Only Shadows Ahead

Chapter Three

"Remind me again why we took on this job?" Gi grumbled, pulling the sleeping bag up to her nose and trying to block out the howling winds buffeting the tents outside. It was barely above zero and Gi had never been so cold in her life.

"At least we are here in the high season, Gi." Linka's voice floated out from under the sleeping bag beside her. "Barrow does not even see sunlight from November to around the end of January."

"Yeah, well… you're used to the colder climates." The Water Planeteer sighed, snuggling in closer to her best friend. "Besides, if our vehicle hadn't broken down, we'd be at the station by now."

"Unexpected detour," Linka said sleepily. The Russian yawned, blinking as Gi thrashed around once again in a vain attempt to get comfortable. "It is just for one night. Besides, I do not hear the boys complaining."

"Yeah well…" Gi muttered. "Kwame and Ma-Ti never complain, and Wheeler would sleep through a brass band playing in an ice hockey arena."

"Da, that is true." Linka giggled. She wriggled further forward after several moments, wrapping her arms around her friend in an attempt to share some body heat. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry for being such a grumble bum."

"The research team will be here at first light," Linka said, squeezing her friend reassuringly. "And I do not mind it when you are a bumble-bum."

Gi chuckled. They lay in silence, listening to the wind as it buffeted against the material of their tents, making an irritating flapping noise. It eventually died down but Gi still remained awake, listening to Kwame's loud snoring coming from the tent beside theirs. She sighed, rolling over to face Linka.

"Do you think it's Sludge this time?"

A small torch was switched on and Linka's face suddenly lit up. Gi smiled fondly at her friend, noting her pale, almost ethereal skin, high cheekbones and soft blonde hair swept over her shoulder.

"Nyet. I think it is Greedly." Linka yawned again and rubbed her face. "Only he would be choknutyj enough to drill for oil without permits… and you know. Without the benefit of actually knowing what he is doing."

"That man has his chubby fingers in so many financial pies. What else could he possibly need?"

"Lifetime membership to Weight Watchers." The low voice issued from the tent beside theirs and Gi snorted, watching on as Linka twisted and glanced in the direction of the boys tent.

"Why are you not asleep, Yankee?"

"Foghorn Leghorn here keeps changing melody," Wheeler complained, his voice floating through the walls of the tent as the girls stifled giggles.

"He really is loud tonight," Gi said, still smiling. She heard the shuffling of bodies from next door and grinned as Kwame rolled over and snorted loudly, as if proving a point. "It's almost like he's snoring in rhythm."

Wheeler's muffled voice groaned with frustration. "Y'know, every time I think he's settled into a pattern, the bastard goes and changes it up on me."

The girls started giggling helplessly again.

"Oh, poor Yankee. Not much you can do about it," Linka teased, shifting and resettling herself under the covers.

"Is that a challenge?"

A heartbeat passed and they heard the sound of a zipper, followed by a rustling noise. The girls glanced at each other, their eyes wide as a large shadow appeared outside.

Linka sat up, bundling her sleeping bag around her as she stared at the entrance to their small tent. She narrowed her eyes and pushed her fringe away from her forehead.

"Is he…? Yankee, do not even think about it," she hissed, a warning note in her voice.

The zipper to their tent slid up and a shock of dishevelled red hair appeared first, followed by a cheeky, grinning face.

"God, it's freezin' out there," Wheeler complained, dropping to his knees and crawling inside before closing the zipper behind him. "Evenin', ladies…"

His bulky frame practically filled the tent. He kicked his shoes off and unwrapped a red quilt from around his shoulders, tossing it towards the girls. It fell in an untidy pile into Linka's lap and she threw it back, an indignant look gracing her features.

"Can we help you?" Gi asked, regarding him with disbelief as he crawled forward on his hands and knees. He settled himself down between them and Gi gasped as his weight dropped onto her leg. She disengaged her limb and tilted sideways, having no choice but to make room for the brash American. "No seriously… can we help you?"

"Nah. I'm good," came his reply as he tucked his legs under the blankets and shuffled down. He settled himself back and clasped his hands under his head, grinning. "Much more comfortable in here."

"Comfortable? As opposed to what?" Gi rolled her eyes, looking up at Linka who was still sitting up, frozen and staring at Wheeler as if he'd grown a second head.

"As opposed to the jet engine I was sleeping beside. And Ma-Ti's hand kept ending up on my ass, and I sure as hell wasn't comfortable with that."

Gi snickered again. "Oh geez, Wheeler."

"No complaints if either of your hands end up on my ass tonight, though." He dropped his arms down on either side of his body, nudging both girls with his feet. "I'll be more than comfortable with that."

"Wheeler!" Linka hissed, shoving him by the shoulder as he snickered from his position between them. "Stop it!"

"Just sayin'," he said quietly, batting his eyelids. The blankets and quilts were pulled up to his chin and he smoothed the lumps out with his hands. "The invitation's there."

"Uh huh. We'll keep that in mind," Gi said, amused. She laid back against her pillow, readjusting the sleeping bags over their combined bodies. "Don't go gettin' any ideas, Pyro. This is a one time deal."

"No cuddles? No spooning?"

"Spooning? What is this spooning you speak of?" Linka asked, confused as she switched the light off and lay down, doing her best to maintain some distance between her own body and Wheeler's.

"Want me to demonstrate, babe?" His voice was low and Gi knew he was smiling.

"Nyet," Linka said firmly, reaching out and swatting him across the forehead. "Behave yourself."

"Where's the fun in that?" he mumbled into Gi's pillow.

But Gi (and even Linka) knew the words didn't even need to be spoken. Sure, Wheeler was a flirt and a tease and a charmer, but she also knew that he respected them both deeply. Mutual trust had developed between all five of them over the course of the last seven years and it ran deep; even deeper than the familial bonds they held.

She heard Wheeler sigh as he turned onto his side. A loose arm was flung around Linka's waist and Gi heard the Russian mutter something derogatory under her breath in the darkness…although she didn't push him away.

The wind had picked up again and Gi listened to it for a while, sensing the canvas buckle and sway under the steady draught outside. She nestled against Wheeler's back for warmth, lulled by the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Her own breathing finally evened out and her eyes closed eventually, until she was all but oblivious to the elements rising in intensity beyond the sanctuary of their little canvas shelter.

Daylight seeped through the tent as Gi stirred. She heard quiet movements outside and she opened her eyes, stretching the kinks out of her body. Instinct told her that Kwame was awake and packing up the camp.

Always an early riser.

Gi rolled onto her side and gently disengaged herself from the mass of limbs within the cramped tent. Wheeler was still sleeping soundly beside her and Gi wasn't surprised to see Linka curled up quite comfortably against Wheeler's chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her. Unable to help herself, she tucked the sleeping bags and blanket around them; careful not to wake them.

She shook her head, a wistful smile crossing her lips as she crawled towards the entrance. She unzipped the canvas flaps and stepped out, spotting Kwame immediately beside their immobile vehicle. He waved as she straightened and closed up the canvas again.

"Morning. Want some tea?"

She nodded, crossing her arms across her chest to ward of the cold chill in the air. "Thanks. Heard from the AST?"

"They're sending someone to pick us up within the hour," Kwame said. "Have you seen Wheeler? He wasn't in our…"

Gi jacked her thumb over her shoulder and Kwame cottoned on immediately. "Oh, okay. Ah… why?"

"It's Wheeler. You're really going to ask that question?"

He smirked but stayed quiet, aware of his best friend's impulsivity… especially when it came to temperamental Russian blondes. Gi perched herself on the edge of a fallen log and glanced up as he handed her a steaming mug. She took it gratefully.

"Thanks."

Kwame nodded, leaning against the jeep and shoving his hands deep within his pockets. "This cold is unnatural."

She raised her eyebrows. "Judging by last night, it must have been playing havoc with your sinuses."

"Ooooh," Kwame groaned. Rubbing his face, he regarded her with an apologetic look. "No wonder I am so tired. Sorry. Was I that bad?"

"I think most of Alaska would have heard you," she muttered, making a face and dodging a well-aimed kitchen sponge pitched towards her head. "What's the plan for today?"

"View the surveillance videos, speak to the witnesses. Then head to the oil site. We get our facts in order before shutting it down."

"Sounds good," she said, sipping her tea. "Then home… hopefully"

Kwame grunted, kicking a clump of snow across the ground. "Mmm. How long has it been?"

"Fifteen weeks. Three days. Seven hours." Gi sighed, looking lost in thought. "I miss Hope Island."

"It has been far too long living out of a suitcase," Kwame agreed, nodding towards Ma-Ti who was climbing out of his tent. "Morning. Sleep well?"

"I've certainly slept better," Ma-Ti commented drily, shaking his head. Heading towards the kettle, he pulled another sweatshirt over his body for warmth before pouring himself a mug of tea. "Do you hear that?"

Gi paused, her ears pricking at the low rumble of an engine nearby. "Looks like our ride is on it's way."

"Good. I'm starving. Hoping they have a hot breakfast waiting for us," Ma-Ti said. "Are we packing up?"

Kwame gave the thumbs up sign, glancing in the direction of the girls tent. "Indeed. Who's waking Romeo and Juliet?"

He watched on with amusement as Ma-Ti volunteered. The Heart Planeteer stepped carefully over the guide ropes - his mug in one hand as the other hand grasped the tent pegs, pulling them one-by-one out of the ground. Pushing the centre of the canvas supports down, the structure collapsed inward on top of the unsuspecting inhabitants.

"What…" Linka's voice issued from inside, muffled but annoyed. Her hand pushed against the wall close to Ma-Ti's leg and he sprinted away with a grin, sloshing tea all over the ground. "Who did… Wheeler, get OFF me!"

Gi doubled over, sniggering into her palm as she watched the tent bulge and bounce from within. It took ten seconds of frenzied movement for the Russian to find the entrance. She darted out and jumped free, nearly tripping over a rock as she glared at the others who were in various stages of laughter. "That… that is not funny."

Gi pointed in Ma-Ti's direction, more than willing to give away the culprit and she threw Ma-Ti such a look of fire and ice that he took an involuntary step back, raising his hands and apologising between fits of cackling. Linka turned and stormed off towards their prone vehicle, muttering in Russian as she reached for her suitcase.

Wheeler appeared soon after, making a much more dignified exit. He stood and stretched, grinning widely. "Mornin'."

Kwame clapped his hands, intent on spurring his motley crew to action. "Come. Let's do this."

"How were you made aware of this?"

The Alaskan State Trooper leaned over the table, pointing to an area at the top of the crumpled map.

"They thought Prudhoe Bay had sprung another leak. Closed the pipeline down and carried out repairs. It was the lead engineer who discovered that eleven extra wells had cropped up. Very crudely built. They hadn't bothered to clean up after themselves apparently. The engineer called it in and went to take a look."

"Back up for a moment. Another leak?" Linka interjected, sending a withering glance towards the trooper. She squinted, reading the name badge on his lapel. "Trooper Cronin, surely BP and Exxon would be doing a better job with maintaining their equipment after the last leak?"

The officer straightened and returned Linka's glare. "They paid greatly for it, making restitution to the tune of $20 million, sweetheart."

"That is a small consolation to the local wildlife," Linka muttered, looking away as she folded her arms in annoyance. She felt Kwame's hand on her shoulder, a gesture of warning and she gritted her teeth but remained quiet.

"Have the repairs been made?"

"Didn't need to. There were no issues with the pipeline. Huge amounts of oil were present above ground but no punctures or breeches."

"Okay," Kwame said. "You said the wells are in a remote area. Can the engineer recall the location?"

"No."

Kwame frowned. "Why not?"

The Trooper moved to say something but Ma-Ti grasped the truth first. "He never returned."

"Correct," the trooper replied, meeting his gaze. "A team from the Bureau of Investigation were dispatched to investigate and they also failed to check in. They've been missing for three days now. That's when we called you."

"Do you have any leads?" Gi asked.

Trooper Cronin shook his head. He adjusted his hat and leaned against the table, eyeing the Planeteers with a wary expression. "No leads. But Prudhoe's production has decreased substantially by 30 percent. That's unexplained, and would usually indicate a major leak except there isn't one…"

"Or else the oil is being diverted," Kwame mused, thinking of the mystery wells that had appeared.

"Exactly. And our wildlife division have reported sea lions and migratory birds washing up on the coastline…"

"So whoever is siphoning the oil is doing a shitty job of it. Basically…" Wheeler chimed in. "Might be time for Alaska to invest in a primary industry other than petroleum."

The Trooper gave a mirthless smile. "Good luck getting that passed through the senate. Do you have any idea how many members of government are on Exxon's payroll?"

"Too many," Wheeler remarked. He zoned out for a moment, grabbing a donut from the desk and leaning casually against a file drawer. A pair of troopers entered the crowded office and he watched as they dumped their equipment and joined the conversation led by Kwame. The youngest officer, a cocky young man with a goatee approached Linka and pulled her aside; all smiles as he attempted to strike up some flirty dialogue.

Wheeler smirked, folding his arms as he watched the awkward exchange. The conversation was doomed from the start. He'd watched similar exchanges for many years now and knew Linka wouldn't give the trooper the time of day. Too focused on her work. Wheeler couldn't blame him for trying though.

Linka crossed her arms across her body, subconsciously demonstrating body language that screamed go away at several thousand decibels. She glanced over the troopers shoulder and met Wheeler's amused gaze. The American winked back at her and she broke the eye contact, smiling as she pushed her hair behind her ears.

A sniffer dog was brought in by his handler and Wheeler watched as Ma-Ti's face transformed into a wide grin. The Heart Planeteer dropped down to his knees, giving the german shepherd a good rub behind the ears as he spoke soothingly to the animal.

Sutchi had passed away the previous summer and Ma-Ti had had yet to find a replacement to lavish affection on. Wheeler had helpfully suggested a goldfish but that idea hadn't been very popular.

"Bozhe moi." A soft voice issued from beside Wheeler and he turned his head, noting that Linka had joined him. "That man was very… inappropriate."

"How so?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on Kwame who was giving them a disapproving stare for not paying attention. "Your version of inappropriate isn't the same as mine, babe."

"He asked me if I was a model…"

"And…"

She sighed, angling her face up and whispering in his ear. "…and do I have a mirror, because he can see himself in my pants."

Wheeler choked, spraying donut crumbs everywhere. Gi turned around and regarded the pair with curiosity as the American got himself under control. Linka hushed him, her cheeks red as she patted him on the back.

"It is not funny, Yankee!"

"Yeah, it is," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her. "Christ. That's worse than my pick-up lines."

"Not by much," Linka replied with a laugh. "I would expect to hear that in a nightclub, not a police station."

"Bet it usually works for him, too."

"Not today," she muttered. "Ugh."

"Probably broke his heart, poor —"

She nudged him with her elbow and nodded towards Kwame who was now openly glaring at them. Wheeler tightened his grip around her neck and moved forward, dragging Linka as she stumbled along beside him.

They rejoined the group, discussing the plan of attack as they began to make preparations.