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['The team arrives at the cruise ship to take Sean Arnet into…","config":"","split":"train","body":"{\"choice_A\":\"1243\",\"choice_B\":\"2341\",\"choice_C\":\"1234\",\"choice_D\":\"1342\",\"context\":\"{\\n    \\\"doc\\\": \\\" \\\\n Contents The Invisible Thread No AI Training The Greenland Missing Persons series Introduction Map: Greenland Glossary The Invisible Thread 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 If you enjoyed this book Get more Scandinavian Crime stories About the Author Copyright Information \\\\n The Invisible Thread Greenland Missing Persons #22 Don\\\\u2019t miss number #24 in the Greenland Missing Persons series: The Perfect Grave Need more Petra? Then you will love A Dog Called Blitzen And the new stand-alone Greenland Missing Persons novel Tundra Beat \\\\n Without in any way limiting the author\\\\u2019s [and publisher\\\\u2019s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to \\\\u201ctrain\\\\u201d generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models. \\\\n The Greenland Missing Persons series The Boy with the Narwhal Tooth The Girl with the Raven Tongue The Shiver in the Arctic The Fever in the Water The Winter Trap The Shaman\\\\u2019s Daughter The Banshee Palace The Ice Whispers The Blood Bandit The Rock Thief The Glacier Wraith The Blister at the End of the World The Boreal Tattoo The Last Day of Old Magic The Intrigue in the North The Polar Bear Screen The Mammoth Hunt The Fox that Barked The Ptarmigan Wing The Forsaken Fjord The Empty Camp The Ice Quake The Invisible Thread The Perfect Grave The Book of the Dead Greenland Missing Persons stand-alone novels Crocodile Beat Glacier Beat Tundra Beat Greenland Missing Persons calendar novels A Dog Called Blitzen \\\\n Introduction The Invisible Thread is the twenty-fifth title in the Greenland Missing Persons series. And, as the repeat offenders among you will know, I like to try new things every now and again and the novella-length stories allow me to do that. The Invisible Thread took me on an adventure within an adventure, which boxed me into a corner, requiring another novella to get me out of it again. Therefore, even though this story is complete, there is a thread \\\\u2013 not so invisible \\\\u2013 that Petra continues to tease at in a future novella called The Book of the Dead. Some characters from The Winter Trap, the fifth in the series, are mentioned in The Invisible Thread. However, it is not necessary to read that book to enjoy this book. While I\\\\u2019d like to blame this one on Petra, it is, sadly, all my fault. I just want to thank you for continuing to support this series, and I hope you enjoy The Invisible Thread as much as I enjoyed writing it. Chris February 2024 Denmark \\\\n \\\\n Glossary of Greenlandic Words used in the Greenland Missing Persons series aap \\\\u2013 yes ana \\\\u2013 grandmother anaana \\\\u2013 mother angakkoq \\\\u2013 shaman aqisseq \\\\u2013 ptarmigan arfivik \\\\u2013 Bowhead Whale ata \\\\u2013 grandfather ataata \\\\u2013 father imaqa \\\\u2013 maybe inuk \\\\u2013 human inussuk \\\\u2013 cairn (see Canadian Inuit inuksuk/inukshuk) kaffemik \\\\u2013 celebration/party kamikker/kamiks \\\\u2013 sealskin boots mattak \\\\u2013 whale skin and blubber delicacy naamik \\\\u2013 no qajaq \\\\u2013 kayak qipoqqaq \\\\u2013 Humpback Whale qujanaq \\\\u2013 thank you terianniaq \\\\u2013 Arctic fox tikaagullik \\\\u2013 Common Minke Whale tuttu \\\\u2013 reindeer ukaleq \\\\u2013 Arctic hare \\\\n The Invisible Thread \\\\n 1 Sergeant Gaba Alatak said he needed four police officers, but I was the fifth wheel. He didn\\\\u2019t put it that way, but as soon as we boarded the cruise ship Dreamcaster, I had the feeling I would soon be redundant. The captain of the ship had called for assistance when a group of passengers had become what he described as rowdy. The captain\\\\u2019s thick Texan accent and peculiar American words had confounded Gaba for a moment. And, while I do enjoy seeing what I might call perplexed Gaba \\\\u2013 so different to his usual macho self \\\\u2013 I could feel his pain, and when he said he needed a language expert, I volunteered. It was the word expert that did it. The cruise ship was anchored between the villages of Qassiarsuk and Narsarsuaq in Qinngua, the thick finger of water above Tunulliarfik Fjord. With its brilliant white hull and light blue smokestacks, it wasn\\\\u2019t a stretch to think it looked like an iceberg, and I stared at the ship as the pilot set up for landing at Narsarsuaq Airport, on the eastern shore of Qinngua. There were more bergs in the fjord, but Dreamcaster was the biggest. \\\\u201cLocal police are already onboard,\\\\u201d Gaba said as we piled into the back of an airport pickup for the short drive down to the beach. \\\\u201cThey have the situation contained. They passed up the names of the guests\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Gaba paused to tug a crumpled piece of paper from the chest pocket of his ballistic vest and squinted in the bright light as he read the names aloud. \\\\u201cAlex Waldren, Ray Liddell, Rachael Silk\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Another pause. Gaba looked at me as if Rachael were to be my personal responsibility. I gripped the side of the pickup and nodded as expected. \\\\u201cAnd Sean Augustus Arnet.\\\\u201d Gaba made a show of looking at the list one more time and then tucked it back into his pocket. The pickup bumped into and out of a line of potholes, drawing a smile from the two officers \\\\u2013 Constable Naatat Saarullik and Constable Jaakorpi Taateraaq \\\\u2013 sitting closest to the cab, and a cloud of dust and grit caught Gaba by surprise as he took a breath. He leaned over the side of the pickup to spit grit from his mouth and then turned back to the team. We were what I chose to call almost ready for battle. Gaba had insisted on ballistic vests and MP5 submachine guns, along with our service pistols, but no helmets. The captain had described the American guests \\\\u2013 aged between twenty-nine and forty-three \\\\u2013 as belligerent, another word that confounded Gaba for a second as he searched for the Greenlandic equivalent. It wasn\\\\u2019t that he couldn\\\\u2019t speak English, but the more interesting words taxed him in between, and bumped me up to Special Response Unit status, at least for the duration of the operation. \\\\u201cAnd there\\\\u2019s our ride,\\\\u201d Gaba said, nodding at a small fibreglass dinghy as the driver slowed the pickup to a stop just above a narrow strip of sandy beach. We climbed over the sides of the pickup and Gaba snapped his fingers at me, and then pointed at the dinghy he had rented for the trip across the fjord to the cruise ship. \\\\u201cJensen drives,\\\\u201d he said, before turning to Saarullik and telling him he had point once we were aboard the cruise ship, that Taateraaq would bring up the rear, with me and Gaba in the middle. I wanted to check that the locals had the guests in custody, but Gaba bounced that thought out of my head when he said, \\\\u201cArnet is our priority. His name popped up on a watchlist. Why he thought he could use his real name, I don\\\\u2019t know. But the Americans want him, and I said we could deliver.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWant him for what?\\\\u201d Saarullik said as we shoved the stern of the boat deeper into the water. \\\\u201cDiamond smuggling,\\\\u201d Gaba said with a grin. \\\\u201cAmongst other things.\\\\u201d He nodded for me to climb in the boat, waited for Saarullik to join me, before holding onto the bow as I prepped the outboard motor. The mountains on either side of the fjord wore a light grey summer coat, having shed the last threads of winter, but the air was still cool, and a light breeze caught the loose strands of my hair. I tucked them behind my ears, pumped fuel from the bladder into the engine, and then fiddled with the choke. I fiddled for longer than Gaba thought necessary, but then he couldn\\\\u2019t know what I was thinking. Aside from the fact that I didn\\\\u2019t want Gaba to ever know what was going on inside my head, the mountains and the fjord and the boat brought back memories of the last time I was in Narsarsuaq, including memories of a brief encounter with Carran Brigham, an interesting Brit from England, and, of course, Constable Innaaq Paniula. I hadn\\\\u2019t thought about him for a long time, but as I lowered the propeller shaft into the water, I couldn\\\\u2019t help but think of what had happened that time I had sprung a winter trap. \\\\u201cConstable?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, as Gaba\\\\u2019s voice jogged me back into the moment. \\\\u201cEverything all right?\\\\u201d Everything was all right, and I knew that, had we been alone, I might have told Gaba at least a little of what I was thinking. But the way he called me Jensen and Constable reminded me that we were not alone, and the regular members of the SRU, including Constable Atii Napa, were otherwise engaged. Saarullik and Taateraaq were Gaba\\\\u2019s stand ins \\\\u2013 competent but still needing to prove themselves. Proving oneself to Sergeant Gaba Alatak was something many of my male colleagues seemed to spend a lot of time doing, and a quick glance at Saarullik and Taateraaq revealed they were no different. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m fine,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cJust got distracted for a moment.\\\\u201d I gestured at the fjord and the mountains as if the stark beauty of Southern Greenland might explain it. The flicker of light in Gaba\\\\u2019s eye when he looked at me suggested he had suddenly remembered some of what had happened in Narsarsuaq, but a curt nod of his shaved and oiled head encouraged me to stop dawdling and start the motor. I pulled the choke lever out a little further, restricting the air intake a little more, clicked the gear into neutral, and yanked the starting handle. \\\\u201cEverybody in,\\\\u201d Gaba shouted as the motor caught the first time. Sure, it looked like a well-maintained outboard motor, but I enjoyed the nods of approval among the men as I \\\\u2013 the only girl in the gang \\\\u2013 proved I knew what I was doing. Gaba, the last man on the beach, gave the bow one more shove, pushing the dinghy into the fjord, and then climbed over the gunwales. \\\\u201cGo,\\\\u201d he said, before settling on the thwart seat. The wind teased several strands of my hair out of my hairband, and I glanced at Gaba, catching his eye, catching him looking. It was one of those heart-fluttering moments that made my professional and personal relationship with the macho leader of the SRU so interesting. But so long as he and Atii were still trying to make a go of things, I preferred to keep things simple. Yes, I know, lots of thoughts swirling around my head. But as I steered the dinghy into the wind, quartering the shallow waves en route to the cruise ship Dreamcaster, the fresh air helped me focus, and I listened as Gaba briefed us on Sean Augustus Arnet, diamond smuggler, and one of America\\\\u2019s Most Wanted. \\\\n 2 Sean Augustus Arnet. I was going to remember that name. Gaba painted a picture of a man with a bland appearance \\\\u2013 white skin, quite pale, thinning brown hair, and pale blue eyes \\\\u2013 who chose equally bland clothing, and could blend into a crowd. I found it curious that Gaba was not reading aloud from notes from another crumpled piece of paper he had tucked into his ballistic vest, but briefing us from what he remembered reading in Arnet\\\\u2019s file. Gaba had been quiet on the flight south, from Nuuk to Narsarsuaq, and as I picked a relatively calm course to the cruise ship, I now understood why. \\\\u201cHe\\\\u2019s been on the wanted list for over six years,\\\\u201d Gaba said, raising his voice above the thud and thump of the hull as we crested a wave and dropped into the trough on the other side. The fjord was choppier in the middle, and I could see small herds of white horses splashing against the side of Dreamcaster\\\\u2019s hull and frothing up through the metal grille of the platform the crew had set up to receive us. \\\\u201cAnd was last seen in London\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Gaba paused for effect. \\\\u201cOver four years ago.\\\\u201d Which only made me wonder, what had happened to blow Arnet\\\\u2019s cover on a cruise ship in Greenland? \\\\u201cHe must have screwed up,\\\\u201d Saarullik said. He looked around the team, searching for nods of approval, waiting for the nod from Gaba. But Gaba shook his head. \\\\u201cSince making the list,\\\\u201d he said, \\\\u201cArnet has screwed up only once.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIn London,\\\\u201d Saarullik said. \\\\u201cAap.\\\\u201d Gaba nodded, and I had to bite my lip to hide my smile when I saw Saarullik\\\\u2019s chest swell as the biggest, baddest, toughest \\\\u2013 you name it \\\\u2013 sergeant in the whole of Greenland, agreed with him. I might have embellished some of the euphemisms. Euphemism. Good word. But it didn\\\\u2019t matter. Gaba deflated Saarullik a second later. \\\\u201cBut he did it on purpose,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cArnet was reaching out. He wanted a deal.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHe wanted to come in?\\\\u201d Taateraaq said, taking over from Saarullik, although the look on his face suggested he didn\\\\u2019t quite believe it. \\\\u201cThat doesn\\\\u2019t make sense.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIt doesn\\\\u2019t,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cBut Arnet was, apparently, thinking of his future.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd a pocketful of diamonds he couldn\\\\u2019t unload,\\\\u201d I said, cutting Gaba off. I wrinkled my nose and gave him an apologetic smile for stealing his thunder. \\\\u201cSorry. Just guessing.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGood guess, Constable.\\\\u201d He had to add the constable bit, just to save face. But I let it go, choosing to focus on avoiding a gnarly looking wave that was gathering strength and volume on the port side of the dinghy. Gaba continued without missing a beat. \\\\u201cHe had, as Constable Jensen so astutely pointed out, diamonds he couldn\\\\u2019t unload. A deal had gone bad, Scotland Yard got wind of it, and Arnet reached out to try to make the best out of a bad deal. But the English didn\\\\u2019t want to dance, and Arnet slipped away under one of his aliases, leaving over nine hundred thousand British pounds\\\\u2019 worth of two carat diamonds somewhere in London.\\\\u201d Gaba let that thought fester for a moment. He even looked at me, waiting, perhaps, to see if I would comment about the money, or the thought of diamonds. They might once have been a girl\\\\u2019s best friend, but, honestly, my brain is geared differently, and while I could appreciate the sparkle of a diamond ring, or a set of long earrings\\\\u2026 Okay, long dangly diamond earrings hanging from my ears might, just might have given me a moment\\\\u2019s pause, but then the gnarly wave arrived, and I was busy trying not to tip Gaba and the SRU into the fjord. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s a lot of money,\\\\u201d Saarullik said. \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d Gaba said, rewarding Saarullik with another nod. \\\\u201cBut think about this \\\\u2013 Arnet walked away from that money. Which means\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIt was pocket money,\\\\u201d I said, apologising for a second time as I beat Gaba to the punchline. I really needed to work on my timing. \\\\u201cQujanaq, Jensen,\\\\u201d he said, putting me in my place once more by not calling me Petra. \\\\u201cThe commissioner spoke with our friends in America this morning,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cThey\\\\u2019re dubious about the identity of the passenger called Arnet. But if it is him, then they would appreciate a significant effort to confirm or deny Arnet\\\\u2019s identity, and that\\\\u2019s why we\\\\u2019re here.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cTo bring him in?\\\\u201d Taateraaq said. \\\\u201cIf necessary.\\\\u201d Gaba was about to nod, but gripped the gunwale instead as I did my best not to soak us all before we arrived. It was touch and go, but with a gentle, if a little desperate, jerk of the tiller, I avoided dumping the wave into the boat, but not without surprising Gaba with a generous spray of saltwater. \\\\u201cSorry,\\\\u201d I said, my third apology in what felt like as many minutes. Gaba let it go and used a thin fleece beanie he kept in his vest to wipe splashes of chilly Qinngua water from his face. And then we caught the first shout of the crew ready to receive us on the temporary dock tethered to the side of the cruise ship towering above us. The ship\\\\u2019s hull gave us some relief from the wind as we slipped into its shadow, and Gaba finished his briefing before we arrived at the floating dock. \\\\u201cOnce Arnet\\\\u2019s identity is confirmed,\\\\u201d he said, \\\\u201cwe take him into custody. That\\\\u2019s your job.\\\\u201d He jabbed a thick finger at Saarullik and Taateraaq. \\\\u201cDon\\\\u2019t talk to him.\\\\u201d Gaba jabbed his finger at me and said, \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s her job. If the Americans let us,\\\\u201d he added with a short but definitive sigh. \\\\u201cAap, Sergeant,\\\\u201d Saarullik said. Taateraaq nodded in agreement. \\\\u201cOnce he\\\\u2019s secured, our job is to babysit him in his cabin while the Americans send a chopper from Kangerlussuaq. Once we give the word, they\\\\u2019ll arrange for personnel on their side to take Arnet off our hands. It could be several hours. During that time, he\\\\u2019s our responsibility. Understood?\\\\u201d Saarullik and Taateraaq nodded that they did, and Gaba turned to catch my eye, to be sure I was on the same page. \\\\u201cI understand,\\\\u201d I said. And, as I steered the dinghy to the dock, I really thought I did. \\\\n 3 Our arrival did not go unnoticed. But the Dreamcaster crew earned Gaba\\\\u2019s respect that day as they kept the passengers entertained and out of our way. Most of them were ashore, hiking from Qassiarsuk to Tasiusaq to visit the Viking settlements, something I had planned to do ever since I discovered that it was the thing to do. But, like many residents of most countries, I never got around to seeing the tourist attractions or historical and cultural heritage sites in my own country. And besides, in Greenland, it wasn\\\\u2019t as if you could just get in a car and drive. Getting around the country required various means of transport, good weather, and a lot of money. Cruise ships provided a more affordable means of seeing Greenland for visitors with relatively deep pockets. But having had one too many experiences on a cruise ship \\\\u2013 the exciting and dangerous kind \\\\u2013 I didn\\\\u2019t plan on spending any recreation time on a cruise ship any time soon. Meeting Sean Arnet and his companions only compounded such thoughts as I slipped into the middle position allotted me by Gaba and followed Saarullik from deck to deck until we reached Arnet\\\\u2019s cabin. Constable Ortusi Uiluiit greeted Gaba with a firm shake of the hand before talking him through the situation, assuring Gaba that all of Arnet\\\\u2019s party were confined to their cabins, and the extra staff he could see standing two outside each door, were ship security. \\\\u201cAnd a couple of cooks from below decks,\\\\u201d Uiluiit added with a nod at two lean Asian cooks who could easily have been extras in a martial arts movie. \\\\u201cAnd you removed all means of self-harm,\\\\u201d Gaba said, framing it somewhere between a statement and a question. \\\\u201cNaturally.\\\\u201d Uiluiit swallowed, and I guessed that he hadn\\\\u2019t made the connection between confining suspects to their cabins and holding them in custody. I caught his eye and gave him a sympathetic smile. To be fair, it was one thing to remember to take a suspect\\\\u2019s belt and shoelaces before placing them in a holding cell, but each cabin no doubt had a small wardrobe of belts and laces, and anything else that might be used to hang themselves from the shower rail, not forgetting the shower curtain for the creatively inclined. \\\\u201cAll right,\\\\u201d Gaba said, clicking his fingers at Saarullik and Taateraaq. \\\\u201cTake a cabin each, check they\\\\u2019re still alive, and remove anything harmful.\\\\u201d He clicked his fingers at me and said, \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ve got Rachael.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGot it,\\\\u201d I said, and followed Uiluiit\\\\u2019s directions to Rachael Silk\\\\u2019s cabin. The MP5 felt like overkill, but Gaba had insisted. I made the gun safe and cinched the sling tight to my chest before knocking on the door. The ship security guard, plus one musclebound cook, stepped to one side when Rachael called out for me to enter, and I opened the door. Rachael\\\\u2019s perfume \\\\u2013 something dark and musky \\\\u2013 took me by surprise as I stepped inside the cabin. I pressed my fingers to my nose in an effort not to sneeze, before announcing myself and walking along the short section of hallway with the bathroom on my left. The cabin was L-shaped, and I found Rachael sitting at the end of her bed. She was taller than I imagined, with pale white skin, masculine good looks and a blond pageboy haircut. And, as I did a double take, I realised Rachael was also a man \\\\u2013 younger than I had expected, and clearly struggling to come to terms with the situation. \\\\u201cRachael?\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d Rachael clearly identified as a woman and I had no intention of treating her otherwise, but her height and build encouraged me to observe a professional distance, just in case she decided to force her way past me and escape the confines of her cabin. Where she would go was a whole other matter, but I kept my distance, nonetheless. \\\\u201cMy name is Constable Jensen. I\\\\u2019m with the Greenland police.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd so is your coworker,\\\\u201d she said, brushing her hair to one side and revealing a bruise on her cheek. I paused for a second as I wondered if Uiluiit had been a little rough when he put Rachael and Arnet\\\\u2019s companions in their cabins, but Rachael caught my eye and smiled. \\\\u201cDon\\\\u2019t worry, honey, it wasn\\\\u2019t your boy who did this. I won\\\\u2019t sue you if that\\\\u2019s what you\\\\u2019re thinking?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m not,\\\\u201d I said, although I could already feel the pinch of my so-called curious frown and could imagine Atii standing in the corner of the cabin and rolling her eyes. It was always this way \\\\u2013 curious frown followed by that part of me that always over invested in a case, often teasing at a thread that only got longer and longer the more I pulled on it. But before I could grasp it, Rachael pulled the thread for me. \\\\u201cIt was Sean,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cAnd I want to press charges.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSean Arnet?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cSean Augustus Arnet. Are there any other Seans aboard?\\\\u201d I guessed there would be a few among the predominantly American passenger manifest, but left it at that, not wanting to put words into Rachael\\\\u2019s mouth. I had entered the cabin to check she hadn\\\\u2019t hurt herself, but Sean had apparently beaten me to it. \\\\u201cWhat\\\\u2019s up, honey? You look a little razzled.\\\\u201d Razzled. Good word, but not one I was familiar with. I took a breath, ready to respond, only to pause as Gaba knocked on the cabin door and then entered, striding into the cabin but stopping short of the living area. \\\\u201cConstable,\\\\u201d he said, after giving Rachael a second look. \\\\u201cA word.\\\\u201d I nodded at Rachael, excused myself, and followed Gaba back into the corridor. He reached out to fiddle with the sling of my MP5 and then grunted when he discovered it didn\\\\u2019t need adjusting. He tucked his hands into his vest and then dipped his head to look me in the eye. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s confirmed. We have a positive I.D. on Sean Arnet.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d I said, followed by a sigh when I understood what that meant. \\\\u201cThen we\\\\u2019re babysitting until the Americans arrive.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWe are,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cUiluiit has to get back to Narsarsuaq, but we can rotate in shifts. Gaba checked the big watch he had strapped to his wrist and said, \\\\u201cSaarullik and Taateraaq have the first shift. I need to check in with the captain. Leaving you free to explore.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cExplore?\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAap.\\\\u201d Gaba nodded in the direction of Qassiarsuk and said, \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ve got four hours. You can take the boat into the village, catch up on a bit of Greenland culture, and still get back in time for a nap before relieving Saarullik and Taateraaq. They\\\\u2019re going to allocate us a cabin \\\\u2013 shared, of course.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOf course,\\\\u201d I said with a shrug. It wouldn\\\\u2019t be the first time. Gaba waited for me to say more, and then followed my gaze as I looked at the door of Rachael\\\\u2019s cabin. \\\\u201cWhat is it, Constable?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cShe was about to say something before you came in,\\\\u201d I said. I tapped my cheek, adding, \\\\u201cAnd she\\\\u2019s been hit. She said it was Sean.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNot our problem, Petra.\\\\u201d It was the first time he had used my name since leaving Nuuk, and I guessed it was Gaba\\\\u2019s way of softening the blow when he reminded me of the job at hand, and to not let my curiosity twist the operation into something more complicated. \\\\u201cThe Americans are coming,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cLeave it to them.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWe\\\\u2019re just going to ignore it?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThey\\\\u2019re criminals,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cDiamond smugglers. They\\\\u2019ve been on the run for six years or more. Granted, tensions are probably high right now \\\\u2013 they\\\\u2019ve been caught, after all. But none of this is our business. We keep them detained, keep them alive, and hand them over as soon as the Americans get here.\\\\u201d Gaba tilted his head to one side to catch my attention as I glanced once more at Rachael\\\\u2019s door. \\\\u201cConstable?\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cDo you understand?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cGood.\\\\u201d Gaba clicked his fingers and pointed at my gear. \\\\u201cGive me your gun and vest and take the boat into Qassiarsuk. Do the cultural thing. Be back within a couple of hours, then get another couple of hours of rest. Your shift starts at midnight. Got it?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, as I unsnapped the sling from the MP5. \\\\u201cI got it.\\\\u201d But even if I got it, I knew that my mind would twist in one direction and another as I tried to figure out how to get more. Until, of course, something else came along to distract me. \\\\n 4 I couldn\\\\u2019t decide if it was good news that we had a cabin to rest in, or if the fact that we needed one meant the next however many hours we were babysitting Arnet, and his crew, would be the longest hours of my life. Gaba had obviously been talking with Sergeant Duneq back in Nuuk, as he seemed to have pre-empted any union entanglements by splitting up our shift with break periods. It was a new Gaba, and I wondered if he was bucking for a promotion. But when it came to operational procedure, he had a better grip on the proper way to run an operation, including details like suggesting I leave my ballistic vest and submachine gun in his care before joining throngs of tourists in Qassiarsuk. Okay. Maybe Gaba didn\\\\u2019t use the word throngs, but he was still one step ahead of me. As was Constable Uiluiit when I discovered he was waiting for me on the floating dock tethered to Dreamcaster\\\\u2019s port side. \\\\u201cDo you need a ride?\\\\u201d I asked, as I joined him on the dock. The wind and the waves had died down since we boarded the cruise ship, proving once again that it was Greenland, not Gaba, who had the final say in operational matters. In some areas, at least. \\\\u201cNaamik,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said with a shake of his head. He had thick black hair and a curious scar on his right cheek, just below his eye. He caught me looking and said, \\\\u201cFishhook.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cReally? That must have hurt. Uiluiit laughed and said, \\\\u201cIt did.\\\\u201d The thought of meeting Arnet had distracted me on the upper decks, and I had failed to notice that Uiluiit was only a few years older than me. He was shorter, of course, as many of my colleagues were, but with a wiry build and a badly fitting police jacket that threatened to consume him if he didn\\\\u2019t keep his hands in the pockets, pressing it down. Uiluiit also had a gentle laugh, and I tucked my hands into my pockets and leaned against the railing on the dock for what I hoped was an entertaining story from Uiluiit\\\\u2019s childhood. \\\\u201cIt happened last year,\\\\u201d he said, nodding as I frowned. \\\\u201cAap.\\\\u201d Another nod. \\\\u201cI was chasing a small boy along a beach.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cChasing him?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said, dragging the word out as many Greenlanders do. \\\\u201cMakkoq had been a bad boy. He ran away from his anaana, and his uncle, too.\\\\u201d Uiluiit grinned, and I understood. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019re the uncle.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cAnd Makkoq, like his uncle, and his anaana, is cunning.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI can imagine,\\\\u201d I said, biting my lip as I leaned into the story. \\\\u201cMakkoq is also very small.\\\\u201d Uiluiit demonstrated, holding his hand flat, just below his waist. \\\\u201cSmall for his age, but fast. He ran onto the beach\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said when Uiluiit paused for effect. \\\\u201cHe ran towards the drying racks.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cFor fish,\\\\u201d I said, nodding as I pictured the spindly wooden structures that could be seen on beaches up and down the Greenland coastline. \\\\u201cFish, shark, seal\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Uiluiit nodded. \\\\u201cThe fishermen dry everything on the racks. Including nets and lines. And Makkoq was just small enough to run under the lines.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut not you?\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cNaamik.\\\\u201d Uiluiit tapped his cheek and said, \\\\u201cI ran through them, got caught on a line, and snagged my cheek.\\\\u201d He shrugged when I wrinkled my nose in sympathy. \\\\u201cTwenty-seven stitches.\\\\u201d I leaned forward for a closer look at Uiluiit\\\\u2019s scar and then shook my head, not quite believing it. The scar wasn\\\\u2019t that long, and I said as much, falling swiftly into the punchline Uiluiit had set up. \\\\u201cTwelve for me,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cAnd fifteen for Makkoq.\\\\u201d Uiluiit shrugged again and said, \\\\u201cHe stopped to laugh. And then, teasing me, he ran circles around the fish rack, and straight into a line the fisherman had stretched between two racks.\\\\u201d Uiluiit raised his arms like a B movie mummy, adding, \\\\u201cHe ran straight into it, and he struggled, and it he got snagged.\\\\u201d Uiluiit paused for a breath before he continued. \\\\u201cWe spent a few hours together in the hospital, both getting stitches, and then ice cream after that.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cFlavour?\\\\u201d I said, thinking it was important. \\\\u201cChocolate,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said. Uiluiit chuckled softly for a second or two, and then, with another breath, he looked up to catch my eye, and I could feel a subtle shift in the air between us. \\\\u201cBut that\\\\u2019s not why I waited for you,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cAnd you don\\\\u2019t need a ride,\\\\u201d I said, with a nod at the dinghy Gaba had rented. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t.\\\\u201d I waited another few seconds, thinking that Arnet might have said something to Uiluiit, and that my break would soon be over because Uiluiit had given me a nugget of information that could change the nature of our babysitting operation. I just didn\\\\u2019t know why Uiluiit couldn\\\\u2019t have said it directly to Gaba when he had the chance. Or perhaps I had met one of the few male police officers in Greenland who was not under Sergeant Alatak\\\\u2019s spell. That in itself was interesting enough, but failed in comparison to what Uiluiit wanted to tell me. \\\\u201cYou knew Constable Innaaq Paniula?\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cYes.\\\\u201d I swallowed, and said nothing more, wondering just how much Uiluiit knew about what happened the last time I was in the area. The rumour mill among the Greenland police was an effective one, with gossip being a tradable commodity, especially for officers assigned to the more remote settlements where a lone constable might feel very isolated indeed. I understood that my exploits as a young constable had not gone unnoticed and didn\\\\u2019t doubt Uiluiit had heard a story or two, especially given that he was the local constable for the area. But he still surprised me when he told me what he had to say. \\\\u201cThere is a cabin just off the path to Tasiusaq,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cI was there about two months ago. Some tourists had taken shelter inside when one of them felt ill.\\\\u201d Uiluiit shrugged and said something about diabetes and helicopters, and a lot of paperwork. And then he looked me in the eye, took a breath, and said, \\\\u201cThere is an old wooden desk in the cabin. Inside the desk is a drawer.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, aware that I needed to breathe once in a while, but too curious to risk losing a single word of what Uiluiit had to say. \\\\u201cInside the drawer is a diary. It used to belong to Constable Paniula.\\\\u201d I nodded; eyes fixed on Uiluiit. \\\\u201cI only read a few lines,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cBut your name was on one of them.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cMy name?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cAnd you left it there?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI was busy,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said, and I nodded. \\\\u201cOf course.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut now\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Uiluiit pointed at the shore and the red and blue wooden houses of Qassiarsuk in the near distance. \\\\u201cNow you\\\\u2019re on a break.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cThen I think you should go to the cabin, Constable. I think you should read Paniula\\\\u2019s diary.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, because I thought so too. The thought of catching a diamond smuggler \\\\u2013 one of America\\\\u2019s Most Wanted criminals \\\\u2013 had been interesting. And, while discovering the truth behind Rachael\\\\u2019s bruised cheek still occupied a tiny part of my mind, there was nothing, nothing that burned more insistently in my mind than the urge to get my hands on Paniula\\\\u2019s diary. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019d better get going,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said. \\\\u201cThe cabin is about halfway along the path. There and back is about seven kilometres.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, nodding once before pushing off the railing and heading for the dinghy. \\\\u201cI hope it\\\\u2019s worth it,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said as I climbed into the dinghy and fiddled with the outboard motor. I looked up and realised he knew that it was, and I guessed he had read more than just a few lines. \\\\u201cGood luck, Constable,\\\\u201d Uiluiit said, waving once as I started the motor. \\\\n 5 There was a bit of spray splashing over the bow, but it had nothing to do with the wind, and the waves were of my own making. Gaba had said something about popping into Qassiarsuk to do the cultural thing and had suggested I take a couple of hours to do just that before returning to the ship to rest, and, I guessed, to grab something to eat before taking my watch. But I was already way ahead of him, dropping anything that might be confused as cultural, and plotting a brisk hike to the cabin. I figured I had just enough time to grab the diary, jog back to the dinghy, and sail back to the ship within three hours, leaving just enough time for a sandwich and a snooze before pounding caffeine in any shape or form I could get my hands on until the Americans arrived. It was a good plan. And, if I stuck to the plan, if I really focused on it, then I could stop my brain speculating on this or wondering about that, until I had the diary in my hands and discovered what it was Constable Uiluiit thought I might want to know. It could have been a coincidence, of course, but I thought it strange that, after all this time, Constable Innaaq Paniula should come back to haunt me. Which only made me think that I should really find out what happened to him. \\\\u201cDuneq,\\\\u201d I said, suddenly convinced that if anyone knew what had happened to Paniula, Sergeant Duneq would be the one. While I guessed I might sometimes be mentioned on the rumour mill, I wasn\\\\u2019t very good at keeping up to date with the latest rumours and gossip. \\\\u201cAnd neither am I going to get to the cabin and back at this rate,\\\\u201d I said, twisting the throttle for more power as I focused once more on getting the diary, not speculating about what might be written inside it. It\\\\u2019s a good plan. Stick to it. Qassiarsuk is a pretty settlement \\\\u2013 not quite a village \\\\u2013 with a perfect pebbly beach to land on. There are farmers\\\\u2019 fields positioned around the wooden houses, the store, and the utility buildings, and it always surprises me when I see plastic wrapped bales of hay dotted about a flat field, as if I was travelling through Europe, not bumping the bow of a rented dinghy onto a narrow beach in Southern Greenland. There was plenty to see in Qassiarsuk, and I promised myself that next time I would do the whole thing, that I would absorb every last morsel of culture and enjoy myself at the same time. Of course, it would be even more enjoyable with Atii, and I could almost hear her sigh as we stood in front of yet another informational sign, complete with dates and names and historical annotations. Yep, Atii would love it. Which only made me more determined to bring her along. \\\\u201cDiary first,\\\\u201d I said, wincing at the sound of the bottom of the dinghy\\\\u2019s hull scraping on the pebbles as I came in a little too fast. I ignored the passengers clumped in small groups on and above the beach and was oblivious to what emotions the sight of a police officer racing into the settlement might evoke among the older and more sensitive passengers among them. I was on a mission, and I was running out of time to get to the cabin and back to the ship. As much as I thought I might charm Gaba into forgiving me if I was a little late, neither did I want to chance it, especially when he was dealing with the Americans. Gaba often ratcheted up his game when working with foreign agencies, and I didn\\\\u2019t doubt he wanted everything to go smoothly. I did too. Which is why I almost forgot my manners when the first group of passengers stopped me just seconds after I had knotted the dinghy\\\\u2019s painter through a convenient iron ring bolted into a large boulder on the beach. \\\\u201cAre you here about the jewellery?\\\\u201d said a short, grey-haired woman with an ample waistline. She spoke in English, and I shook my head to jog myself out of mission mode and become a servant of the people again. Servant of the people. Yep, Atii would enjoy that one, and I made a mental note to never mention that I had thought the phrase into my head. \\\\u201cThe what?\\\\u201d I said, slowing as the group enveloped me. \\\\u201cJewellery,\\\\u201d the woman said. \\\\u201cWe\\\\u2019ve all experienced it.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m sorry? Experienced what, exactly?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cStrange jewellery in our pockets.\\\\u201d I curbed the urge to shake my head again and let out a quiet sigh, as I could just feel the time ticking away from me. \\\\u201cHave you had jewellery stolen from your pockets?\\\\u201d I said, thinking I had caught up. Greenland wasn\\\\u2019t known for its pickpockets, and there were hardly any people living in Qassiarsuk, let alone thieves skilled in the art of dipping their hands in tourists\\\\u2019 pockets. But that didn\\\\u2019t mean there weren\\\\u2019t thieves among the crew, and possibly even some light-fingered passengers onboard the ship. I sighed at the thought of spending more time dealing with petty crimes when all I really wanted to do was get to the cabin. \\\\u201cNot stolen,\\\\u201d said a tall man with a deep voice. \\\\u201cWe\\\\u2019ve all discovered them.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cDiscovered jewels?\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s right,\\\\u201d the man said. \\\\u201cIn our jacket pockets.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe jackets you\\\\u2019re wearing?\\\\u201d I took a closer look at the red and yellow outdoor jackets the passengers wore. It was a uniform of sorts, identifying the passengers as belonging to the cruise ship. Different ships had different coloured jackets, but the effect was always the same \\\\u2013 groups of typically grey-haired older people walking or shuffling around and through the settlements, or along gentle paths cut into the mountains to facilitate a smooth passage for the older generation of tourists. Like the path I\\\\u2019m supposed to be on. I suppressed another sigh, and pulled out my diary to make a show of professional sympathy, and took down their details, including the names of each member of the group who had discovered jewellery in their pockets, starting with Wilbur and Mary Franklin. \\\\u201cFrom Wisconsin,\\\\u201d Wilbur said. \\\\u201cWe all are.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay,\\\\u201d I said, scribbling Wisconsin beside Wilbur\\\\u2019s name. I stopped writing and did a quick mental calculation, wondering how quickly I could get to the cabin if I switched from a brisk walk out and a jog back to running both ways. I can still do it, but it\\\\u2019ll be tight. I took a breath and smiled at Wilbur. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cTell me about the jackets.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd the jewellery,\\\\u201d Mary said. \\\\u201cYes\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I nodded. \\\\u201cMy mistake.\\\\u201d The light wind returned and tickled loose strands of my hair across my skin. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder, as I knew the sight of white caps on tiny waves would require yet another recalculation as I wondered if it was still possible to get back to the ship on time. And then I relaxed, as I convinced myself I wouldn\\\\u2019t need a sandwich or a snooze after. And, honestly, who was I kidding? Did I really think I was going to sleep once I got my hands on Constable Paniula\\\\u2019s diary? Nope. It was highly improbable. Just as improbable as the idea of a Robin Hood pickpocket filling the pockets of well-heeled tourists with surprisingly expensive jewellery in Greenland. \\\\u201cAre those diamonds?\\\\u201d I asked when Mary showed me the ring she had found in her pocket. \\\\u201cFake,\\\\u201d Wilbur said. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m sure of it.\\\\u201d I wasn\\\\u2019t. And if it wasn\\\\u2019t for Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, I just knew I would have been even more intrigued by diamond-studded jewellery turning up in the pockets of Dreamcaster\\\\u2019s passengers. But the wind was increasing in strength and the waves were growing bigger by the minute. I made a few more notes, took a few more names \\\\u2013 also from Wisconsin \\\\u2013 and then made a rather abrupt but hopefully professional exit, and headed for the path to Tasiusaq. I took a wrong turn up a sheep path, corrected, and then started to run. Time was running out, and the Americans were coming. \\\\n 6 I\\\\u2019ve lost count of all the shifts I\\\\u2019ve worked with Atii when she drives and I run, but as I ran along the path, skirting around slow-moving clumps and clusters of red and yellow tourists, I owed her one. Sure, I was sweaty, and I realised I should have left my jacket in the dinghy, but I was really moving. Running while on patrol so often had also helped me refine the weight and balance of my utility belt. If I wasn\\\\u2019t so hot, I might even have enjoyed the streamlined feel of my belt with no unnecessary movement; I didn\\\\u2019t even have to press my hand on the grip of my holster, which was a first. The breeze helped keep my face cool, puffing small clouds of dust from the trail as I ran. I almost had enough excess energy to take in my surroundings \\\\u2013 the bald granite peaks and tough green grasses that bent in the wind \\\\u2013 but then I spotted the cabin, and it was all I could think of. I pushed on, vaguely aware that I had reached the halfway point between Qassiarsuk and Tasiusaq, and the two finger fjords on either side, and then took a hard left to jog down an uneven track to the cabin. It was, like many small cabins in the wilds of Greenland, in need of some serious, tender loving care. Flaps of bitumen on the roof lifted and clapped in the wind, and the walls were typically blistered from long summers of endless sunshine, drying and peeling the paint, followed by autumn rains and the deep, bone-chilling frost of winter to finish the job. I paused at the door, noted the frail hinges, and then lifted the handle up to open the door. Lifting the handle was supposed to deter polar bears, and it usually confounded more than a few tourists, but not the two elderly passengers sitting inside the cabin. They started as I barged in, and I caught that strange but wholly familiar sense of d\\\\u00e9j\\\\u00e0 vu as I recalled Uiluiit\\\\u2019s story about passengers in the cabin in need of evacuation. I\\\\u2019ll admit, given the time I had already wasted on the beach, I didn\\\\u2019t really want to waste any more time coordinating a rescue. Harsh, I know, but a quick look at the passengers revealed no immediate signs of distress. At least, no distress for them. My heart beat even faster than it had on the run along the path when I spotted the woman sitting on a rickety chair at the desk \\\\u2013 the only pieces of furniture inside the cabin \\\\u2013 as she delicately turned the mildewed pages of what could only be Constable Paniula\\\\u2019s diary. The man had his back to me as he studied the sheets of newspaper that had been stuck on the bare wooden walls like cheap wallpaper. I didn\\\\u2019t doubt the newspapers were old, and I was sure he was entertained, but he was also shocked at my abrupt entry, and, as they both looked up, I felt compelled to offer an explanation. \\\\u201cHi,\\\\u201d I said, catching my breath and hoping to set them at ease with what had to be the most forced frivolity I had ever injected into my voice. Okay, frivolity and injected weren\\\\u2019t words I often used together, or, in the case of frivolity, ever, but I was on the clock and the woman had the diary I needed. \\\\u201cHello,\\\\u201d the man said, while the woman simply stared at me. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m with the police,\\\\u201d I said, sticking to English. \\\\u201cSo we can see,\\\\u201d the man said. \\\\u201cAnd, well\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I took a breath and pointed at the diary. \\\\u201cI need that,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s, ah\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cEvidence?\\\\u201d the man suggested. \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, taking another breath. \\\\u201cJoyce,\\\\u201d the man said. \\\\u201cAre you finished with the book?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d Joyce said. She closed the diary and nodded. \\\\u201cI think so. I can\\\\u2019t read whatever language it is in, anyway.\\\\u201d She handed me the diary and said, \\\\u201cIs it important?\\\\u201d Paniula\\\\u2019s diary was heavy in my hands with a rough surface that seemed to prick my skin, letting the words seep through my fingers and into my body. I know how that must sound, but that was what it felt like, and the sensation was so strong, I didn\\\\u2019t hear what the woman said, and merely grunted in response. \\\\u201cI would take that as a yes, my love,\\\\u201d the man said, and I looked up. He caught my eye, smiled, and then made a shooing gesture at the door. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s all right, Officer. You look like you\\\\u2019re very busy. Joyce and I were just taking a breather before pushing on for the other village. The one that starts with a \\\\u2018T\\\\u2019.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cTasiusaq,\\\\u201d I said, remembering my manners. \\\\u201cYes, yes.\\\\u201d The man nodded. \\\\u201cThe very same. We came on the cruise ship, you know.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cDreamcaster.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe very same.\\\\u201d The man smiled and then turned to the woman. \\\\u201cJoyce, didn\\\\u2019t you say you saw the local police arrive onboard shortly before we left on this excursion?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI did,\\\\u201d Joyce said. She gave me a stern look, and I guessed that I was unlikely to win her over, and if Atii had been there, it would have been up to her to charm the older woman into thinking I wasn\\\\u2019t really as rude as she might think. But, as I reminded myself, the clock was ticking. I had the diary, and it was time to go. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ve been very kind,\\\\u201d I said, pressing my palm on the cover of the diary and raising it slightly as if the pages contained weighty evidence that would make or break a case. \\\\u201cThis will really help.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI hope so,\\\\u201d Joyce said. \\\\u201cBut don\\\\u2019t expect an easy read. Never mind that it\\\\u2019s in another language. The writer has scribbled all kinds of notes in the margins, and even between the lines. And then there\\\\u2019s the mould,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI recommend gloves, Officer, unless you want to catch something unpleasant.\\\\u201d I didn\\\\u2019t, and I thanked her for the tip before excusing myself and stepping outside. I opened the diary to check it really was Paniula\\\\u2019s, and then, seeing my name on the first page, I closed it just as quickly and slipped it into one of the larger pockets in my jacket. I checked the time on my smartphone and estimated that \\\\u2013 even with the wind and waves against me \\\\u2013 I could still get back to the ship in time to take a quick shower and maybe even borrow a shirt from the crew. I pressed my hand to my pocket and clutched the diary through the fabric. And then, taking a breath, I started to run. \\\\n 7 I kept the diary dry inside my pocket for the choppy trip back to the cruise ship. The wind had shifted, and gave me a helpful shove from behind, giving me the chance to make up for lost time. I passed several Zodiac boats powering towards Qassiarsuk to pick up the passengers in stages and waved at each of the boat drivers on the way. The crew on duty guided me in alongside the floating dock with unnecessary but well-meaning gestures until they had secured the dinghy, and I turned the motor off. They mentioned something about a prolonged stay and wondered if they could secure the dinghy together with the Zodiacs when they removed the floating dock, and I nodded that they could. I didn\\\\u2019t think Gaba would object, and the casual mention of a prolonged stay suggested the crew were preparing to loiter in Qinngua for a little while longer. \\\\u201cBut could I borrow a fresh shirt?\\\\u201d I asked, before climbing the ladder to the middle deck. \\\\u201cAsk in security,\\\\u201d the crewman said, and I nodded that I would. I found our cabin, showered, and changed, and reported to Gaba wearing a fancy \\\\u2013 and fitted \\\\u2013 dark grey Dreamcaster security t-shirt that did far more for my figure than our standard uniform shirt ever would \\\\u2013 and fixed Gaba with my most winning smile. \\\\u201cYou didn\\\\u2019t sleep, did you?\\\\u201d he said, shaking his head as he returned my ballistic vest and waited for me to put it on. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m rested,\\\\u201d I said, tightening the hook and loop straps of the vest with a surprisingly satisfying shrickk when I adjusted them. What I actually meant was I was wired. Paniula\\\\u2019s diary was quite literally burning a hole in the cargo pocket of my trousers, and I knew that dipping into it would keep me awake better than caffeine. Although I didn\\\\u2019t say no when Gaba said there was fresh coffee on the table opposite the cabins. I turned around to see Saarullik and Taateraaq rising from what looked like comfortable seats in an alcove with a bay window, one of many dotted along the length of the corridor. They looked bored, and I sent them on their way with an enthusiastic smile that only made them shake their heads, as if they knew that an hour of babysitting would knock any remaining enthusiasm right out of me. But they didn\\\\u2019t have Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, I thought, convincing myself it was the secret to staying awake while babysitting the American diamond smugglers. \\\\u201cThere\\\\u2019s a rumour going around,\\\\u201d Gaba said as he pressed my MP5 into my hands. He waited for me to adjust the sling, so the weapon was cinched comfortably in front of my chest. It was lighter than I remembered, but Gaba continued before I could query it. \\\\u201cSomething about guests discovering jewellery in their pockets.\\\\u201d Gaba jerked a stiff thumb at the door to Arnet\\\\u2019s cabin and said, \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m guessing he\\\\u2019s up to something, but the Americans have made it clear Arnet is a US citizen, on a US registered ship, and we are not allowed to talk to him.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNot allowed?\\\\u201d I said, as Gaba nodded at the table. I followed him the few metres across the corridor and greedily reached for a sandwich when I spotted one. Gaba gave me the kind of look Atii did when she was convinced I was hiding something and then poured fresh coffee into two paper cups. \\\\u201cThanks,\\\\u201d I said, wiping crumbs and mustard sauce from my mouth with the back of my hand before taking a cup from Gaba\\\\u2019s hand. \\\\u201cWhat\\\\u2019s going on, Constable?\\\\u201d he said, keeping it professional as I stuffed the last of the sandwich into my mouth and eyed the second. Gaba followed my gaze and nodded for me to take it. \\\\u201cIs this what happens when you catch up on a little Greenland culture?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, between bites and slurps of coffee. \\\\u201cAlways.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Gaba said. He fiddled with the sling of his MP5, adjusted it a little, and then glanced at the two Dreamcaster security officers strategically placed at either end of the row of four cabins. The muscle from the kitchen were gone, and I guessed the officer responsible for ship security was also rotating his or her staff through the extra resource-stripping assignment. If nothing else, curious passengers kept both security personnel occupied, and tested their patience as they repeated the same polite but firm message that access to this section of the corridor and the ship were temporarily restricted. \\\\u201cAnyway,\\\\u201d Gaba said, lowering his voice. I doubted the security guards spoke Danish, but humoured Gaba when he beckoned for me to lean closer. \\\\u201cArnet is off limits.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cBut Rachael\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHe\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cShe,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cRight.\\\\u201d Gaba took a took a breath to reset. \\\\u201cShe reached out to you, did she not?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cShe suggested Arnet had hit her,\\\\u201d I said, tapping my cheek. \\\\u201cShe had a bruise.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd did she want to press charges?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes, but we never got as far as that.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut you might,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cYou know, if you talked to her again.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou want me to talk to her?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cTalk to her about Arnet.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut she\\\\u2019s American,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAnd you said\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRachael Silk is not American.\\\\u201d Gaba grinned, adding, \\\\u201cNot yet. She\\\\u2019s applied for citizenship but has yet to be approved.\\\\u201d I could feel the pinch of curiosity on my brow, and Gaba grinned when he spotted it. \\\\u201cHow do you know this?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI have my ways, Constable.\\\\u201d Gaba let the thought hang in the air between us for a moment, and then pointed at the security officer to his right. \\\\u201cShip\\\\u2019s manifest,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cThe captain said I could look at it without a warrant, provided one of his crew kept me under surveillance.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou mean supervision,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cDo I?\\\\u201d I thought he did, but then, as Gaba said something about what the Americans don\\\\u2019t know can\\\\u2019t hurt them, I guessed it might be a bit of both. \\\\u201cAnd you want me to talk to Rachael?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cKeep it casual, Petra. But get it done before the boys relieve us at five.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, wondering how I was going to casually read Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, and secretly pump an almost American citizen for information about Sean Arnet, his operation, and what, if anything, it had to do with Dreamcaster passengers discovering jewellery in their pockets. Gaba excused himself to have a chat with the closest of the two security officers, and I took another sip of coffee. Paniula\\\\u2019s diary seemed to grow heavier by the minute as I stared at Rachael\\\\u2019s door, wondering if I could just barge in and get it over with. \\\\u201cGaba said casual,\\\\u201d I whispered, channelling Atii between sips. \\\\u201cSo, keep it casual, P.\\\\u201d \\\\n 8 Casual is not one of my strong points. I\\\\u2019m better at intense and impulsive, and, with Gaba keeping one of the ship\\\\u2019s security officers busy, and a conveniently timed arrival of another group of curious tourists occupying the other, I poured another cup of coffee and carried both to Rachael\\\\u2019s door. I knocked quietly and waited, turning my head to nod at Gaba as he made sure the officer had his back to me. When Rachael opened the door, I smiled, offered her a fresh cup of hot coffee, and stepped inside. Rachael wore a stylish red housecoat that looked very comfortable. With her short hair \\\\u2013 shiny and with good body \\\\u2013 I was convinced she could give me beauty pointers, and maybe even teach Atii a thing or two. Rachael reached for the remote to turn the television down, but I stopped her, thinking that the reality show running in the background might provide some welcome noise to make it more difficult should anyone try to listen in. Even a posh cabin on Dreamcaster suffered from poor sound insulation, and as Arnet\\\\u2019s party had booked middle of the range cabins, I decided to channel a little of Gaba\\\\u2019s paranoia just to be on the safe side. Rachael gestured for me to sit on one of two plush armchairs, and she took the other. We sipped our coffee in silence for a couple of minutes, acclimatizing to each other\\\\u2019s company. Rachael\\\\u2019s gaze drifted back and forth to my MP5, and I adjusted the sling to push the gun around my body and tuck it against my ribs, almost out of sight. \\\\u201cYou brought me coffee,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI guess you want to talk.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWe were disturbed earlier,\\\\u201d I said, nodding to my left at the spot where Gaba had stood when he came in. \\\\u201cYou were telling me about Sean Arnet.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAh, Sean, Sean, Sean,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cEverybody loves Sean. Everyone wants a piece of him. But no one really knows, Sean.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut you do,\\\\u201d I said, taking a chance and pressing my finger on my cheek. Rachael had covered the bruise with some foundation, but her cheek was still slightly swollen. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s right, honey,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI know Sean Arnet real well.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd do you love him?\\\\u201d I said. It was bold, and I think if the urge to read Paniula\\\\u2019s diary wasn\\\\u2019t so strong, I might have taken it slower, and tried to be a bit more casual. But after a short pause, Rachael pointed a long finger with red nails to match her housecoat at me and laughed. \\\\u201cOh, you\\\\u2019re a feisty one, aren\\\\u2019t you, Officer?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cCall me Petra,\\\\u201d I said, and took another sip of coffee.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cPetra\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael tapped her chin with her finger. \\\\u201cAnd your friend? The big fellow with the smooth and shiny head. What\\\\u2019s his name?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGaba,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAh\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael smiled and clacked her nail against her teeth. \\\\u201cShort for Gabriel, perhaps?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cJust Gaba.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd you call him that, do you? When you are alone with Gaba?\\\\u201d I took a breath, opened my mouth to speak, and then stopped, not quite sure what I wanted to say, and not entirely sure that I should. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s okay, honey,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m just yanking your chain.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, feeling thoroughly yanked, and far more wary of Rachael Silk than I had been before stepping foot into her cabin. Her lair, I thought as I wondered if I shouldn\\\\u2019t leave as quickly as I had come in. Rachael shifted her housecoat as she crossed one long and waxed leg over the other. It was a sensual move, and I\\\\u2019ll admit it was as distracting as I guessed it was supposed to be. But less so than Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, and I allowed a little impatience to creep into my voice as I asked Rachael if there was anything she wanted to tell me. \\\\u201cWhat do you want to know, honey?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI thought you wanted to tell me about what he did to you?\\\\u201d Rachael laughed and said, \\\\u201cWhat he did to me?\\\\u201d Her hair bounced as she shook her head. \\\\u201cThis is nothing.\\\\u201d She tapped her cheek. \\\\u201cThis is an interlude between wild and passionate lovemaking.\\\\u201d Rachael laughed once more, and I took a sip of coffee. \\\\u201cOh, look at you, Officer. Feeling awkward, are we?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOutgunned, I think,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cNot so much awkward.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut you\\\\u2019ve got all the guns, honey.\\\\u201d Rachael pointed at the holster at my hip, before drawing a long slow arc through the air with her finger to the submachine gun tucked between my ribs and the side of the chair. I put my coffee down on the table between us, just in case I might need both hands. I didn\\\\u2019t fancy the idea of Rachael overpowering me and making her escape with me as her hostage, my own gun pressed to the side of my head. The thought made me laugh, and Rachael frowned, twirling her fingers for me to elaborate. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s an inside joke,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cGo on.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIf you tried to escape\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWhere would you go?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t understand,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cAre you offering to help me escape, Petra?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d I said, quickly, and with emphasis. \\\\u201cBut you\\\\u2019re in Greenland. You and Sean and the others\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe others\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael laughed. \\\\u201cYou mean Alex and Ray?\\\\u201d She laughed again and said, \\\\u201cInnocent dupes we picked up to run interference should we get into a bind.\\\\u201d She shook her head. \\\\u201cNo more than that.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay,\\\\u201d I said, filing the information to tell Gaba later. \\\\u201cBut you must have known, Greenland isn\\\\u2019t the easiest place to get around. There are no roads\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSo we discovered,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cEven getting lost is difficult, unless you\\\\u2019re suitably motivated.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAh\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael\\\\u2019s eyes widened as she smiled. \\\\u201cSuitably motivated. Now you\\\\u2019re getting warmer, Detective.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cConstable,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cNot a detective.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo?\\\\u201d Rachael licked her lips and said, \\\\u201cOne day, perhaps.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cPerhaps,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cBut you were telling me about motivation.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI was.\\\\u201d Rachael nodded. \\\\u201cAnd would you say that Sean is motivated?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI would, because he is.\\\\u201d Rachael laughed again and said, \\\\u201cSuitably so.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd was it a mistake? Coming to Greenland?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t know, Constable. Do you think we made a mistake?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWhat I think\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I took a breath and then bit my lip as I thought about it. Beyond a passing interest, I hadn\\\\u2019t really given Sean Arnet\\\\u2019s motives to come to Greenland much thought. Greenland really was one of the most unlikely places for a diamond smuggler, or someone on America\\\\u2019s Most Wanted list, to come and hide. Of course, there had been rumours of a French intelligence officer hiding in a settlement in the north of Greenland following the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior. But they were just rumours. Given the lack of infrastructure, the tiny population confined to a thin coastline wrapped around a massive island of ice, and the harsh and unforgiving climate, I struggled to imagine Greenland being on anyone\\\\u2019s list of potential places to hide. \\\\u201cDoes that hurt, honey?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWhat?\\\\u201d I said, as Rachael jogged me out of my thoughts. \\\\u201cThat frown on your forehead,\\\\u201d she said, pointing. \\\\u201cSo intense\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cIt often is. But it doesn\\\\u2019t hurt.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael leaned back in her seat and said, \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019ll just have to take your word for it. But just so you know, I don\\\\u2019t believe you.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou don\\\\u2019t believe it doesn\\\\u2019t hurt?\\\\u201d I said, frowning a little more. \\\\u201cNo, not that,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cThe other thing.\\\\u201d I shook my head \\\\u2013 still not getting it. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t understand,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ll have to tell me.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay, I can do that.\\\\u201d Rachael finished her coffee and then leaned forward to place her hands on my knees. \\\\u201cSo, honey,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI asked you if you were going to help me escape. And you said no.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s right,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAnd that is what I don\\\\u2019t believe.\\\\u201d Rachael patted my knees and then tilted her head to one side, light dancing in her eyes as she looked at me. \\\\u201cI think you\\\\u2019re going to help me, Petra. And it\\\\u2019s only fair that I help you in return. Right?\\\\u201d I said nothing. It felt safest. \\\\u201cSo\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael moved her hands to the sides of my knees, moved them a little closer to my thighs, and then pulled back, flashing me a cheeky grin. \\\\u201cHow about we make a deal, okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cA deal?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s right, honey. That\\\\u2019s how this works. We make a deal, and I give you what you want, and you let me go.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t think\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cShhh,\\\\u201d Rachael said as she moved out of her seat to press her finger against my lips. \\\\u201cDon\\\\u2019t speak,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cJust nod, and we can make a deal. Or\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOr?\\\\u201d I said, as Rachael withdrew. \\\\u201cOr we can negotiate,\\\\u201d she said, pointing my pistol at me. \\\\u201cOn equal terms, honey,\\\\u201d she said with another lick of her lips. \\\\n 9 Rachael was fast and smooth. She had to be to unsnap my holster without me feeling it, and to draw my pistol \\\\u2013 backwards \\\\u2013 and turn it in her hands before I had a chance to react. My stomach flipped as I stared into the barrel of my gun and wondered what Gaba would say when he found out what had happened. Even then, at gunpoint, I almost laughed at my priorities. I was less concerned about what Gaba would do than the verbal reprimand I expected to receive, followed by another from my supervisor, Sergeant Duneq, when Gaba gave him the good news. \\\\u201cOkay, honey,\\\\u201d Rachael said as she waved the gun in my face. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t know what just happened, but it looks like you had a whole conversation with yourself in about two seconds.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cBut you\\\\u2019re okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t know,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAm I?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure.\\\\u201d Rachael nodded. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m not going to hurt anything more than your pride, honey. But I am going to need that big fancy gun of yours. So, if you don\\\\u2019t mind, you\\\\u2019re going to unsnap that big boy from the sling and hand it over.\\\\u201d Rachael waved the gun again, adding, \\\\u201cSlowly. Okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. Rachael kept my gun steady as she pointed it at my face. I unclipped the MP5 and slowly handed it over. It did feel a little lighter than usual, but I was too busy disarming myself to give it much thought. Rachael took the submachine gun and immediately slipped my pistol into the loose pocket of her housecoat to get a better grip on the MP5. \\\\u201cNow who\\\\u2019s outgunned?\\\\u201d she said with a grin. I sighed and said, \\\\u201cThat would be me. But have you thought this through?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHonestly, honey, I don\\\\u2019t often think further than my next cappuccino. But seeing as you asked, I can tell you.\\\\u201d She took a breath, shifted her stance, and I waited. The midnight sun dipped behind a distant mountain peak to cast a short-lived shadow on the starboard side of Dreamcaster. I guessed that Rachael had been in Greenland long enough to know the sun was on her side, and whatever she needed to get done could be accomplished in daylight. But Rachael seemed too busy thinking about just how much she intended to tell me about her plans to notice, and I leaned back in my chair, sensing no immediate threat to my life, just a warning. \\\\u201cOkay,\\\\u201d Rachael said with a nod, as if she had made a decision. \\\\u201cHere\\\\u2019s the plan, Petra. You ready?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI am,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cOkay then. That\\\\u2019s good. Because you\\\\u2019re a big part of making this plan work. So\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael took a breath and then glanced at the door, as if she was suddenly aware that it might burst open at any minute. She adjusted her position and moved to put me between herself and Gaba if he was to breach the cabin. \\\\u201cWe have some errands,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cSuch as?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cJust errands, honey. Things we need to get done.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019re not planning on escaping, then?\\\\u201d Rachael laughed and said, \\\\u201cYou told me yourself, Petra. There\\\\u2019s nowhere to go. Even if I got as far as the airport, it\\\\u2019s not like there\\\\u2019s a plane sitting on the runway just ready to go. So, no, I\\\\u2019m not planning to escape. But there are things I need to get done, and you\\\\u2019re going to help me.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay,\\\\u201d I said. I moved as if I was about to stand. \\\\u201cNot so fast,\\\\u201d Rachael said. She waggled the MP5 in front of me, and I sank back into the chair. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019re awfully cooperative, Officer. And, as you might imagine, that makes me nervous.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes, I can imagine.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSo, either you\\\\u2019re planning something, or you\\\\u2019ve taken a page out of the what-to-do-when-I\\\\u2019m-taken-hostage-by-a-criminal playbook. I couldn\\\\u2019t say which one it is, but if this is the cooperating stage of your how-to manual, then I\\\\u2019ll accept that, and trust that you will cooperate and sit there like a good girl, while I pull some pants on. Okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI can wait,\\\\u201d I said, thinking it would be a lot easier for Gaba and the SRU to overpower Rachael in the corridor than in her cabin. \\\\u201cYou can wait\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael shook her head. \\\\u201cCool as the proverbial cucumber, eh?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI try,\\\\u201d I said, as Rachael backed around the bed to the closet. She held the MP5 in one hand \\\\u2013 still pointed at me \\\\u2013 and tugged a pair of jeans out of the closet, along with a sweater. I didn\\\\u2019t know how she intended to dress using just one hand, but she managed her jeans, and then with an embarrassed shrug, asked if I wouldn\\\\u2019t mind lying on the floor while she took her housecoat off and pulled on her sweater. I didn\\\\u2019t mind. I lay on the floor. Rachael cursed when my pistol fell out of the pocket of her housecoat, but I kept my face pressed into the carpet and wondered if it might have been better to turn the television off after all. \\\\u201cStay down, Petra,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m just getting my boots on, okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cTake as long as you need,\\\\u201d I said. I slipped my hand to my side and pressed my fingers against the cover of Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, sighing when I confirmed it had not fallen out. Thoughts of reading it were just going to have to wait, but the twist of fate that put me at the mercy of Rachael Silk had the same effect as the diary and about ten cups of coffee. I was awake. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m ready if you are, Petra?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m ready,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cDo you want me to stand up?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure. Go ahead. But slowly, okay?\\\\u201d I stood up \\\\u2013 slowly \\\\u2013 and turned around to see a very different Rachael, complete with hiking boots with thick socks turned down over the cuffs, dark jeans, and a thick fleece sweater. There were two cruise ship jackets lying on the bed and she nodded for me to take the red one and then waved me back again as she put on the yellow. Rachael slipped the pistol into the outside pocket, only to grumble when it didn\\\\u2019t fit. She lifted the back of her jacket and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans, shrugging when I caught her eye, as if to say it was good enough. \\\\u201cHow do you want to do this?\\\\u201d I said with a nod at the door. Rachael grinned and said, \\\\u201cWith as much drama as possible, honey.\\\\u201d Rachael took a breath, grabbed a Boston Red Sox baseball cap from the closet, and tugged it onto her head. \\\\u201cYou ready?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cWell then, Constable. Let\\\\u2019s go.\\\\u201d Rachael gestured for me to go first with a wave of my MP5 and I headed for the door. \\\\n 10 The diary had distracted me, and I should have known that diamond smugglers who had successfully evaded capture while being on a watchlist would have some skills, skills which Rachael demonstrated as she grabbed the collar of my jacket and marched me into the corridor as soon as I had opened the door. \\\\u201cEverybody down on the floor,\\\\u201d she shouted the second I was visible. \\\\u201cI have the constable\\\\u2019s guns, and I ain\\\\u2019t afraid to use them.\\\\u201d Rachael was loud, she was clear, and she was commanding. The Dreamcaster security guards dropped onto the deck and the few passengers in the corridor scattered, hurrying back the way they had come with an impressive urgency that belied their age. Only Gaba remained standing, and Rachael snorted as he stared at her through the iron sights of his MP5. \\\\u201cThis only ends one way,\\\\u201d he said, dialling up the macho as only Gaba can. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Rachael said, gripping my collar a little tighter and pushing me forward, slowly but surely, closer and closer to Gaba. \\\\u201cAnd how\\\\u2019s that working for you, eh? Kiddo?\\\\u201d Kiddo. Rachael had a way with words, and despite the tension and the thought of what came next, I have to say; she was growing on me. But then\\\\u2026 You know? Gaba. Sergeant Gaba Alatak wasn\\\\u2019t the leader of Greenland\\\\u2019s Special Response Unit without having put in the time and without convincing the commissioner and senior officers in Greenland and Denmark that he was the man for the job. I never had cause to doubt his operational ability. But it did bother me a little that he had gone full macho when Rachael pushed me into the corridor, without at least trying to deflate the situation before it spiralled out of control. That was my job, and I was good at it. But I was missing something. Unfortunately, with a submachine gun pressed into my back, my brain was focused on keeping things simple and thinking ahead. Second guessing Gaba was a little out of reach as Rachael continued to push me towards the big, bald leader of the SRU. Gaba walked backwards with baby steps, growling at the ship\\\\u2019s security guard to stay down when he flinched. He kept his gaze fixed on Rachael, avoiding eye contact with me \\\\u2013 not even the slightest flicker of reassurance that everything was going to be all right \\\\u2013 as he focused on the diamond smuggler. \\\\u201cWhat do you need, Rachael?\\\\u201d he asked, as we moved further along the corridor. I felt Rachael relax a little as Gaba changed his tone to that of a slightly aggressive negotiator instead of a steely-eyed operator ready to take her down. Okay, maybe I did have some extra brain capacity to spend on deciphering Gaba. But the macho man of mystery was quickly running out of corridor, and as we approached a larger lounge area with elevators and open staircases leading above and below our deck, I guessed Gaba was going to have to do something, before Rachael forced his hand. I took a breath and opened my mouth, ready to close my eyes and clap my hands to my ears when Saarullik tossed a flashbang grenade in front of us or drop to the ground when Taateraaq burst through the ceiling panels above us to take her down as I imagined Gaba would have briefed him. But even as I tried to anticipate the unexpected, I would never have guessed what Gaba was about to do when we entered the open lounge. \\\\u201cThis is as far as I go,\\\\u201d he said, lowering his MP5 and taking several long strides to a position in the middle of the open area. Gaba gestured at the stairs, suggesting to Rachael that they would be safer. \\\\u201cAnd why would that be?\\\\u201d Rachael said as she jerked me to a stop just five metres away from Gaba. \\\\u201cWhat\\\\u2019s waiting for me on the stairs?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNothing,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cI just don\\\\u2019t like confined spaces and elevators\\\\u2026\\\\u201d He nodded at the ones to Rachael\\\\u2019s right. \\\\u201cElevators can be tricky, and hot. You don\\\\u2019t want to get stuck in one, believe me.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSo\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael renewed her grip on my collar. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019re just going to let me go?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI am.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cJust like that?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cJust like that.\\\\u201d And then he caught my eye, and I half expected him to say something in Danish. But as he kept his eyes on me, his words were for Rachael and her alone. \\\\u201cBut if anything happens to Constable Jensen,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Rachael said, with a sigh, as if she had heard similar threats before and far too many times to recall. \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ll hunt me down and end me, right?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWrong,\\\\u201d Gaba said, lifting his chin to look directly at Rachael. \\\\u201cI won\\\\u2019t have to hunt you because you can\\\\u2019t go anywhere. You\\\\u2019ll get frustrated, and you\\\\u2019ll come to me. You\\\\u2019ll give yourself up. And, if Petra is unharmed, and I mean, not a single hair missing from her head kind of unharmed, then I will help you.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ll help me?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI will,\\\\u201d Gaba said, and he nodded. \\\\u201cYou have my word.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd if the lovely Petra loses one of her pretty hairs?\\\\u201d Rachael took a breath. \\\\u201cWhat then, Mr Police Man?\\\\u201d Gaba said nothing and Rachael took another breath, deeper than the last, before exhaling with a curse. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI get it.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI hope so,\\\\u201d Gaba said. I might have been a few steps behind getting it, but when Rachael pushed me towards the stairs, Gaba took another exaggerated step backwards, catching my eye once more as we passed, and whispering something in Danish. \\\\u201cLightweight,\\\\u201d he said, although I might have been mistaken. Gaba twisted his lips into a brief smile when I frowned at him, and then turned quickly as Saarullik and Taateraaq jogged down the corridor and burst into the lounge area. Gaba snapped his fingers and shouted for them to Stand down! just as Rachael hurried me down the stairs. \\\\u201cWhere are we going?\\\\u201d I said, focusing on my feet and not falling, as Rachael picked up the pace. \\\\u201cWe need a boat, honey, and someone who can drive it.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI can drive a boat,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cOf course you can.\\\\u201d Rachael laughed and said, \\\\u201cI really lucked out when I chose you for a playmate, didn\\\\u2019t I?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou sure did,\\\\u201d I said, catching the Americanism and rolling my eyes so that Atii, in the distance, somewhere in my mind, didn\\\\u2019t have to. \\\\u201cWe\\\\u2019re going to make a good team, Petra,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cNow, be a good girl, and find us a boat.\\\\u201d \\\\n 11 Girl. Rachael was in her late twenties. At most, she was thirty. But then she did have both my guns, and I decided not to argue about age, or challenge her when she called me girl, or honey. As long as she was holding the guns, she could call me whatever she wanted to, as I slipped into the role of the compliant hostage, keeping in line, and doing everything she asked of me. I had limits, of course, but when I glimpsed Rachael\\\\u2019s eyes, I saw something there that suggested she was driven by some greater plan, and I was literally a means to an end. Ordinarily, I might have worried about that, but I believed Rachael when she said she had no intentions of hurting anything but my pride. I was going to hold her to that. \\\\u201cWhich one, honey?\\\\u201d Rachael said as we walked down the zigzag ladder to the floating dock. I was surprised it was still in place, and even more surprised when Rachael pointed at the three black-hulled Zodiac boats, prompting me to choose one so we could get the hell out of here, as she put it. \\\\u201cThe black one on the left,\\\\u201d I said, flashing Rachael a cheeky smile. \\\\u201cCute,\\\\u201d Rachael said, nodding for me to go ahead. I climbed over the side of the Zodiac, appreciating the size and feel of a more robust boat than the rental, and then helped Rachael over the side. I unhooked the painter and pushed off the dock, letting the Zodiac drift as I fiddled with the outboard motors \\\\u2013 plural. There were two. As Rachael settled on one of the seats, I glanced up at the cruise ship, half expecting to see Gaba watching me from the deck, but then gave up when I guessed he would be watching, but that he would be doing it discretely. I took my time with the motors, wondering if Rachael knew that I was stalling, or if she realised I had pushed us away from the dock before starting the engine, to prevent her from untying the other two boats. I assumed that Gaba and my colleagues would use them to follow us, just as soon as we had put a little distance between us and the cruise ship. \\\\u201cHow come you know all this stuff?\\\\u201d Rachael asked, resting the MP5 on her knees. \\\\u201cBoats, you mean?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure.\\\\u201d Rachael nodded. \\\\u201cThey teach you this at police school?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAt the academy?\\\\u201d I shook my head. \\\\u201cNot so much. That comes later. They teach us how to shoot, how to drive, and\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I gave Rachael a sterner look and said, \\\\u201cHow to take care of ourselves.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cAnd how\\\\u2019s that working for you?\\\\u201d I shrugged, said something about still working on it, and then turned my back on her to start the motors. Each motor gave a satisfying growl when I started them, and I sat behind the wheel, ready to click out of neutral and open them up once Rachael told me where we were going. \\\\u201cThe village starting with the letter \\\\u2018q\\\\u2019,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cQassiarsuk?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRight.\\\\u201d Rachael pointed at the settlement and said, \\\\u201cThat one.\\\\u201d The Zodiac lurched forward as I clicked into gear and opened the throttle. Rachael clung to her seat, and I bit my lip to stifle a laugh. The Zodiac had a bit more oomph to it than the hunter\\\\u2019s dinghy Gaba had rented, and I tucked the image of Rachael slipping off her seat when I throttled up as a possible trick to use when I made my escape. Escape? Who was I kidding? I was too curious to escape. And when I thought about Gaba\\\\u2019s reaction on the ship, the boats ready and waiting for us on the dock, and the fact that we had a short window of a few hours before the Americans arrived, I was almost convinced that escape was the last thing anyone wanted me to do, and certainly not Rachael. She pulled back her sleeve to reveal a slim watch on her wrist and I wondered whose schedule she was working to, and how much time she thought we had left. \\\\u201cAre you going to tell me what we\\\\u2019re doing?\\\\u201d I asked as I teased a little more power out of the motors and powered out of Dreamcaster\\\\u2019s shadow. \\\\u201cSure,\\\\u201d Rachael said, although she said nothing more for another five minutes. I coughed a couple of times to nudge her, but Rachael seemed content to look at the scenery as we sailed closer and closer to Qassiarsuk. \\\\u201cYou know, my daddy had a boat,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cBack in Canada.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019re Canadian?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure.\\\\u201d Rachael nodded. \\\\u201cFor my sins.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBut you want to be American?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYeah, but for Sean \\\\u2013 nothing sinful.\\\\u201d We had yet to be introduced, and my mind wandered as I wondered who the mysterious Sean Augustus Arnet really was, and what hold he had over Rachael to make her kidnap a police officer to complete whatever assignment he had given her. It might have helped if I had met him, but somehow I imagined he would be difficult to fathom, and that without Rachael to help us, we \\\\u2013 the Greenland police and whoever the Americans had sent to take Sean into custody \\\\u2013 never would. \\\\u201cSo, we had a boat,\\\\u201d Rachael said, picking up from where she left off, \\\\u201cWe sailed it on Lake Ontario.\\\\u201d Rachael smiled at the memory and said, \\\\u201cBack then, when I was just a kid, those were my first days of smuggling.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYour father was a smuggler?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cWe would take packets of Smarties from Canada to New York state and sell them to the friends and acquaintances Daddy made round and about. You know Smarties? They\\\\u2019re like M&Ms only they taste different, and they came in these tiny boxes\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael pinched an imaginary box between her finger and thumb. \\\\u201cNot much bigger than a matchbox. The American kids thought they were cute, and they wanted more. So we loaded up each time we went to the store, and then Daddy got me to sell them to the kids on the beaches of New York State.\\\\u201d Rachael drifted for a moment and then smiled. \\\\u201cGood times,\\\\u201d she said. I waited to hear if she had more stories, but Rachael said nothing more before jabbing her finger in the air suddenly and pointing at the site of the Norse ruins of Brattahl\\\\u00ed\\\\u00f0, including the reconstructed longhouse and church. \\\\u201cTake us over there,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cTo the Viking ruins?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYep,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s our first stop.\\\\u201d I steered towards Brattahl\\\\u00ed\\\\u00f0, resisting the urge to look over my shoulder to see if Gaba was coming, and then smiled as I wondered what Gaba would say when he realised I was going to get another dose of culture and history. \\\\u201cAnd what do we do when we get there?\\\\u201d Rachael smiled and said, \\\\u201cPatience, Petra. You\\\\u2019ll find out soon enough.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI guess I will,\\\\u201d I said, choosing my course and following it. \\\\n 12 It was after midnight. The only red and yellow jackets on Qassiarsuk belonged to Rachael and me. We waved at one of the residents walking their dog, and Rachael quickly tucked the MP5 inside her jacket when a small bundle of kids ran past us. I might have used the moment to tackle Rachael, to disarm her and her bring her back to the ship, but not with the kids around. And besides, I was working on the idea that Gaba wanted Rachael to finish her errands as much as Rachael did. And then, of course, the real reason I didn\\\\u2019t take advantage of a moment of surprise was because I was too curious. Rachael wanted something inside the longhouse, and in that moment, no matter how much Paniula\\\\u2019s diary teased me with its secrets, I wanted it too. I felt like something invisible was pulling me along the dusty midnight trails in Qassiarsuk, and if I wanted satisfaction, I just had to let events unfold. Rachael needed me to drive the boat, and Gaba needed me to help Rachael. At least, that was how I chose to interpret what Gaba might want, although his whispered lightweight still had me wondering what I was missing. But then we were at the longhouse, and I followed Rachael inside. The door looked like it was built into the earth itself, and visitors would be forgiven if they thought the triangular roof had been grown, not built by hand. The grass was a lush green, providing a glimpse of the colour the Vikings had used to name the land. Sure, it was a reconstruction, but it was a good one, and I felt a tingle on my skin as we stepped inside. The interior was stone, wood, and reindeer fur, with pine supports that the original Vikings must have brought with them, for even back then, there were no trees in Greenland. The Inuit, my ancestors, had used driftwood for the frames of qajaqs and for other simple structures and tools, but the Vikings were the real artisans when it came to working with wood. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s your first time, isn\\\\u2019t it?\\\\u201d Rachael said as she watched me take it all in. \\\\u201cYes.\\\\u201d And if I hadn\\\\u2019t felt the tingle on my skin, I might have picked up on what Rachael said, that it was my first time, but not hers. As it was, she told me a minute or so later, after I had gotten my fill of Viking heritage. \\\\u201cI was like you the first time,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cHell, I know it\\\\u2019s a reconstruction, but when you look at the village, it\\\\u2019s not a stretch to go back a couple hundred years and imagine how life must have been in the summer, before they all died that winter.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ve been in Greenland before?\\\\u201d I said, still catching up. \\\\u201cTwice,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cAnd I bet that\\\\u2019s got you all razzled again, eh?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, aware that my so-called curious frown was in overdrive. \\\\u201cI came here with Sean,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cOf course, he was Barry back then, flying under the name of Barry August. He always said you needed something easy for an alias, to make it natural, easier to remember, and convincing. Well, I was convinced. About Sean, I mean.\\\\u201d Rachael wandered along the middle of the longhouse, towards a small modern table at the far end. I followed, content to let her keep going, as she pulled me into her story. \\\\u201cThis was only a few years ago. We needed to get out of South America, and we wanted to go to Europe. But that didn\\\\u2019t quite work out, and we almost got ourselves pinned in London. We needed to take some time out, somewhere distant, and off the beaten track.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGreenland,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s right, honey,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cYou remember all those reasons you gave me about Greenland being the lousiest place in which to plan an escape? Well, you ain\\\\u2019t wrong, but if you\\\\u2019re not looking to escape, then everything you mentioned turns out to be just perfect when you want to lose yourself in plain sight. Right?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI suppose so,\\\\u201d I said, frowning again as I tried to follow Rachael\\\\u2019s train of thought. \\\\u201cOf course, all this quiet, and all this nature with your big open skies, glaciers, and such\\\\u2026 Well, it can be all kinds of inspirational, and Sean, dear Sean, was inspired.\\\\u201d Rachael stopped at the table at the end of the longhouse, put the MP5 down, and leafed through the pages of the guestbook, going backwards from the last entries, turning back time as she moved through the years. \\\\u201cSean had this grand plan,\\\\u201d she said, stopping at one page and running the tip of her red nail down the entries. \\\\u201cHe was still peeved about London. When the buyer pulled out, he was left with a tonne of hot diamonds that we couldn\\\\u2019t sell and couldn\\\\u2019t get out of the country. You can\\\\u2019t fly with a couple of million dollars\\\\u2019 worth of diamonds in your luggage.\\\\u201d Rachael looked at me and smiled. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t suppose you\\\\u2019ve tried, honey? Have you?\\\\u201d She smiled again as I shook my head. \\\\u201cBut what you can do is take them on a boat, especially if you pay top dollar. This is before they beefed up security on all the cruises. We chose the ones without the x-ray scanners for your luggage. They have them on most ships now, but the adventure cruises, back then, they were still taking off, and the kind of passengers booking them\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael shrugged and said, \\\\u201cLet\\\\u2019s just say, they\\\\u2019re not exactly America\\\\u2019s Most Wanted, eh?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI suppose not,\\\\u201d I said, thinking of the stereotypical cruise ship passenger with enough money to pay for a cruise to Greenland, usually at the end of their career, having worked hard to put enough money aside for the pension and some to spare for the fun stuff, like ticking things off the bucket list, Greenland included. \\\\u201cSo, with a bag full of diamonds, and no buyer, Sean needed to get them into the States. He came up with this great idea and made some friends among the passengers. Some of them travel in groups, you know, usually friends from one town or state who\\\\u2019ve known each other for a couple of decades. Sean got to talking with them, told them he was in the jewellery business, and would they like to see some of the things he had with him?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd they did,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cOh, yes.\\\\u201d Rachael laughed. \\\\u201cEspecially the ladies. But more than one of the gents was impressed by the thought of wearing a diamond studded bracelet on their watch.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAnd Sean gave them the jewellery?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHe let them borrow the jewellery. The idea was the diamonds were on loan for the duration of the voyage. And so he parted out the diamonds from the stash, with the idea that when these fine and innocent folk flew back to the States, a diamond ring with matching earrings in the luggage of one passenger, and a bracelet in the luggage of another, wouldn\\\\u2019t attract the attention of customs or those border patrol ruffians you often meet in America.\\\\u201d Rachael paused, and I guessed she was speaking from experience. \\\\u201cNow, Sean played it real cool. He never asked for any kind of insurance, didn\\\\u2019t take names or email addresses, but he made sure we were on all the excursions. And he made sure he was the first of our group to write in the guestbook, setting a precedent, you know?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI think so,\\\\u201d I said, although I wasn\\\\u2019t sure. \\\\u201cHe would joke when the passengers jostled him to hurry up. They\\\\u2019d tease him and ask if he was writing a novel or something? Tell him things like for gawd\\\\u2019s sake, Sean, it\\\\u2019s not poetry.\\\\u201d Rachael smiled and said, \\\\u201cI liked that one.\\\\u201d She flipped to another page in the guestbook and ran her finger down another column of names. \\\\u201cAnother fellow said he thought Sean must be writing Pulitzer material, and that he was probably a journalist. But you know what Sean said?\\\\u201d Rachael turned to look at me, pupils dilated in the dim light. \\\\u201cHe told them if a thing was worth doing it was worth doing well, and that after the fine folks in Greenland had taken the time to build such a captivating \\\\u2013 he liked that word \\\\u2013 reconstruction of a piece of important history, the very least he could do was print his damned name so it was legible, and tell them where he had come from, because they would surely like to know.\\\\u201d Rachael paused again, and I prompted her to continue with a nod. \\\\u201cBut he wasn\\\\u2019t done. He told them they should at least put their mail address in the book, telling them some story about the Viking ancestors sending them a Christmas card each December, or some such rubbish. But they bought it, of course. And then, when Sean and me were gone from one day to the next, they had a few funny stories about that man who printed his name in all the guestbooks and left them with the most amazing jewellery that just had to be fake, because no sane man would ever leave real diamonds in the hands of strangers.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOr pockets,\\\\u201d I whispered as Rachael turned her back on me and ripped one page after another out of the guestbook. She stuffed the pages into the inside pocket of her jacket and then picked up the MP5. \\\\u201cI wasn\\\\u2019t so sure about Sean being sane and I told him so when we jumped ship and flew to Copenhagen. He told me we\\\\u2019d catch up with our new friends once they got back to the States. And then, since they had been so kind to print their names and addresses in the guestbook, it would be easy enough to find them, retrieve the diamonds they had smuggled into America, and cash in.\\\\u201d Rachael sighed and said, \\\\u201cOnly it didn\\\\u2019t work out that way.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBecause Sean didn\\\\u2019t have the guestbook, did he?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cThat was my job. I was supposed to be last to sign the book. And then I was supposed to rip the page out when no one was looking. But I was young \\\\u2013 too young to be discreet or even confident about that kind of thing, and, well\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael shrugged. \\\\u201cSo, you came back.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYeah,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cJust a couple of years later.\\\\u201d Rachael looked up at the sound of a soft thumping noise that filtered through the turf roof of the longhouse. \\\\u201cBetter late than never, I suppose,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, although as the thumping noise grew louder, I wondered if time had run out for Rachael Silk and Sean Arnet, America\\\\u2019s Most Wanted. \\\\n 13 I wanted to ask if Sean was doing the same thing again, only this time he didn\\\\u2019t bother to make friends, just dropped the jewellery into the passengers\\\\u2019 pockets, but the thumping sound was louder and even through the turf roof, the sound of a helicopter was unmistakable. \\\\u201cWe should go,\\\\u201d I said, thinking that Rachael had said errands, plural, and that Gaba might have let her take me, so that I might see it through to the end. \\\\u201cWhy?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou can\\\\u2019t hear it?\\\\u201d I pointed at the roof. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s a helicopter. The Americans are coming, and you\\\\u2019re running out of time.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s sweet,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cBut you\\\\u2019re wrong, Petra. I have plenty of time. And if I need more, they\\\\u2019ll give it to me.\\\\u201d She shifted her grip on the MP5 and then nodded at the door, leaving me to guess whom she might be working for, or with whom she had struck a deal. Not Gaba, I thought. Although he had had plenty of time while I was on land chasing down Paniula\\\\u2019s diary. That thought stopped me cold, and I halted halfway down the length of the longhouse, oblivious to Rachael\\\\u2019s prodding and prompting, as I wondered if it was all a ruse, that Uiluiit had lied, or, worse, that Gaba had somehow set me up, knowing that I might be finished too quickly with a jag of Greenlandic culture, and return to the ship before he had finished making his deal with Rachael. \\\\u201cThen it\\\\u2019s a fake,\\\\u201d I whispered. \\\\u201cSomething Uiluiit planted in the cabin and scribbled my name inside to make me think it really was the ramblings of a disgruntled and convicted police officer.\\\\u201d I pulled the diary out of my pocket and opened it to the first page. I ignored the thump of the helicopter and Rachael\\\\u2019s chiding as I found my name on the first page, holding my breath as I read the words around it, heart pounding as I found the names Paniula preferred to call me by, together with the name Venus Manumina, and that I was his Venus. Like father, like son, like\\\\u2026 \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019ll take that,\\\\u201d Rachael said as she plucked the diary from my hands. I started to protest, but she simply raised the submachine gun and pointed the barrel at my chest. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t know what you\\\\u2019ve got here, honey, but it\\\\u2019ll keep these pages flat,\\\\u201d she said, setting the diary down on the floor and crouching beside it as she pulled the pages of the guestbook out of her pocket and tucked them inside the diary. \\\\u201cThere,\\\\u201d she said. Rachael slipped Paniula\\\\u2019s diary into her jacket pocket and stood up. \\\\u201cGive it back,\\\\u201d I said. I held out my hand. \\\\u201cGive it back or you can forget about me driving you anywhere else in the boat.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cPetra,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cYou were doing so well, and now you\\\\u2019re getting razzled again.\\\\u201d She moved to one side to step around me, but I blocked her. \\\\u201cGive it back,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cHoney?\\\\u201d Rachael shook her head. \\\\u201cThis isn\\\\u2019t you. So emotional.\\\\u201d She took a step back, clacking her nails against the MP5 as she studied me. \\\\u201cWhat is it? Why is this book so important to you?\\\\u201d I couldn\\\\u2019t explain it if I tried. I had yet to read more than a few lines. But if the diary was genuine, and I thought it was too elaborate not to be, then it was a piece of my history, connected to a difficult episode in my past. Sure, we were standing in a reconstructed Viking longhouse, something from Greenland\\\\u2019s past. But it was so old, I could never really relate to it. The diary in Rachael\\\\u2019s pocket, however, was new. It was recent. And it was about me. \\\\u201cPetra,\\\\u201d Rachael said. She licked her lips as I took a step towards her. \\\\u201cYou need to think about this, honey. You need to think real hard, now. Because\\\\u2026\\\\u201d She took a step back. \\\\u201cBecause when I told you I never meant to hurt you, I meant it.\\\\u201d I took another step forward, and Rachael moved another step back. \\\\u201cYou can\\\\u2019t get in my way, Constable,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019ve come this far. I\\\\u2019m going to see this to the end.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSo am I,\\\\u201d I said, as Rachael flicked the fire selector switch on the submachine gun from safe to single shot. But I didn\\\\u2019t care, because, as I forced Rachael to take another step, and another, I remembered what Gaba had called me, and understood that even though he might have said lightweight, it was two words, not one. Light weight. But it wasn\\\\u2019t me Gaba was talking about, it was the gun. I thought it was lighter when he returned it to me, and I remembered the last time Atii had given me a light MP5, when she removed the bullets for fear of me pulling the trigger and killing a man when I really shouldn\\\\u2019t, no matter how much he might have deserved it. I didn\\\\u2019t want to kill Rachael. As far as I was concerned, she had done nothing to deserve it. Beyond taking a tight grip of my collar and jerking me around a bit, she had been as good as her word, hurting nothing more than my pride. But she crossed the line when she took Paniula\\\\u2019s diary, and ever since Uiluiit had told me about it, I had needed it. My colleagues knew me as the impulsive type, but Rachael Silk was about to discover my irrational side as I reached out for the MP5 and grabbed the barrel. \\\\u201cHoney, stop!\\\\u201d Rachael said. But I didn\\\\u2019t. I yanked the barrel, trusting that Gaba had replaced the magazine with an empty one, and trusting my interpretation of the words he whispered to me on the ship. Light. Weight. Sure, it was light. But Rachael was no lightweight, and she gave as good as she got, perhaps even better, as she tugged the submachine gun with masculine strength. Muscles that, provided she worked out, were always going to be stronger than mine. In the clash that followed, Rachael was a heavyweight, and we struggled for a few seconds, each tugging the gun, neither of us letting go, until a loud metallic click gave us both pause when Rachael pulled the trigger. \\\\u201cOh, shit,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cOh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!\\\\u201d Rachael let go of the gun and stumbled backwards. She fell hard on the stone floor, bumping my pistol out of the back pocket of her jeans. It skittered across the floor, but she ignored it. Rachael continued to curse, waving me off as I tried to help her to her feet. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s okay,\\\\u201d I said, clipping the MP5 back onto the sling around my chest as I reached for her hand. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s okay. I\\\\u2019m still here. You didn\\\\u2019t shoot me, Rachael. I\\\\u2019m not hurt.\\\\u201d But Rachael was stuck in a moment. She couldn\\\\u2019t distance herself from the image of the barrel of the gun pointed at my chest and her finger around the trigger. \\\\u201cRachael\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I took a step forward, but Rachael scurried to one side. She picked herself up and ran for the door. A shaft of early morning light pierced the longhouse as Rachael burst through the door, shining on my pistol on the floor. I grabbed it, holstered it, and then swore as I heard the helicopter thundering outside the longhouse, and then again when I was almost sure I heard the motors of the Zodiac growl. \\\\u201cMove,\\\\u201d I said, forcing myself out of the longhouse. \\\\u201cShe\\\\u2019s still got the diary!\\\\u201d \\\\n 14 There wasn\\\\u2019t just one helicopter, but two. I wondered if the longhouse reconstruction had included extra roof insulation, or if turf was just a more effective absorber of sound, but the sound of two helicopters was deafening as I burst out of the door and immediately threw my hands up to my face as a cloud of grit and sand and loose strands of hay engulfed me. It was what I\\\\u2019ve heard some helicopter pilots call a brownout, and I stumbled forward, unable to see more than a half a metre or less in front of my face. There were shapes and shadows, twists of something here and there. I might even have heard voices, but I wasn\\\\u2019t sure. I couldn\\\\u2019t smell anything either, as my nose clogged up with grit. I tried breathing through my mouth as I pushed my way through the cloud, turning my head to the right as I was sure I heard something. Maybe even Gaba\\\\u2019s voice, shouting for me to get down. \\\\u201cOn the ground!\\\\u201d Not Gaba. He wouldn\\\\u2019t shout at me in English. \\\\u201cOn the damn ground, lady!\\\\u201d And he would never call me a lady. And then, when two bulky shadows charged through the cloud and knocked me off my feet, I knew it wasn\\\\u2019t Gaba, and I guessed, from their voices and their actions, the Americans had arrived. It didn\\\\u2019t matter that my nose was stuffed and clogged. I was never going to be able to breathe with the American kneeling on my chest. \\\\u201cGet off her, now!\\\\u201d I heard the words but considering the lack of oxygen getting to my brain, it could have been a hallucination. As it turned out, it was Gaba. There was a scuffle, and I heard more shouting, more cursing, and the promise of wicked things happening to one man and then the other as a brawl broke out in the cloud of dust around the Viking longhouse. I rolled onto my belly and crawled away from the men fighting around me, barely aware that I had lost both my weapons for the second time in as many hours. But as I crawled, choking on gritty air, the helicopters settled in a farmer\\\\u2019s field to the left of the longhouse. The dust settled too, and I picked myself up, spitting grit and phlegm from my mouth, then wiping my lips with the back of my hand. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and in the early morning light I saw icebergs in the fjord, and, working back to the shore, I saw the Zodiac I had borrowed still parked on the beach, and Rachael, still wearing her yellow jacket, bobbing about inside the boat. More heavily clad men spilled out of the helicopter and charged towards her. I played to my strengths and my light weight, and ran, determined to head them off. \\\\u201cPetra, wait!\\\\u201d Gaba again, but I didn\\\\u2019t look. I kept going, not slowing for a second. I saw Rachael climb over the side of the boat and push it into the water. The motors were still up, and I guessed the growling I had heard must have been Gaba\\\\u2019s boat. Rachael heaved, and the Zodiac slid deeper into the water, and she scrambled aboard as the boat bobbed, caught by the wind, and drifted into the brilliant, deep blue waters of Qinngua. \\\\u201cConstable!\\\\u201d I should have stopped, but something told me that if I did, something bad was going to happen to Rachael, and I picked up the pace, stripping away from the battle-ready men with their big guns, vests, and helmets, and racing onto the beach. \\\\u201cDon\\\\u2019t do it, honey,\\\\u201d Rachael said as I splashed into the water. \\\\u201cYou have to stop. They\\\\u2019re going to shoot, Petra. Don\\\\u2019t\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Rachael ducked as the men fired the first warning shots above her head. They would aim at the boat next, with the intent to puncture and sink it. Unless they had already tried, and they are lousy shots. I might have giggled at that thought, or it might have been the effect of the freezing fjord water reaching my midriff. But when I lunged for the boat, I caught a grip on the safety lines looped along the sides. And then, after another volley of warning shots, Rachael reached over the side and grabbed my wrist. I kicked my feet as she hauled me over the side, until we were both sprawled on Zodiac\\\\u2019s deck, faces pressed to the ribbed metal surface as the men on the beach blasted the buoyancy tubes. Air hissed out of the tubes as they punctured, and Rachael laughed. \\\\u201cWhat\\\\u2019s so funny?\\\\u201d I said, shouting above the noise of the guns. \\\\u201cNothing,\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cOh, come on.\\\\u201d I reached for Rachael\\\\u2019s hand. \\\\u201cDon\\\\u2019t leave me in suspense.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay,\\\\u201d Rachael said, following another laugh. \\\\u201cIt sounds like I\\\\u2019ve got a bad case of gas.\\\\u201d She rolled her eyes and laughed again. And I joined her, just as another bullet burst another compartment of air. \\\\u201cSo, Constable,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cWhat do we do now?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cFirst,\\\\u201d I said, pausing as the men on the beach were given the order to cease fire. \\\\u201cFirst, you need to know you didn\\\\u2019t hurt me. Okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cOkay.\\\\u201d Rachael nodded. \\\\u201cAnd second?\\\\u201d I shook my head and said, \\\\u201cI have no idea.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWhat?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cNone.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou mean, you ran through a storm of bullets, and dived into the frickin\\\\u2019 Arctic Ocean to get on a boat with more holes than a Swiss cheese, and you don\\\\u2019t have a plan?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d I said, and sighed. \\\\u201cJesus, honey, you are nuts.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cI get that a lot.\\\\u201d I lifted my head \\\\u2013 just a little \\\\u2013 to peek over the rapidly deflating tubes, and glimpsed Gaba on the beach, hands on his hips, with Saarullik and Taateraaq on each side. Gaba stared straight at me, while the two constables had their backs to the water and their weapons casually pointing at a small group of heavily armed Americans on the beach. \\\\u201cPetra?\\\\u201d Gaba shouted my name from the beach. \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d I lifted my head a little further and then stood up slowly. \\\\u201cThe boat\\\\u2019s drifting, Constable. We\\\\u2019re coming to pick you up.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGot it,\\\\u201d I said. Gaba paused for a second before shouting, \\\\u201cAre you okay?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBoth of you?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWe\\\\u2019re fine,\\\\u201d I said. I watched as another man wearing plain clothes, some might call bland, picked his way between the men on the beach to stand next to Gaba. He carried no weapons but had an impressive bullhorn in his right hand. He held it to his lips and pressed the button to project his voice across the fjord. \\\\u201cRachael Silk? Can you hear me?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d Rachael said as she stood up. \\\\u201cDo you have what we agreed on?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes.\\\\u201d Rachael removed her jacket and held it over the side of the boat, soon to be a raft. I turned around and held my breath, suddenly aware of what she was threatening to do. \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019ve got it. Now, are you going to give me what you promised?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d the man said. He lowered the bullhorn for a second as if he was collecting his thoughts and then pressed it to his lips again. \\\\u201cBut you\\\\u2019re going to have to trust me, Rachael.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI can\\\\u2019t do that, Barry.\\\\u201d Barry? There was something about that name. \\\\u201cBut we had a deal,\\\\u201d Barry said. \\\\u201cRemember?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI remember lots of deals. But I don\\\\u2019t remember ever getting what I wanted.\\\\u201d Rachael held the jacket out a little farther over the side. \\\\u201cMaybe it\\\\u2019s time to renegotiate?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI can\\\\u2019t do that, Rachael,\\\\u201d Barry said. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s not an option. It\\\\u2019s non-negotiable, I\\\\u2019m afraid.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWell, shit, Barry,\\\\u201d Rachael said. \\\\u201cThen I guess there\\\\u2019s nothing more to say.\\\\u201d Rachael tossed the jacket over the side of what was left of the boat, and I watched Paniula\\\\u2019s diary fly out of the pocket. The pages from the guestbook scattered in the wind as the diary slapped onto the water\\\\u2019s surface. \\\\u201cNo!\\\\u201d I moved forward, shoving Rachael to one side as I leaped over the flat buoyancy tubes and dived into the water. \\\\u201cPetra!\\\\u201d I don\\\\u2019t know if it was Gaba who shouted. It might have been Rachael. But neither did I care as my fingers grasped the corner of the diary, and I clutched it to my chest as the cold cramped my fingers and I stroked, one handed, back to the sinking boat. \\\\u201cYou are certifiable, girl,\\\\u201d Rachael said as she reached for me. \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said, teeth chattering as she pulled me over the flat tube and onto the metal deck. \\\\u201cWhat the hell is so important about that book, anyway?\\\\u201d she said. \\\\u201cI don\\\\u2019t know.\\\\u201d I shivered for a few seconds, trying to speak. And then, as I saw Gaba in a Zodiac racing towards me, I looked at Rachael and said, \\\\u201cI haven\\\\u2019t read it yet.\\\\u201d \\\\n 15 It took six duvets, four hours, and one electric blanket before I felt warm again. Gaba sat in the armchair at the end of the bed, removing grit from my MP5 with a cleaning kit he said he liberated from the Americans. He looked up from time to time, and every time I stirred, he looked at me. I caught his eye, but with my hands curled around the corner of the duvet, I kept my mouth and nose covered, hiding my smile as he watched over me. I would never tell Atii, but not doing something naughty with Gaba, was almost more exciting that doing what I sometimes fantasized about doing with the big, bald, macho leader of Greenland\\\\u2019s SRU. I know. Hopeless. But then, wasn\\\\u2019t it okay to be a hopeless romantic once in a while? \\\\u201cI know you\\\\u2019re awake, Petra,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cMy eyes are open.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap. But you\\\\u2019ve been awake for about two hours. Am I right?\\\\u201d I said nothing, preferring not to reveal that I had secretly watched him for almost as long as he had been watching me. He turned his head and nodded at the windowsill, and the bundle of towels within which I hoped I would find Paniula\\\\u2019s diary. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s ruined, of course,\\\\u201d he said, and I sighed. \\\\u201cThe ink has run on most of the pages, but the deeper you get into the book\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d I said, not daring to hope too much. \\\\u201cWell, it\\\\u2019s possible\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cI said it\\\\u2019s possible, Petra, that you might be able to read some of it. When it\\\\u2019s dried out, of course.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cBut before then, you\\\\u2019ll want to know about Rachael and the rest of her merry band of diamond smugglers.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHer band?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cThat\\\\u2019s what Barry says.\\\\u201d Gaba raised a thick finger to stop me from talking as he continued. \\\\u201cThe three guys were what Barry called pastries, I think.\\\\u201d I giggled, and then pulled the covers down to say, \\\\u201cPatsies. Fall guys. Or dupes.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWell, whatever they are, he said Rachael picked them up, and paid them a tonne of cash to pretend they were Sean Arnet and Co. She even paid them to stick the diamond jewellery in passengers\\\\u2019 pockets.\\\\u201d I was still processing the thought that there were three patsies, when I realised Gaba had moved on. \\\\u201c\\\\u2026confiscated as evidence, of course,\\\\u201d he said. \\\\u201cWhat was?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe jewellery,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cBarry took it all as evidence, and he\\\\u2019s taking it all back to the States, along with Rachael and the three guys.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIt wasn\\\\u2019t fake, then?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe jewellery?\\\\u201d Gaba shrugged. \\\\u201cWho knows, and who cares? We\\\\u2019re done with this one, Constable.\\\\u201d Gaba slid the MP5 and the cleaning kit onto the table and stood up. \\\\u201cFunny thing about Barry\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHe was a last-minute replacement. Apparently, the other guy who was supposed to lead the operation was sick with something. Barry just happened to be in Greenland, and stepped up, as they say.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cWhat was Barry\\\\u2019s last name?\\\\u201d Gaba shook his head and said, \\\\u201cI can\\\\u2019t remember. He probably told me. But the thing about him was there was nothing memorable about him. He had brown hair \\\\u2013 a little thin, maybe. He wore boring clothes. Nothing stood out. Not even his accent. Everything about Barry was\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBland,\\\\u201d I said, cutting Gaba off. \\\\u201cAap. That\\\\u2019s what I was going to say. \\\\u201cHis name is Barry August,\\\\u201d I said, remembering what Rachael had told me in the longhouse. \\\\u201cHe\\\\u2019s\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I sat up, suddenly warm and awake, only to grab the duvets again as I discovered I was naked. \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cAbout that. You were cold, Petra. You were shivering. I had to get your wet clothes off you, and\\\\u2026\\\\u201d I gave Gaba a hard stare and then said, \\\\u201cAnd what about Saarullik and Taateraaq?\\\\u201d Gaba shook his head. \\\\u201cOn the way back to Nuuk. We\\\\u2019re on the next flight, but you can take the ship a little further up the coast if you\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes?\\\\u201d I said. Gaba held up his finger again, and I waited for him to catch on to what I said earlier. It was like watching the dawn break in the far north \\\\u2013 a pale light growing stronger and sharper by the second. \\\\u201cWhat did you say the guy\\\\u2019s name was?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBarry August.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAugust as in\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSean Augustus Arnet,\\\\u201d I said, suddenly convinced that it was all starting to make sense. \\\\u201cThe man who flew in as a replacement at the last minute and confiscated all the fake diamonds.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap\\\\u2026 And\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cDiamonds we think are fake.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSure, but all those men with guns, Petra. They were the real deal.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThe real deal who probably just made a hefty bonus on the side on an operation in a country most people have never thought about, or even heard of.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cSo you think\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYes,\\\\u201d I said. I stood up slowly, covering my body with the bottom duvet, and wrapping it around me as Gaba\\\\u2019s brain was occupied with thoughts of how he had been duped, and might even be one of Sean Augustus Arnet\\\\u2019s pastries. Yes, I enjoyed that one. \\\\u201cBut the commissioner\\\\u2026\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cHe talked to him.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cHe talked to someone,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cAnd we need to know who.\\\\u201d Gaba pulled out his phone and stepped out of the cabin, leaving me alone to peel back the towels and discover just how unreadable Paniula\\\\u2019s diary had become. Several of the pages were stuck together, and I didn\\\\u2019t dare peel them apart for fear of tearing them. But one of the pages was hanging out, and I tugged it free, only to realise it wasn\\\\u2019t a page from the diary, but something else that had been tucked inside. I turned around as Gaba burst back into the room, wearing a look I just knew could only mean trouble. \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s him,\\\\u201d he said, clenching his fist around his phone. \\\\u201cIt was August.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cBarry?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cAap,\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cHe called the commissioner. He was the commissioner\\\\u2019s contact. We\\\\u2019ve been set up from the start. It was August\\\\u2019s idea to use Rachael. Can you believe that? He basically told me the play, and how to play it. He must have smuggled the diamonds onto the cruise ship, and then stepped off somewhere. He\\\\u2019s so bland he could have been anyone. But we\\\\u2019re not done\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGaba\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cThis isn\\\\u2019t over, Petra. The commissioner is just as mad as I am. We\\\\u2019re going to get him. I have no idea how. But it\\\\u2019s a done deal. We\\\\u2019ll get him.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cGaba, listen,\\\\u201d I said, as I plucked the extra page out of the diary. I waved it in front of him. \\\\u201cAnd what\\\\u2019s supposed to be?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cIt\\\\u2019s what Rachael was going to use to negotiate a better deal with Sean. Or Barry.\\\\u201d I frowned and said, \\\\u201cI\\\\u2019m not sure. But whatever she wanted, he obviously wasn\\\\u2019t going to give it to her. And now\\\\u2026\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNow what?\\\\u201d Gaba said. \\\\u201cNow we\\\\u2019ve got he wants. You want to get him?\\\\u201d Gaba nodded. \\\\u201cThen this is how we do it.\\\\u201d \\\\u201cRight,\\\\u201d Gaba said. He reached for the MP5 and started putting it back together. \\\\u201cGaba,\\\\u201d I said. \\\\u201cWhat?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cYou\\\\u2019ve got a plane to catch.\\\\u201d He stopped what he was doing and then shook his head. \\\\u201cYou mean we. Right?\\\\u201d \\\\u201cNo,\\\\u201d I said with a nod at Paniula\\\\u2019s diary. \\\\u201cI have to catch up on my reading.\\\\u201d Gaba took a moment to take the hint, but I shooed him out of the cabin with the promise of delivering the page torn from the guestbook as soon as it was dry. But until then, I was going to try my very best to enjoy a Greenland cruise in the way it was supposed to be done. Slowly. Under the midnight sun. The End \\\\n Your words make all the difference Honest reviews of my books help other readers find them. As an independent author I don\\\\u2019t have the backing of a publisher or a team of publicists, but I do have one thing going for me, and that\\\\u2019s a group of engaged readers. If you enjoyed this book I would be very grateful if you could spend just five minutes leaving a review (as short as you like) on the book\\\\u2019s Amazon page. You can find the page easily by clicking on the link below. The Invisible Thread Your words make all the difference. Your support allows me to write more words, more books, and more adventures. Thank you. \\\\n Get more Stories I have written a lot of stories set in Scandinavia and the Arctic. Many of them are interconnected with characters making guest appearances across the different series. If you\\\\u2019d like to try more of my stories and want the latest news and releases, please consider following my blog. You can also download a free copy of Piteraq. It\\\\u2019s the prequel to my adrenaline-fueled Greenland Trilogy. You can get your FREE book by clicking here. I look forward to telling you more about Greenland and the Arctic regions I have fallen in love with. Chris \\\\n About the Author Christoffer Petersen is the author\\\\u2019s pen name. He lives in Denmark. Chris started writing stories about Greenland while teaching in Qaanaaq, the largest village in the very north of Greenland \\\\u2013 the population peaked at 600 during the two years he lived there. Chris spent a total of seven years in Greenland, teaching in remote communities and at the Police Academy in the capital of Nuuk. You can find Chris in Denmark or online here: Christoffer Petersen or on Facebook. For exclusive content check out Christoffer Petersen\\\\u2019s Patreon page. \\\\n This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events, are entirely coincidental. THE INVISIBLE THREAD First edition. February 6, 2024. Copyright \\\\u00a9 2024 Christoffer Petersen. Written by Christoffer Petersen. Cover by Chris Paton \\\\n\\\"\\n}\",\"difficulty\":\"hard\",\"domain\":\"Single-Document QA\",\"length\":\"short\",\"question\":\"Narrives: 1. ['The team arrives at the cruise ship to take Sean Arnet into custody and is briefed on the plan to confirm his identity and ensure he remains secure until American authorities can take over.']\\\\n2. ['Petra bursts out of the longhouse into a cloud of debris from two helicopters and is tackled by American operatives amidst the chaos.']\\\\n3. [\\\\\\\"The narrator encounters two elderly tourists inside a cabin, and requests the woman to hand over Constable Paniula's diary that she was examining.\\\\\\\"]\\\\n4. ['Rachael and Petra visited the reconstructed Viking longhouse at the Norse ruins of Brattahl\\\\u00ed\\\\u00f0 to retrieve something of interest, with Rachael reminiscing about a past visit to Greenland.']\\\\n\\\\nQuery: Considering the given book and narratives, Which order of the narratives in the following options is correct?\",\"sub_domain\":\"Event ordering\"}","display_format":"text","language":"","answer_status":"published","assets":[],"source_url":"https://huggingface.co/datasets/zai-org/LongBench-v2","history":"initial import","indexing_mode":"noindex","subproblems":[],"grids":[]}