Sacred Ground. Alex Archer

this case, it was the speeding truck.

      Annja watched as more ice broke away into the swirling water of the Mackenzie River. Waves sloshed over the floes. And still the fissure spread toward the truck.

      The truck had slammed on its brakes, but all that terrible momentum had no place to go except forward and even as the massive beast shuddered and groaned, straining to halt its progress, the same force that had so threatened Annja and the others now carried the truck toward its final destination.

      With a creaking finality, the entire chassis slid right into the water before it, sinking imperceptibly fast. In one blink the truck was on the ice and in the next it simply had vanished.

      Annja stood there, watching as the waves quickly returned to their normal ebb and flow. Already, at the edges of the breaks and cracks, the water was freezing back over. She figured in another hour, there’d be nothing to even mark the presence of the truck save for some skid marks on the ice leading to the massive hole that had eventually claimed it.

      She took one final look at the water and its darkness. It was almost as if it had its own spirit. Was that even possible? She closed her eyes and quickly replaced the sword back where it rested, waiting to be called forth again.

      Annja opened her eyes and turned around to head back toward Derek and Godwin. She hoped Godwin had the tire replaced by now.

      Derek was standing closer than she expected. He had a smile on his face and didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed to be standing so close to her.

      Annja stopped.

      Derek said nothing, but kept smiling and turned to walk back toward the truck. Annja caught up with him.

      “You look like you just ate a canary.”

      He shrugged. “Better. I just saw something I would never have believed unless I witnessed it with my own two eyes.”

      “I could offer to pry them out of your head if it helps you forget what you just saw.”

      He chuckled. “I’d hate for that to happen.”

      “I’ll bet.”

      “That was something quite impressive.”

      Annja frowned. “And yet, you don’t seem the slightest bit surprised. Why is that?”

      Derek shrugged. “Impressed? Yes. Surprised? Nope. But I thought I already explained to you that our information was good.”

      “You did,” Annja said. “I didn’t expect that you’d gotten word about my…talent.”

      “Is that what you choose to call it?” Derek smiled. “I’d call it something utterly amazing.”

      “Of course you would. Anyone would. Unless they happened to be burdened with the thing.” Annja sighed.

      “How does it work?”

      “I don’t even know. I’m still working all of its rather unique functions out. Every time I think I know what it’s fully capable of, it has this nagging ability to surprise me.”

      “Well, you just used it to save our lives. So I suppose a hearty thank-you is in order.”

      “You’re welcome. And you can thank me by not mentioning this to anyone else. And if you have to file a report about me, I’d appreciate you stating that the rumor of its existence is just a silly myth. That you saw nothing out of the ordinary during our entire time together.”

      “Why would you want me to do that?”

      Annja stopped him. “Because if there’s one thing I definitely do not need, it’s any publicity. I’d much prefer to just live my life and do what I do without being sentenced to a freak-show existence for the remainder of my time on the planet.”

      Derek looked at her and then nodded. “I guess I can understand that. I thought you might be one of these people who would want to milk it for everything it had.”

      “Not even remotely close.”

      Derek smiled. “It’s cool. Your secret is safe.”

      “So, who leaked the information to you about it?”

      Derek shook his head. “I’m not sure, actually. And before you go accusing me of holding out, I am telling the truth. We gathered our data on you from a variety of sources. Some of it was from reliable outlets, background checks, that type of thing.”

      “And others?”

      “From less tangible sources. We comb the Internet to compile what we hope is an accurate picture of our subjects. Sometimes the material we turn up is decent. Other times it’s pretty bogus.”

      “In this case,” Annja said.

      Derek nodded. “We got lucky, all right.”

      “I’d be curious to know where that particular nugget came from. Any chance you keep a record of the Web sites you comb on file somewhere?”

      “Yeah,” Derek said. “I can hook you up with the information once we’re done up here. Consider it a parting bonus if you want.”

      “Thanks.”

      “Forget it. Call us even for saving our lives.”

      “I will.”

      They walked back to the truck just as Godwin was putting away the tools. He looked up as they approached. “We’re all set to go.”

      Annja sighed. “Good.”

      Godwin looked out around them. “What happened to the truck?”

      “Detour,” Annja said. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing it again.”

      “Ever,” Derek said.

      Annja slid into the front seat and closed the door. Godwin and Derek got in a moment later and Godwin gunned the engine and then slid the vehicle into Drive.

      He eased the truck forward. Annja pointed out ahead of them. “I’d steer a little bit over to the right if I was you.”

      “Why so?”

      From behind her, she heard Derek say, “I’d do as she suggests, Godwin. Trust me.”

      Godwin nodded and steered the truck over to the side. But even as they passed the location where the truck had gone through the ice, Annja had trouble seeing where it was exactly. The water had already frozen over and showed little sign that there had been a massive hole there previously.

      Annja shuddered. Whatever the case, whoever had been behind the wheel of that truck, they were no longer a threat to them.

      And that was fine with her.

      Derek had the map open again. He traced his finger along the ice road and then jabbed at a spot on the map. “We should be pretty close, guys.”

      “The sooner the better,” Annja said. “I really don’t like traveling this way. Big trucks that want to run us over, cracks in the ice, and this forever-white landscape. It wears on a person.”

      “I think it’s kind of beautiful,” Godwin said. “Of course, I’m a bit biased.”

      “I thought you hated the cold,” Derek said.

      “I do. I meant from inside the warm truck it looks kind of beautiful.” Godwin grinned. “But I’d still rather live in Hawaii any day of the week.”

      “We’ll keep that in mind in case we open up a diamond mine in Maui,” Derek said.

      Annja smiled. The rush of tension that had plagued them with the giant truck and the ice fissure seemed to have evaporated. They were left with the feeling that they would soon be off the ice road and back on to firm ground. Frozen though it was.

      Annja took a deep breath and tried to relax her body. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She felt good. And