CHAPTER 3
CRUNCH TIME
Since the Chinook’s incoming and outgoing transmissions had been jammed, no one at Checkpoint Zulu knew that the Command Centers in both Thule and Langley had gone on high alert the moment radio contact was lost. They were also unaware that weather conditions had continued to deteriorate above ground. Heavy snow and strong winds gusting to over ninety miles per hour had created blizzard conditions that made any immediate air rescue mission from Thule impossible.
Director Blair was sitting at his desk being briefed by Special Agent Quade when he was handed the three-day weather forecast for the regions around Thule and Checkpoint Zulu. Recognizing that it would be more than twelve hours before conditions would improve enough for a backup Chinook to land safely at Checkpoint Zulu, he slammed his fist down and barked, “We’ve lost touch with our ETF, and we can’t do a blessed thing about it until sometime tomorrow!”
Hoping to calm down his boss, Quade said, “Well, sir, one thing’s for sure, Lynch will keep everyone safe.”
“I hope you’re right,” Director Blair fired back. Then second-guessing his original decision, he added, “We probably should have waited for the weather to clear before sending them in. Those extraterrestrials up there aren’t going anywhere until they’ve made contact with us. And for the record, I’m wondering how I let you talk me into including three teenagers on the team.”
Quade was clearly defensive when he replied, “You saw their records, sir. Those three kids had first-hand experience with a hostile alien, and we know they disposed of it without anyone getting hurt. They—”
“I seem to remember reading in your report that three men were killed that night,” Director Blair interrupted, his temper rising.
“My mistake, sir,” Quade said, correcting himself. “You’re right. One was a gangbanger wanted by the NYPD. The other two consisted of a drug-dealing murderer and his zombie bodyguard. All of whom, I might add, were trying to kill those kids.”
The conversation ended when Director Blair once again slammed his fist on the table and issued a direct order. “Special Agent Quade, I want you on a plane to Thule ASAP. You’ll stay there for however long it takes to get a backup Chinook airborne for Checkpoint Zulu. And one more thing—you’ll be on that Chinook. Now, unless there’s something else, you’re dismissed.”
Bedding Down for the Night
As much as Major McColl wanted to take the SEALs and head into the tunnels to search for his crew, he knew he couldn’t do that for two very compelling reasons. First, it was almost certain that Williams and Jones were both dead, and if they weren’t, they were being held hostage in a place he’d never find. Second, if anything happened to him, the chopper would never be able to leave the subterranean chamber.
Looking around at the shocked humans, Zenda offered an apology. “I feel terrible,” she began. “While I am certain that Malum won’t attack at night, I forgot that while it is dark day and night, it is not yet technically nighttime. I should have known better.”
“One thing’s for sure,” Dr. Henderson announced, “we’re spending the night locked in this transport pod. I hope Zenda’s right, but if she isn’t and Malum does come back before morning, he won’t be able to get at us. Before we lock ourselves in, we’ll need to get some things from the Chinook.
“Major McColl, we’ll need the C-Rations transferred over here. Flint and Adams, you bring all the weapons. Dr. Watanabe, I want you to write down the list of various radio frequencies Major McColl uses to communicate with Thule and Langley. The rest of you will need to grab the sleeping bags. Oh, I almost forgot to ask who has the blue feather.”
When Willow raised her hand, Dr. Henderson nodded and said, “Okay, let’s put on our coats and get cracking!”
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was back inside the transport pod shedding their coats and other cold weather gear. Zenda was just about to activate the locking mechanism when Dr. Watanabe slapped his forehead and blurted, “I left my notebook back in the Chinook cockpit when I was copying the radio frequencies. In addition to the frequencies, I’d jotted down some ideas that I think you’ll find interesting when we finalize our plans. I have to go back and get it.”
“Okay, but make it quick,” Dr. Henderson replied. “Adams, you go with him.”
After Adams had put his coat back on and picked up his M240, Dr. Watanabe said, “I thought Zenda told us that machine gun bullets were useless against Malum.”
The SEAL tried to be polite when he answered, “No offense to Zenda, but she also said we didn’t have to worry about Malum until tomorrow morning. Anyway, I’d like to see just how well that alien stands up to this baby’s ammo.”
Adams and Dr. Watanabe hadn’t been gone for more than a few minutes when the sound of muffled machine gun fire erupted outside. Jumping to his feet and grabbing his coat and M240, Flint yelled, “Open the hatch!”
The five seconds that it took for the hatch to be lowered seemed like an eternity to Flint. His adrenaline was flowing as he tore out of the transport pod with his weapon raised. However, his heart almost stopped when he caught sight of Malum dragging Adams and Dr. Watanabe into one of the tunnel entrances. The scientist wasn’t moving, and even though Adams was bloody and had dropped his gun, he was still fighting.
Dr. Henderson was frantic as she saw Flint dash toward the tunnel entrance. “No! Don’t go in there!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Even if he had heard her, and he hadn’t, Flint wouldn’t have stopped. Navy SEALs didn’t leave any of their own behind, whether they were dead or alive.
Another burst of machine gun fire was heard soon after Flint raced into the tunnel; then another; then another. After the fourth volley, there was dead silence. When ten minutes had passed, Dr. Henderson turned to Zenda and reluctantly, but decisively said, “Let’s lock up for the night.”
“What if he comes back?” Professor Eberstark asked.
Dr. Henderson was somber when she replied, “Listen, I know that some of you may think I’m heartless to shut the hatch while Flint’s still out there, but he’s either dead, or he’s still after Malum. If he somehow manages to survive, he’ll be back banging on the door, with or without Dr. Watanabe and Adams. There’re only seven of us humans left, and we need to figure out with Zenda what we’re going to do when morning comes. Okay, I’m open to any and all ideas.”
Even though no one felt very hungry, Major McColl insisted they break out the C-Rations, saying, “Whatever we decide to do, we’re going to need as much energy as we can muster. Taking on that monster isn’t going to be easy, and it’s nothing we should try to do on an empty stomach, so eat up.”
Since Malum could easily thwart any attempt Zenda would make to send an SOS transmission, or to escape in the Chinook or transport pod, the group discussed whether it was better to just stay locked in the pod and wait him out.
After listing the pros and cons of what Meatloaf called the “sit and wait” option, Zenda unhappily said, “Even if your people send help, they will never find you down here. As I told you before, Malum can shut down the transport pod’s computers that operate the panels you passed through when we brought you here. Eventually your food will run out. No, my friends, I am sorry to say that time is not on your side. Escape is possible only if you destroy Malum.”
It was near midnight when the plan finally came together. Step one of the plan involved a necessary but very risky move on the part of Major McColl. Trusting Zenda’s judgment that Malum would not strike again before morning, the pilot made a quick dash back to the Chinook in order to lower its rear door. Fortunately, he made it back safely.
When Major McColl returned, Dr. Henderson agreed to review the plan one last time in the morning before proceeding with step two. Her final words were, “Okay, let’s all get some sleep. I’d say tomorrow’s going to be a big day, but you already know that.”
Archibald and Willow took their sleeping bags to the most private part of the transport pod they could find and laid them out. After Zenda turned down the lights so that only a green glow of the instrument control panel could be seen, Archibald leaned over and kissed Willow.
“I’ve wanted to do than since I left you in New York,” he said.
“I’ve wanted you to do that since you left me in New York,” she answered, kissing him back. Withdrawing her head a few inches, she then whispered, “Do you think we can move these sleeping bags really close together?”
“You bet,” he whispered back.
Overcome by exhaustion and the events of the day, it wasn’t more than ten minutes before the two teenagers fell asleep. Before nodding off, Willow yawned and said, “Be careful tomorrow.”
Plan B
Sadly, Flint didn’t return to the transport pod during the night, and it was just past nine o’clock the next morning when Dr. Henderson called the group together and said, “Well, Zenda, you predicted that Malum wouldn’t attack at night, and he didn’t. So, tell me, when do you think he’ll make his next move?”
“That depends on what we do,” Zenda answered. “Should we review what we agreed upon last night?”
“I think that would be in order,” the Mission Commander replied. Then she turned to Major McColl and said, “Before you say it, I know we all need to get started on our C-Rations.”
As all the humans ate their breakfast, Dr. Henderson outlined the dangerous plan that she thought just might work. With the first step of the plan having been successfully accomplished the night before, step two involved drawing Malum out of the tunnels.
It wouldn’t be out of character for Zenda to try to convince her adversary to spare the remaining Earthlings’ lives now that he’d demonstrated his superiority by killing six of them. She knew her pleadings for mercy would be futile, but that wasn’t the point because the meeting was simply a diversionary tactic.
Dr. Henderson had been shown how to raise, lower, and lock the transport pod’s hatch, and she would secure the hatch after Zenda had departed for her meeting with Malum. Positioning herself far away from the Chinook, and at a point where Malum’s view of the transport pod’s hatch would be blocked, Zenda would then call out his name.
Zenda would be carrying a transmitter that, once activated, would set off a buzzer back in the transport pod. Once Malum arrived, she would begin to beg. She would also activate the transmitter, signaling that step three of the plan should commence.
After the buzzer sounded, Dr. Henderson would lower the transport pod’s hatch. Deciding on which three people would then exit and sprint to the Chinook had been a particularly contentious issue the night before because there was a very real chance that some, or all of them, might not survive!
One of the three leaving the transport pod was, as Meatloaf had said, “the bait” that would distract Malum while the other two attempted to drive the blue feather home and say the magic words. Even though there was risk to all three, the bait’s life was in greatest danger.
Professor Eberstark had argued that since he was the oldest and had the shortest time to live, he should play the role of bait. While there was some logic to his argument, the old professor was turned down because he couldn’t move fast enough. Major McColl had also volunteered to play that role, but he was rejected because he was the only one left who could fly the chopper.
“I played that role once before,” Meatloaf finally said, “and I played it pretty well. So I’m your bait, like it or not.”
With the bait decision made, it didn’t take long to agree that Archibald and Jockabeb would be the other two accompanying Meatloaf. Archibald was given the blue feather, and his brother was asked to repeat “Nito, Vito, Samu” one more time, so everyone could hear the words that would hopefully end Malum’s life and save everyone else’s.
Once Meatloaf and the two brothers were aboard the chopper, the last and most critical step in the plan would begin to unfold. Meatloaf would position himself in the cockpit where he could see Malum approach. It was also a cramped space that would restrict the alien’s mobility once it attacked. Archibald and Jockabeb would hide under blankets in the main cabin and wait for Meatloaf’s signal.
“Well, that’s about it,” Dr. Henderson concluded. “It’s not too late to change our minds. What does everyone think?”
When Jockabeb reached for his coat, saying, “What are we waiting for?” everyone gave the Mission Commander a thumbs-up sign.
Round Three
Archibald, Jockabeb, and Meatloaf were dressed in their cold weather gear when the transport pod’s hatch was opened. Peering out and seeing no sign of Malum, Zenda looked back inside and said, “A good start, at least.”
Minutes later, Zenda took up her position just as planned. Soon after, she’d called out Malum’s name.
It wasn’t long before the alien from Lues walked out of a tunnel and confidently made his way toward her. However, before Malum reached his archenemy, he circled the transport pod, as if suspecting a trap.
Zenda was standing against the wall so that Malum would not be able to see the chopper unless he turned around. She pressed the button on her transmitter the moment he arrived in front of her. Per the plan, Zenda then began to plead her case as to why it wasn’t necessary to kill more humans, finally begging for the carnage to stop.
Once the buzzer sounded back in the transport pod, Dr. Henderson opened the hatch. Meatloaf and the boys moved quickly and quietly as they made their way to the back of the Chinook. When the boys were safely on board the chopper, Meatloaf walked to a spot where he could see Zenda and Malum. With a trap of his own ready to be sprung, he raised his one arm and waved.
Watching the Comis pacifist grovel and beg for his mercy gave the heartless Lues great pleasure. That all changed when she looked up and appeared startled. Swinging his dark head around, Malum saw one of the humans standing by himself next to his flying machine.
As the powerful alien turned to give chase, the human bait dashed inside the chopper and yelled, “Get ready.”
Hunched over in the cockpit, Meatloaf watched the deadly creature move with surprising speed. The closer the deadly alien from Lues came, the more terrifying it looked.
Archibald had already slipped off his mittens and was clutching the blue feather tightly in his hand as he lay motionless under his blanket. On the other side of the cabin, Jockabeb was well hidden and doing his best not to shake.
Malum entered the chopper’s cabin thinking how easy it would be to enslave the stupid Earthlings after enough of them had been killed to destroy their will to resist. Looking around and seeing no sign of humans he would soon dismember, the alien killer moved toward the cockpit, already drooling at the thought of how good his next victim would taste.
The alien and the three humans had no idea that a second otherworldly being had just entered the Chinook. This one had floated in right behind Malum and had hovered undetected as the Lues walked forward.
Meatloaf had already shifted his position so the pilot’s seat was between him and the alien that would arrive momentarily. While he thought he was prepared for what he was about to see, he recoiled once Malum’s horrifying head came into view. Then quickly collecting himself, he yelled, “Come and get me, you sorry sack of dung.”
Hearing what he knew would be the pitiful Earthling’s final words, Malum slowly opened his drooling jaws and smiled. Once the deadly tongue emerged, the alien’s giant head shot forward with lightning-fast speed.
“Now, Archibald!” Meatloaf bellowed as he felt a searing pain in his throat.
Knowing that seconds would decide whether he lived or died, Archibald raced into the cockpit and dove onto Malum’s back, peeling back the scaly protective flap as he landed. Before the startled alien could react, Archibald rammed the blue feather quill deep into the exposed gray flesh. The moment he did, Malum’s taught body went limp.
When Jockabeb yelled, “Nito, Vito, Samu,” nothing happened. Smiling up in the darkness, the Spirit of Simtu nodded its head. It was then and only then that Malum’s immobilized body began to glow—greenish-yellow at first, and then reddish-orange.
Archibald and Jockabeb then backed away, fully expecting a bright explosion similar to those that had destroyed most of the other evil creatures. This time, however, was different.
As the Spirit of Simtu withdrew to the rear of the Chinook’s cabin and slowly drifted out the door, Malum’s glowing body floated up and followed. Once outside, the Lues oppressor who’d dreamt of dominating the universe burst into flames. The Spirit of Simtu had thought it would be a fitting end for the creature that so loved the cold.
When there was only ashes left of what had once been the invincible Lues, the wispy spirit dissolved, but didn’t leave. No, the Spirit of Simtu would not return to the world beyond until his twin brother’s young friends were safely home.
Back in the chopper, the boys were at Meatloaf’s side. The one-armed man who’d made the ultimate sacrifice knew death was close at hand when he looked up at Archibald and said in barely a whisper, “We won. I can’t get Willow home safely, so you need to do that for me.” Then he closed his eyes and died.
While it had been a very costly victory for sure, both Round Three and the life-and-death match went decisively to the humans!
Leaving Checkpoint Zulu
Back in the transport pod, Archibald and Jockabeb took turns telling the others about what had happened to Meatloaf and Malum. While the humans and Zenda were happy that Malum was no longer a threat, they mourned the loss of their seventh comrade.
“How quickly can you have the chopper ready to leave?” Dr. Henderson asked Major McColl.
“Assuming the weather up top is good enough to fly, half an hour,” he answered. “I want to get out of this place as much as anyone, but I think we need to make one sweep though the tunnels to see if we can find my crew, the SEALs, and Dr. Watanabe.”
“I know the tunnel system better than you do,” Zenda said, “so let me conduct the search while you prepare for departure. I can also check outside weather conditions from the transport pod.”
“Fine by me,” Major McColl replied. Then he looked at the boys and said, “You two come with me. We have body bags stowed on board. We’ll unpack one for Meatloaf and one for what’s left of Lynch. We may need more bags depending on what Zenda finds.”
While Zenda searched the tunnel system, Major McColl and the boys carried out their grim task. The others transferred the remaining C-Rations and sleeping bags back to the chopper.
Forty-five minutes later, Zenda arrived at the back door of the Chinook. “First, the good news,” she began. “The conditions outside have improved enough so you should have no problems leaving.”
Shaking her head, Zenda then delivered the bad news. “I am sorry to say that I wasn’t able to find any trace of your colleagues inside the tunnels. My guess is that Malum disposed of their bodies in places we’ll never find.”
Professor Eberstark, who’d been the quietest since arriving at Checkpoint Zulu, then shocked everyone when he announced, “I don’t plan on making the trip back to Thule. If Zenda will permit me, I intend to leave with her when she returns to her home.”
Seeing the looks of disbelief on his colleagues’ faces, he explained his decision, saying, “I’m an old man who probably doesn’t have that much more time to live. My whole life has been devoted to studying and researching the universe, but obviously I’ve never been able to leave Earth. Now I have a chance to do so. Besides, I may be able to help Zenda convince the Lues to abandon any plans to come back to Earth. What do you say, Zenda?”
“I would be honored, Professor Eberstark,” Zenda replied, bowing her head.
“Are you sure?” Dr. Henderson asked, obviously stunned by what she’d just heard.
When her colleague nodded his head, she simply said, “Well then, I wish you luck.”
Zenda informed the group that it wouldn’t take long to prepare the transport pod to depart. Then looking at Major McColl, she reviewed how the Chinook would leave. “When we’re all ready, I will take control of your helicopter the same way Malum and I did when we brought you here.
“After I have guided your craft up through the shaft and navigated it to a safe altitude, I will return control to you. At that time, you will be able to re-establish radio contact with others. The professor and I will leave shortly after that, so please keep your craft away from the entrance when I give control back to you. I trust all that is clear, and I am sure that all will go well.”
Zenda then walked up to the five humans she would be leaving soon and, one by one, placed her palm on theirs. When she came to Dr. Henderson, she said, “I know this has been difficult for you, but it was the only way for my father to resolve the conflict with the Lues and save your planet. I hope you understand.”
“I do understand,” the Mission Commander answered. “You came in peace. Now you will leave in friendship. Thank you, Zenda.”
The Chinook’s two propeller blades began to rotate thirty minutes later. Jockabeb was seated to the right of Major McColl in the cockpit, and Dr. Henderson was in back with Archibald and Willow. As the large helicopter lifted off the icy surface, Willow took Archibald’s hand and said into her microphone, “I have never been so happy to leave any place in my life!”
Zenda was back in the transport pod controlling the Chinook and tracking its progress on the computer screen in front of her. Professor Eberstark stood at her side. When the large white panels at the top of the shaft were opened so the chopper could rise above ground, she looked up and asked, “Do you have any regrets, professor?”
His response was immediate and unequivocal when he replied, “Not a one.”
Moments later when Zenda had transferred control of the helicopter back to Major McColl, she said, “Well, professor, now it’s our turn.”
As soon as his radio became operational, Major McColl contacted the respective command centers at Thule and Langley. After saying he’d rather not discuss the mission until he returned to Thule, he signed off and waited for the transport pod to appear.
The Chinook’s directional searchlight was trained on the opening in the tundra when the alien spacecraft finally rose out of the shaft. As it hovered above ground, the large panels slid back into place and totally disappeared into the vast frozen sea of white below. Looking down, Jockabeb whistled and shouted, “Wow!”
The moment Archibald heard his brother on the open line, he poked Willow and exclaimed, “Come on, we’re going up front.”
The two teenagers arrived just in time to see a bright flash of light followed by only darkness. When Willow asked Major McColl what had just happened, he answered, “You just witnessed what no other human being has ever seen—time travel!” Then he laughed and added, “I bet Professor Eberstark is beside himself right now.”
The winds were relatively calm during the trip back to Thule. As a result, the Chinook made good time, landing mid-afternoon.
During the trip, Willow and Archibald took off their headphones so they could talk privately. Dr. Henderson paid no attention to them because she was totally absorbed in writing a summary of everything that had happened since she’d arrived at Checkpoint Zulu. Several times she’d stopped writing, wondering how she would ever explain the incredible events of the past twenty-four hours.
Jockabeb was having the time of his life up in the cockpit. As he watched Major McColl maneuver the Chinook and listened to the pilot explain the physics and mechanics of how helicopters fly, the fifteen year-old silently vowed to become a chopper pilot someday.
Debriefings Galore
The first of many Top Secret debriefings began ten minutes after the Chinook arrived back in Thule. Special Agent Quade was out on the tarmac when the chopper touched down. After the fourth and final ETF member disembarked, he nervously asked, “What happened to everyone else?”
“It’s a long story,” Dr. Henderson replied. “You’ll hear all about it, but first these kids and I would like to get someplace warm. We’d like something to eat other than C-Rations, and preferably not cold cuts, okay?”
Hot meals were brought to the debriefing room where Special Agent Quade, Dr. Michaels, and several other NASA, NORAD, and PSA personnel had gathered. Director Blair and others in Langley were also patched in by secure radio. In between mouthfuls of chicken tetrazzini and steamed green beans, the four remaining ETF members and Major McColl answered questions.
The debriefings continued until ten o’clock that night, at which time Dr. Henderson and Willow were shown to their private room. The boys spent the night in the same barracks they’d slept in before.
Everyone reconvened at eight o’clock sharp the next morning.
Looking at the ETF members, Special Agent Quade opened the meeting by saying, “We’re mindful that Christmas is in two days. So after this morning’s debriefings, I’m accompanying the four of you on a flight to Langley where you’ll spend the night. There’ll be more debriefings the next day, but I promise that you’ll all be home on Christmas Eve.”
The next day and a half flew by quickly. One debriefing followed another, with a few one-on-one interviews and a physical exam thrown in for good measure. It was 2:15 P.M. on Christmas Eve when the last debriefing session finally ended.
After telling Willow and the boys he’d stay in touch, Special Agent Quade delivered a stern warning before leaving. “Everything that’s happened since you arrived here in Langley six days ago has been classified Top Secret. You cannot, repeat cannot, discuss any of it with anyone, not even your family. And remember, any leak is punishable under the law.”
Limousines were waiting to drive Willow to New York and Dr. Henderson to Boston. The private plane that would fly the boys back home was also fueled and ready to go, so there wasn’t much time for good-byes as the four ETF members stood in a crowded Langley hallway.
Once Dr. Henderson had shaken hands and thanked the three teenagers for everything they’d done, she sighed and said, “Well, I guess it’s time to say good-bye. You all have a wonderful holiday because you sure deserve it.”
When Dr. Henderson had left, Jockabeb walked over and hugged Willow. Laughing, he stated the obvious. “I’ve got a feeling this isn’t the last time I’ll see you.”
Finally it was time for Archibald and Willow to say good-bye. Thankfully, he didn’t blush when he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, whispering, “I wish all these people weren’t around.”
Kissing him back, she answered, “Don’t worry, our time will come.”
When her driver cleared his throat and said, “Miss, we ought to be going because the traffic’s going to be heavy,” Willow looked up at Archibald and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you,” he answered as she turned and left.
Christmas Eve at Home
Archibald and Jockabeb were the only passengers on a King Air propjet that had been chartered to fly them home. Once they were airborne, Jockabeb said, “We’ve had some pretty wild adventures, but don’t you think this one takes the cake?”
“Yeah,” Archibald replied. “I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to top it. But if we do, it’ll have to be without any blue feathers.”
“So, we’re on our own now, huh?” Jockabeb asked rhetorically.
“Yeah,” Archibald conceded, “We’re on our own.”
The boys’ exchange brought a smile to the face of the invisible spirit that was hovering at the back of the cabin—a spirit that would be watching over the two brothers for a long time to come.
Nighttime had fallen when the plane touched down at the same airport from which the boys departed six days earlier. The limousine driver who met them and drove them home said that the big storm had dropped a foot and a half of snow. “Should be getting a little bit more tonight, so we’ll definitely have a white Christmas this year,” he added with a big smile on his face.
The outside Christmas lights were on when Archibald and Jockabeb arrived home. The driveway and walkway had been shoveled, and the boys knew a fire was burning in the fireplace by the stream of smoke rising from the chimney. Their driver’s prediction had been right as the first snowflakes started to fall just as they reached their doorstep.
Even though Special Agent Quade had called ahead to let the boys’ parents know exactly when the plane would be touching down, their family was overjoyed when Archibald and Jockabeb finally walked through the door. With Oh Come All Ye Faithful playing in the background, their mother and Tess ran to hug them, exclaiming, “You’re home! Christmas Eve can now begin!”
Before going into the kitchen for dinner, and after giving each of his sons a hug, the boys’ father pulled them aside and said, “Just so you know, Special Agent Quade has already told us that you can’t discuss anything that happened over the past week, so we won’t ask you about it. It drove Tess crazy when I told her, but she finally accepted the fact that she’ll never know where you were, or what you were up to.
“Even though what happened up in the Arctic is classified, Special Agent Quade said enough on the phone for me to know you did your country proud. And, boys, I also want you to know just how proud your mother and I are of you. Okay, now let’s go get some of your mother’s famous chowder. I’m sure you haven’t had a decent meal since you left home!”
After the traditional Christmas Eve meal of corn and crab chowder, tossed green salad, and peppermint stick ice cream with chocolate sauce had been finished, everyone gathered around the Christmas tree to share their favorite Christmas story. This year Jockabeb was given the honor of reading The Christmas Token, a heart-warming holiday tale about friendship, memories, and family. Before going to sleep, another family tradition was carried out. Each of the children was given a present to open. And, as was the case every year, they all slept in new pajamas that night.
Jockabeb was ready to turn out the lamp on the bed stand when he asked his brother a question that had been on his mind during the flight home. “You’re sixteen and I’m fifteen now. Do you think we’re getting too old for all this adventure stuff?”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Archibald laughed. “It’s not like we go looking for it. It just somehow seems to find us. You know as well as I do that there’ll be something else that pops up and gets us in trouble. I just hope it doesn’t have anything to do with Special Agent Quade!”
“Just checking,” Jockabeb replied, then adding as he turned out the light, “and roger that on Quade.”
A minute or so had passed when Archibald rolled over and said, “Hey, Jockabeb, one more thing.”
“What’s that?” Jockabeb, asked.
“Merry Christmas,” Archibald said, smiling in the dark.
“Merry Christmas,” Jockabeb answered back.
And so it was!