Overlord

10

Two Hägglunds tracked transports drove in convoy at speed across the Antarctic ice and snow. In the lead vehicle, crammed with operatives, Jasper Olsen ran a hand over his close-cropped iron gray hair and sighed. He felt as though he were getting too old for these kinds of missions. Surely, at nearly fifty-five, he should be at a comfortable warm desk rather than having his insides shaken loose in the middle of nowhere. But who was he kidding? He’d be bored and restless in less than a week if he was tied to an office. He shifted the assault rifle on his knees and stared out at the endless white expanse. Seemingly endless, but interrupted by the huge range of pyramid-shaped mountains not all that far away.

Olsen’s breath steamed. Even in the heated Hägglunds it was much too damned cold for comfort. Halvdan Landvik paid well, but maybe not well enough for such conditions. Olsen smiled to himself. He was getting old. Ten years ago he wouldn’t have even entertained these thoughts.

“This is far enough,” he shouted to the driver ahead of him.

The man nodded and slowed the vehicle, coming gradually to a halt. The relief at the cessation of jouncing and noise made the whole squad sigh with relief. Eight men in this vehicle, another six in the one behind, plus extra gear. It wouldn’t take long to set up their camp.

“Everybody out,” Olsen said. “Let’s get our shelters up and some food on the go.”

“How far from the base are we?” someone asked.

“Far enough to not be seen yet.” And that was, after all, the plan.

“Why don’t we just go right in there, seize the base? It has great facilities and we don’t have to camp out here and freeze our asses off.”

General murmurs of assent rippled through the group, reluctant to leave even the dubious comforts of the Hägglunds.

“We’re to take shelter and wait until we hear from our operative on the inside,” Olsen said. He looked around at the frowns of his men. They were feeling the sting of the cold and the nagging voice of impatience just as much as he. “I know you’d like to enjoy the comforts of the base. So would I! But we need to let the team do their jobs first. Once we’ve heard back from our person on the inside that they’ve found what they’re looking for, then we make our move.”

“With respect, sir, why don’t we simply make the captives do what we want?”

Olsen laughed. “Because the easy way is rarely the smart way, son. We’ll get better results if the team continues about their work thinking they’re getting paid. We need their excitement and enthusiasm to work in our favor, no? Besides, if we take the base now, there’s no telling what might happen. Essential team members might be killed accidentally, or they’ll resent being taken captive and try to sabotage efforts. It’s better if we let them find what we want unharried.”

“What is it, exactly, that we want?”

Olsen realized his own concerns with the isolated terrain, the entirely alien landscape and unknown factors of the mission, were concerning the men as well. He couldn’t blame them for their questions, but didn’t have any answers.

“That’s one of the things our person on the inside will tell us when the time comes,” he said. “Now get to it. I want a camp established here in less than thirty minutes. Go!”