In the Arctic (11 page)

Jockabeb was having the time of his life up in the cockpit. As he watched Major McColl maneuver the Chinook and listened to the pilot explain the physics and mechanics of how helicopters fly, the fifteen year-old silently vowed to become a chopper pilot someday.

The first of many Top Secret debriefings began ten minutes after the Chinook arrived back in Thule. Special Agent Quade was out on the tarmac when the chopper touched down. After the fourth and final ETF member disembarked, he nervously asked, “What happened to everyone else?”

“It’s a long story,” Dr. Henderson replied. “You’ll hear all about it, but first these kids and I would like to get someplace warm. We’d like something to eat other than C-Rations, and preferably not cold cuts, okay?”

Hot meals were brought to the debriefing room where Special Agent Quade, Dr. Michaels, and several other NASA, NORAD, and PSA personnel had gathered. Director Blair and others in Langley were also patched in by secure radio. In between mouthfuls of chicken tetrazzini and steamed green beans, the four remaining ETF members and Major McColl answered questions.

The debriefings continued until ten o’clock that night, at which time Dr. Henderson and Willow were shown to their private room. The boys spent the night in the same barracks they’d slept in before.

Everyone reconvened at eight o’clock sharp the next morning.

Looking at the ETF members, Special Agent Quade opened the meeting by saying, “We’re mindful that Christmas is in two days. So after this morning’s debriefings, I’m accompanying the four of you on a flight to Langley where you’ll spend the night. There’ll be more debriefings the next day, but I promise that you’ll all be home on Christmas Eve.”

The next day and a half flew by quickly. One debriefing followed another, with a few one-on-one interviews and a physical exam thrown in for good measure. It was 2:15 P.M. on Christmas Eve when the last debriefing session finally ended.

After telling Willow and the boys he’d stay in touch, Special Agent Quade delivered a stern warning before leaving. “Everything that’s happened since you arrived here in Langley six days ago has been classified Top Secret. You cannot, repeat cannot, discuss any of it with anyone, not even your family. And remember, any leak is punishable under the law.”

Limousines were waiting to drive Willow to New York and Dr. Henderson to Boston. The private plane that would fly the boys back home was also fueled and ready to go, so there wasn’t much time for good-byes as the four ETF members stood in a crowded Langley hallway.

Once Dr. Henderson had shaken hands and thanked the three teenagers for everything they’d done, she sighed and said, “Well, I guess it’s time to say good-bye. You all have a wonderful holiday because you sure deserve it.”

When Dr. Henderson had left, Jockabeb walked over and hugged Willow. Laughing, he stated the obvious. “I’ve got a feeling this isn’t the last time I’ll see you.”

Finally it was time for Archibald and Willow to say good-bye. Thankfully, he didn’t blush when he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, whispering, “I wish all these people weren’t around.”

Kissing him back, she answered, “Don’t worry, our time will come.”

When her driver cleared his throat and said, “Miss, we ought to be going because the traffic’s going to be heavy,” Willow looked up at Archibald and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you,” he answered as she turned and left.

Archibald and Jockabeb were the only passengers on a King Air propjet that had been chartered to fly them home. Once they were airborne, Jockabeb said, “We’ve had some pretty wild adventures, but don’t you think this one takes the cake?”

“Yeah,” Archibald replied. “I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to top it. But if we do, it’ll have to be without any blue feathers.”

“So, we’re on our own now, huh?” Jockabeb asked rhetorically.

“Yeah,” Archibald conceded, “We’re on our own.”

The boys’ exchange brought a smile to the face of the invisible spirit that was hovering at the back of the cabin—a spirit that would be watching over the two brothers for a long time to come.

Nighttime had fallen when the plane touched down at the same airport from which the boys departed six days earlier. The limousine driver who met them and drove them home said that the big storm had dropped a foot and a half of snow. “Should be getting a little bit more tonight, so we’ll definitely have a white Christmas this year,” he added with a big smile on his face.

The outside Christmas lights were on when Archibald and Jockabeb arrived home. The driveway
and walkway had been shoveled, and the boys knew a fire was burning in the fireplace by the stream of smoke rising from the chimney. Their driver’s prediction had been right as the first snowflakes started to fall just as they reached their doorstep.

Even though Special Agent Quade had called ahead to let the boys’ parents know exactly when the plane would be touching down, their family was overjoyed when Archibald and Jockabeb finally walked through the door. With Oh Come All Ye Faithful playing in the background, their mother and Tess ran to hug them, exclaiming, “You’re home! Christmas Eve can now begin!”

Before going into the kitchen for dinner, and after giving each of his sons a hug, the boys’ father pulled them aside and said, “Just so you know, Special Agent Quade has already told us that you can’t discuss anything that happened over the past week, so we won’t ask you about it. It drove Tess crazy when I told her, but she finally accepted the fact that she’ll never know where you were, or what you were up to.

“Even though what happened up in the Arctic is classified, Special Agent Quade said enough on the phone for me to know you did your country proud. And, boys, I also want you to know just how proud your mother and I are of you. Okay, now let’s go get some of your mother’s famous chowder. I’m sure you haven’t had a decent meal since you left home!”

After the traditional Christmas Eve meal of corn and crab chowder, tossed green salad, and peppermint stick ice
cream with chocolate sauce had been finished, everyone gathered around the Christmas tree to share their favorite Christmas story. This year Jockabeb was given the honor of reading
The Christmas Token,
a heart-warming holiday tale about friendship, memories, and family. Before going to sleep, another family tradition was carried out. Each of the children was given a present to open. And, as was the case every year, they all slept in new pajamas that night.

Jockabeb was ready to turn out the lamp on the bed stand when he asked his brother a question that had been on his mind during the flight home. “You’re sixteen and I’m fifteen now. Do you think we’re getting too old for all this adventure stuff?”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Archibald laughed. “It’s not like we go looking for it. It just somehow seems to find us. You know as well as I do that there’ll be something else that pops up and gets us in trouble. I just hope it doesn’t have anything to do with Special Agent Quade!”

“Just checking,” Jockabeb replied, then adding as he turned out the light, “and roger that on Quade.”

A minute or so had passed when Archibald rolled over and said, “Hey, Jockabeb, one more thing.”

“What’s that?” Jockabeb, asked.

“Merry Christmas,” Archibald said, smiling in the dark.

“Merry Christmas,” Jockabeb answered back.

And so it was!

On New Year’s Eve day a letter arrived with a familiar New York City post office box number listed as the return address. The letter was from Willow. In it she wrote about the limousine ride home. With all the traffic, it was close to midnight when she’d finally arrived back in New York City.

She went on to say that her best Christmas gift came the next morning when a government agent arrived at Sub-Station Zero with a handwritten note from Director Blair. In his note, Director Blair said that Meatloaf would be buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery. He also said that the PSA had made arrangements for her to attend.

She ended her letter by saying how much she’d enjoyed the time they’d spent together even though it was much too short, and also how much she was looking forward to seeing him again.

The last two words in the letter, “Love, Willow,” must have been on Archibald’s mind when he went to sleep that night after watching television and seeing the lighted globe drop in Times Square.

Although he rarely had vivid dreams, that night a dream that Archibald had on another New Year’s Eve several years before resurfaced from the depths of his unconsciousness. In both dreams, he was standing at a makeshift altar that had been constructed in his backyard. His eyes were riveted on a young woman dressed in white who was being escorted down the aisle by a silver-haired gentleman.

Then something caught his attention at the far edge of the yard. Hunched over and walking with a cane, a very old man emerged from the forest and took a seat at the end of the last row.

As his bride-to-be took her place next to him at the altar, she winked at his best man. When Jockabeb winked back, the service began.

In his original dream, all the images had been hazy, almost as if filtered through a murky lens. This time, however, there was no haze to cloud his vision as the words, “We are gathered together,” were spoken.

When he faced his future wife to begin their wedding vows, he clearly saw her eyes—the largest, most beautiful pair of dark eyes he’d ever seen!

It was mid-January when another letter addressed to Archibald was delivered. It was a letter he’d been eagerly awaiting. Three months earlier, he’d applied for a spot in a student living abroad program. It was the same program in which several students from his school had previously participated. The return address on the envelope was from the organization managing that program.

If selected for the program, he would move in with a pre-screened family and attend summer school in a foreign country. The program would start in mid-June after his current school year ended, and it would conclude two months later. As a surprise sixteenth birthday present, Aunt Claire had graciously offered to cover all of the costs associated with the program if he was accepted.

“Hey, Mom,” he yelled excitedly, walking quickly toward the kitchen, “It’s here. The letter from the
living abroad program is here! I’m almost afraid to open it.”

“Well, you’re not going to find out anything until you do,” she answered.

Before completing his application, Archibald and Jockabeb had researched all the cities where the participating schools were located. He’d then marked those cities that were acceptable, and those that were not. He was also asked to list his top three choices in order of priority.

When he opened the envelope and read the letter inside, his face brightened. “Mom, I got in!” he said excitedly, practically jumping up and down. “And guess what? I got my first choice. I’m going to Hong Kong!”

“That’s wonderful,” she exclaimed. “Wait until everyone else hears! You need to call Aunt Claire and give her the good news. She’ll be thrilled.”

Then almost immediately, a worried look crossed her face as she said, “Archibald, you know that you have a tendency to get yourself into trouble when you leave home, and this time you’ll be all alone on the other side of the world. I just hope you’ll be careful.”

“Come on, nothing bad is going to happen me,” Archibald answered, shaking his head. “I’ll be living with a great family. Plus, all the kids at school who’ve gone on the program have had really good experiences without any problems. You don’t need to worry, okay?”

As he did his best to reassure his mother that she needn’t be concerned about him going to Hong Kong, Archibald had no idea of what was lying in wait deep within a mountain halfway around the world, or how it would set the stage for the two brothers’ next great adventure!