was functional. They were terrified—and willing to turn over their rifles. If they were telling the truth and we had left them to die, we’d be on the world’s shit list right now.”
“Understood.” Tower’s face was fixed in a frown. “Is the package intact?”
“No. The only way to remove it in the time available was to gut the unit.”
Tower nodded. “What’s your plan for keeping the contents secure?”
Thor had put some thought into this. “I gave the site manager my locked carry-on bag full of Legos and scrap metal from recycling to store in his office safe.”
Segal and Jones chuckled, shook their heads.
“Legos?”
“They had some at the station shop. Legos are Danish, you know.”
Tower ignored that last bit. “So, the carry-on is a decoy.”
“Yes.” Thor ignored Segal and Jones, who found the Lego thing funny. “I had to revise our original plan to take the Russian presence here into account. Our rooms, Dr. Park’s room, and Hardin’s office seem like the places they’ll try to search first.”
“Where is the package?”
“It’s locked in the steel case, which is hidden in the ceiling of one of the empty berths across the corridor from ours. Segal used his lockpicking skills to gain entry. No one has any reason to enter, and no one knows the package is there apart from us. We installed motion-activated cameras there, as well as in our rooms. If anyone breaks in, the three of us will be notified on our phones and get an image of the intruder. Hardin placed the Russians in a different berthing area.”
“What about Dr. Park’s safety?”
“I’ve cautioned her against being alone with any members of the Russian party. She spends most of her time at the Dark Sector Lab, a kilometer away from the station. Her research partner died suddenly a few days before we arrived, so she’s alone out there whenever she’s working. I think one of us should be with her.”
“Agreed. If our Russian friends are there to snatch this technology, she could be a target. That’s true for all of you.”
“We’re all carrying concealed just in case, and we’ve got our two-way radios. I’ll make sure Dr. Park gets a radio as well.”
Knowing how easily they malfunctioned in extreme cold, he’d packed spares.
“Good work today. We’ll get you home as soon as the weather allows.”
The meeting was over, so Thor packed up the laptop and cord.
Jones stood, stretched. “I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.” Segal got to his feet, too. “I have a new appreciation for you tonight, Isaksen. I’ve never been that cold. It’s painful. Sleeping in a tent in that weather? Hell, no.”
They made their way back to their rooms so that Thor could stash the laptop and then walked upstairs to the galley, where people were lining up cafeteria-style for the evening meal. Most ignored them. Others shot them cold looks. Some of the women—and there weren’t many—looked them up and down.
Yeah, that happened sometimes.
The scents of fried chicken and pizza made Thor’s mouth water, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. He glanced around for Samantha, saw she was ahead of them in line.
“Damn, that smells good.” Jones grabbed a tray and started filling it.
“You’d think he hasn’t eaten in a week,” Segal joked. “Leave something for the people who work here, man.”
Thor got the chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad, then saw Vasily get up from his table and head straight for Samantha, who now sat alone, waiting for them to join her. Forgetting to grab a fork or anything to drink, he carried his tray toward her.
Vasily veered off.
Thor sat beside Samantha, saw the bandage on her hand. “You saw the medic.”
She spread a paper napkin on her lap. “Yes. Kristi, the station nurse, said you make a good field dressing.”
“I’ve had some practice.”
“I bet. Did you—”
“It’s happening.” Jason, the kid who liked to film people, walked up to the table, an apple in hand. “I knew you’d take the women. When do you leave again?”
Irritation flashed over Samantha’s face. “Jason, you’re out of line.”
“They’ve been here a day, and you’re already all over them. Just saying.” Jason shifted his attention to Thor. “Antarctica is a sausage fest, and you guys make it worse.”
Thor hadn’t heard that phrase before. “Sausage fest?”
Jason laughed. “Lots of dicks. You know. Sausage. More men than women. It was hard enough getting laid before you guys showed up.”
Samantha glared at him. “Most of us are here to do research. Not every interaction between men and women is sexual, Jason.”
Jason snickered. “Especially