Red Ice

“Once we leave Japan things will get more difficult. Our destination will become a bit more obvious; therefore, no one leaves the project—alive, that is. We’re a trifle touchy about security, the truth be known. A flamin’ rear-echelon type with a big mouth could do us a world of harm. I’ll send a beggar to his reward before I’ll let him send me to mine. Right?”

The trim little Englishman tilted his battered head back and forth as he talked, bobbing and weaving, unconsciously flicking combinations into empty air. The heavy scarring around his eyes gave the lids a droopy cast, but the overall impression was one of vigor and determination. You could knock Dravit down forever and he’d still keep getting up. Pick a fight with Dravit at your peril; to keep him down you had to give serious consideration to killing him.

“Like a little toy tank,” an aristocratic-looking German whispered irreverently to the man next to him.

They each nodded as he caught their gaze. The terms and conditions of employment were fairly standard in this work.

He was drawing them in masterfully.

So intuitive and self-disciplined. You’d never believe his home life was so much burning wreckage. Two divorces. Three children in their mother’s custody.

Military marriages had been rough on Dravit. The odds had played against him. In the service, your time with your family was short and intense. The relationship tended to run to one of two extremes: either you played the benign, good-natured patsy home from the seas or you attempted to make up for lost time and brought your job’s iron discipline and hard attitudes home with you. Dravit had played both extremes, and lost both times. No matter, I liked him and relied on him. Unlike his families, we had his exclusive attention for the full duration of the job. In any event, he would be the closest thing I would have to a friend on this project. That is, if there were such a thing as a commanding officer having friends.

“Mr. Frazer here will fill you in on the general nature of our sojourn into the frosty climes”—he grinned villainously—“where it’s always double drill and a frozen canteen.”

I rose slowly. I knew I didn’t have Dravit’s casual, cultivated menace acquired from years below decks. Ghosts of the room’s earlier conversations hung in the air.

So this was that naval officer they’d been talking about… A SEAL, huh?… Well, he looks like he’s in shape, got the bearing of a bloody brigadier… Sure, sure, very impressive, but can he fight?… What the hell’s the Navy know about free-lance war making anyway? A likely bunch of paladins those white-linen boys would make…. Tight-lipped bastard, ain’t he, I’ll bet he can be a thoroughgoing son of a bitch when he wants to…. Man, are they gonna lay heavy words on us without a drink?

First impressions counted, and I had to convince twenty-five adventurous men—to follow me to some unknown place—in order to do some unknown martial deed—against some unknown adversary. My right shoulder ached again and I tried unsuccessfully to avoid clearing my throat.

“I’m Frazer… ex-U.S. Navy… SEALs. I’ve led a raid or two in the past fifteen years—nothing that ever showed up in the newspapers—and lived to tell about them. Wickersham, Dravit, and Heyer will vouch for me. Most of you are wondering what this is all about, and if you’re getting paid too much or too little. From the look of most of you, too much. In looking around, you’ve probably figured out that after the required dose of SEAL-type training, we won’t have enough men to depose a small government, or even knock over its treasury. You’re right.”

Heads were leaning toward me attentively. I scanned their faces; they were from everywhere: a Norwegian, a Frenchman, a Gurkha, a Cuban, a German, a South African….

“We’re going to execute a long-range amphibious raid requiring extensive cross-country skiing, some small craft work, and perhaps some swimming or scuba diving. We will be bringing back a willing passenger, code-named Eurydice for now. We can expect that Eurydice’s hosts will take a dim view of our intrusion, not to mention Eurydice’s abrupt departure…”

Wickersham had climbed up on a bed and was bouncing up and down, executing imaginary stem Christies like a slalom racer. His bridge was out again and he was grinning maniacally. Dravit moved to coldcock him but I waved him off.

“…which may occasion the use of arms, the demolition of some buildings, the detonation of a booby trap or two…”

There were shouts.

“…and, if my SEAL inclinations can be satisfied, the sinking of a few ships.”

Three or four had sprung to their feet. A chair tipped over backward. There was a rush of secondary conversations. The excitement of it was in the air.

“Listen up,” Dravit barked.