Tommy shuddered. Barbara looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Someone walked over my grave." He felt the sweat beading on his forehead as the feeling of foreboding flooded back. "Sorry."

She gripped his hand tightly. "Tommy... don't do anything hot-headed."

"I'm not planning to."

"You never do, Sir."

"You're not exactly an angel on that front yourself, Havers."

"No, but I am serious, Tommy. Please. For me."

"I promise."

They reached the first of the scattered shops on the main street and stopped to look in the window of the Post Office, which doubled as a souvenir shop. Barbara looked at the map then glanced around as if getting her bearings. "He's about 100 yards away."

"Keeping walking and window shopping. Let him pass us."

A minute later, Schweindeiner marched past them without giving them a second glance. They let him get about 100 yards ahead before the followed. He turned left at the crossroads and up the hill.

"Where does that lead?" Tommy asked.

"To the supermarket then out to the hospital, but if he turns off again, it will take him to the glacier."

"My money's on the hospital."

"Yeah, it won't look odd if we follow him at least as far as the turnoff."

"Okay. If he continues to the hospital, we will have to wait for him to come back."

Barbara jumped when her phone rang. "Winston?"

"Inspector, this is Assistant Commissioner Cameron. Nkata passed on your message. If you are correct, there will be enough material in those boxes to kill off the population of London, or any other major city. MI6 are involved now, and our military spy satellites have been tasked to focus on Ilulissat. They will take about 30 minutes to track into position. We can then follow that boat, and Schweindeiner, but until then it's imperative that you learn what is going on. Do you know where he is?"

"In sight, Sir."

"Good. And the boat?"

"It left the harbour and was headed towards the mouth of the glacier."

There was a pause and a click. "Havers, you are now on speakerphone. We have a map, so we understand where you are. We can track your path from your phone signal. Do you think the target is heading to the hospital or glacier?"

"Too early to tell, Sir."

"Keep him in sight, and call as soon as you know."

"Yes, Sir."

"Is Lynley with you?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Tell him not to do anything foolhardy. Same goes for you, Inspector."

"Yes, Sir." Barbara hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. "That was AC Cameron. MI6 are going to track the boat on military satellites, but it will take a while. We have to report on where he goes. And he stressed that neither of us is to do anything foolhardy."

"Why does everyone think we are so reckless?"

"History."

They continued to saunter behind their quarry, gradually allowing the distance to extend, but keeping him in sight. "He's turning," Tommy said quietly. "He's headed up to the glacier lookout."

"Good. It looks normal for us to be going up there too."

"You'd better phone in."

Barbara pulled out her phone and dialed. Winston answered. "He's heading up to the glacier. We're following discreetly."

"Okay. Just stay safe. Everyone here's flapping around like geese with their wings clipped. Let me know if anything changes. The satellite will be overhead in about seven minutes."

"We will. Bye." She turned to Tommy. The satellite will be overhead in about seven minutes. I guess we just follow."

Tommy took her hand. "We're fine. Once they have him we can relax."

Schweindeiner disappeared over the crest of the steep hill. Suddenly the air was filled with barking and howling. "What the hell is that?" Barbara asked.

"Dogs. They said on the briefing that this was the area of town everyone keeps their sled dogs."

As they reached the top of the rise, Barbara could see hundred of fenced plots, each with kennels of different sizes. Dogs, large and small, patrolled their boundaries. The ones closest to the road were barking as Pigman passed making ones further across the narrow valley howl in response. "Not so cute when they grow up."

Tommy looked at her. "They're working dogs, not pets, and most are only a few generations away from wolves."

"Great. I hope none of them chews through their fences."

The dogs seemed less interested in Tommy and Barbara as they passed, with only a couple giving them grumbling growls. The road slowly climbed again before ending in a cul-de-sac. Barbara's phone rang again. "Yeah, okay. Yes."

"Satellite in place?"

"Yeah, they want us to stay as eyes on the ground until they know what he's up to, then we step back and just play tourist."

"Suits me, but somehow I doubt it will be that simple."

Near the top, they could see the road end. A wooden boardwalk stretched into the distance across a tundra covered in small delicate wildflowers. Tommy took a picture. The signboard showed that the track was circular and led back to town along the cliff tops.

"Can you see something?" Barbara asked.

"No, but it's stunning scenery, and we need to look like tourists."

They started along the boardwalk. Signs highlighted ancient Inuit burial grounds and the remains of a small village. "I can't imagine living here."

Tommy laughed. "Many people think England has a lousy climate and probably say the same thing. To each their own."

"Oh!" Barbara stopped dead. Before them a small bay with an unusual beach of grey and orange sand came into view. Huge blocks of snow white ice filled the bay while crystal clear azure water lapped around their bases. She heard the distinctive click of his phone camera.

"Damn my memory is full."

"Do you have signal? Can you upload it to the cloud?"

"Good thinking." Tommy's thumbs moved began to type furiously. "What's Schweindeiner up to?"

"Still on the boardwalk."

"Okay, let's follow him."

They walked another 200 yards before they saw the boardwalk twist to the left and head away from the beach and up to a high rocky outcrop. At first the German seemed to be following the path. Then he paused and looked around before turning off the path and ducking behind a small cluster of rocks.

"I knew he'd do that," Barbara bemoaned. "Do we follow him?"

Tommy looked around. "No that's too dangerous. Phone it in and we will continue up the boardwalk. We should be able to see from up there."

Barbara checked her signal. "I'll have to use the satellite phone. I don't know how you had a signal."

"I don't have a cheap phone like yours."

"Don't start your class nonsense now."

Tommy frowned. "I'm not. Simply stating facts."

Barbara shook her head. Winston answered and she quickly updated him. "Do you have him on satellite?"

"Yes. Just see if he leaves the area. Follow him if you can?"

Barbara hung up. "Orders to follow if he leaves, otherwise we observe."

They hurried up the path. It ended at the base of the rocks, replaced by a steel ladder. "Don't slip."

Barbara stared at him. "I won't." Sometimes he could still be an annoying, patronising pounce.

There was no path at the top, just a series of blue dots painted beside rocks worm smooth from the soles of thousands of hiking boots. The terrain was uneven and slippery. Lichen grew in the dark recesses where the gneiss folded and twisted. The rock's glassy texture gave no traction and after four steps, Barbara unceremoniously fell on her knees. A hand extended to help her to her feet. "Nothing. Say nothing."

He grinned at her. "Not a word."

"Can you see him?"

Tommy turned. "Oh, Barbara, look at the view."

She stood then scrambled up onto one of the rocks for a better view. The beach was far below them. A clear line of icebergs rose behind it. To the left it was nothing but pinnacles and valleys of ice. White. Aqua. Blue. To the right the sea looked like royal blue glass stretching into navy. She turned to look behind her. Rising into the sky was a wall of white where a wall of glacial icebergs piled up haphazardly behind those in front that had grounded on the sea bed. "I feel... tiny."

Tommy took a few photos. "Can you still see..."

He stopped when a bright flash glinted off the ice. "What was that?" Barbara asked.

Tommy pointed. "Out there! Is that a...?"

"Submarine?" Barbara put her hand to her forehead. "Bloody hell. Where did that come from?"

"I don't know but someone on the beach is signalling back."

"And look, that red boat is coming around the point."

"Phone Winston. We have to get down there."

"And do what?"

"The satellite can't track a sub if it dives. We have to stop them."

"No, Tommy. We have to observe."

He was already halfway down the ladder when Winston answered. "Can you guys see that sub?"

"Sub?"

"Subma-bloody-rine. There's a thumping great sub that surfaced just in front of that ice pack, and it's signalling to Schweindeiner. And Tommy has decided to chase it."

"Hang on. I'm putting you on speaker."

"Havers? It's Commissioner Cameron again. We don't have assets to capture that sub. You have to try to stop the boxes being loaded."

"How? They're on a boat going to a sub and we are on top of a mountain."

"I don't know but the Americans are thinking of launching a ballistic missile. They argue that a few thousand lives lost to save millions is justified."

Barbara swore. "So you are saying if we want to live, we have to stop them."

"It's not a threat, Inspector. I am just outlining the reality. Our government has argued against that, as have the Danes, but..."

"Yeah, I know. Shoot first, apologise later. We'll doo what we can."

Barbara scurried down the ladder and ran to catch Tommy. She could see the two hiking groups from the ship approaching form the other direction along the cliff top path.

"What did they say?"

"Basically that we have to stop them, or we, and all of Ilulissat will be blown off the map by the Yanks."

Tommy stopped and looked at her. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah, this is out of control, Tommy."

He hugged her. "Whatever happens, I love you."

"I love you too. Just when we had a chance at being happy..."

"We still can." They walked as fast as they could without arousing attention.

"Yeah, I can see the headlines now. Lynley and Havers save the world. Tommy, be realistic. How can we stop a sub?"

"I have no idea. But we have to try."