vehicles had been parked. Several of the men were there, digging into the snow drifts in an effort to find the two missing snowmobiles. Joining in with a collapsible shovel, the senior commando motivated his men to do their utmost.

“Come on, lads! It’s got to be down here somewhere.

The sooner we get moving again, the closer we’ll be getting to this mission’s conclusion. And I’ll personally guarantee a week in Hawaii if we should manage to pull this thing off.”

This last remark was all that was needed to inspire his men to really put their backs into their work.

And minutes later, the first of the snow cats was reached. As the other vehicle was also uncovered, Redmond helped his men remove the excess snow.

With a collective grunt, they lifted up the ice-encrusted snowmobiles and transferred them out of the thick drifts.

The breathtaking cold made their labor all the more difficult, and it was a supreme effort merely to get the vehicles in line and ready for travel. While supervising this job, Redmond shouted out to his men.

“Do any of you know how to hookup that dogsled? The sergeant-major should be back shortly, and I’d like to be ready to take off as soon as he does so.”

A young, mustached Inuit private, who had been busy scraping the frost off the windshields, was quick to respond.

“I think I can do it, Lieutenant.

Though I never had a team of my own, I helped my grandfather harness his team when I was a kid.”

“Then get to it. Private!” screamed Redmond, who turned to duck back inside the snow house to make certain all the supplies had been removed.

Ignoring the empty ration cans that lay scattered on the igloo’s floor, Redmond pocketed a compass that had been dropped. He also found a dog-eared girlie magazine, that had been absentmindedly stuffed in between two snow blocks This was obviously a treasured piece of literature, for its pages were worn and wrinkled. The weathered commando couldn’t help flipping through its pages and was surprised to find that the scantily clad models were entirely Oriental. The centerfold was a gorgeous creature with long dark hair and a huge, firm bosom. For the first time that morning he was unmindful of the constant bitter cold. Yet his reverie was brief, as he was joined by his breathless sergeant-major.

“We’ve got it. Lieutenant! The signal’s coming in loud and strong. It can’t be more than a couple of kilometers to the northwest of here.”

Quickly snapped back to thoughts of his duty, Redmond stuffed the magazine into the folds of his parka and met his subordinate’s excited glance.

“Good job, Sergeant-Major. But are you certain that this particular signal is the one we’re searching for?”

“Absolutely, sir,” snapped the Inuit.

“Just like Command said, we found it on the high-frequency band, only seconds after we set up the receiver. It’s got to be that black box. What else could it possibly be?”

“For the squad’s sake, I hope you’re correct, my friend. Because this rotten weather has been more physically demanding than I anticipated, and I don’t think either the men or our equipment can take much more of it.”

A determined expression came to the Inuit’s face.

“Don’t underrate us, Lieutenant. We might not look like much, but I guarantee you my boys can take a whole lot more punishment than this. Why, for an Inuit, this is nothing but a Sunday walk in the park.”

Jack Redmond slyly grinned.

“I was hoping that you’d say that, Sergeant-Major. So let’s get the lads on the go, and wrap up this assignment once and for all.”

The Inuit flashed Redmond a hearty thumbs-up and led the way through the igloo’s tunnel. Outside they were met by gusting wind, the throaty whine of the snow cats being warmed up, and the high-pitched yelps of their dogs.

Taking his place in the lead snowmobile, Redmond raised his right hand overhead and commandingly shouted.

“Okay, lads! The tough part’s over now. We shouldn’t have much further to go. So let’s keep our eyes open, and stick close together. I certainly wouldn’t want to lose anybody now that we’ve gotten this close.”

As he shifted his right hand down. Cliff Ano responded by throwing back his rawhide whip and snapping it forward with a crack. Needing no more encouragement, the harnessed dog team lunged forward, and the squadron of Canada’s best was once again on the move.