CHAPTER 5
TRAPPED IN BARROW

　
TONIGHT　
　

　　SMOKE CAME IN CLOUDS from the cigarette that Malekai Hamm was smoking between his chapped lips. Stella Keaton sat on her bag some ways away, leg bouncing impatiently, eyes glancing toward her wrist watch every so often. It was then, when Stella checked the time for what she could only assume was the eighteenth time since she got off the phone with Eben earlier, that she heard the familiar sound of a motor and tires trekking through the snow.

　　As the deputy's vehicle came to a slow stop before them, Billy peeked out the lowered window and shouted, "Your limo's here, Ms. Keaton!"

　　Stella jumped up from the ground, heaving her bag out of the snow and thrusting the carry on into Billy's arms when the deputy leaped out of the vehicle to lend a hand. "Service is going downhill." Before Billy could say anything in response, she turned around. "You'll be okay, Malekai?"

　　Malekai nodded as he took another drag from his cigarette. "My mom will be here soon to tow me in."

　　Glancing once more at the treacher, Stella furrowed her brows. She couldn't understand why someone would tamper with the brake lines. Malekai was a good man. She could easily say that he was the kindest and most generous man in all of Barrow, for he had never given anyone any trouble and did whatever he could to keep the roads plowed for the people of the town. Then again, it was dark and she was no expert. Maybe she assumed wrong. Maybe the brakes hadn't been tampered with after all and they simply jammed like Malekai had said.

　　Stella turned away from the treacher after a moment, throwing her arms up in the air as she approached Billy. "Where've you been?!"

　　"Sorry I'm late, Stella," Billy apologized as he tossed her bag in the car. "The keys weren't where I thought, and then I was like, wait, Rogers and 355, or Ransom? And then when I⎯⎯"

　　"Never mind," Stella cut him off. "Let's go⎯⎯we've got to hustle if I'm going to make the plane." She scrambled into the car, glancing over her shoulder once more at the man smoking his cigarette by the broken down vehicles. "Take it easy, Malekai."

　　Malekai waved back, offering a tentative smile. "See you again?"

　　Stella closed her door without giving an answer.

　　"Hey, Stella," Billy began once he had gotten back in the car. He sat there, waiting for her to say something, but the woman only shook her head.

　　"Billy, no offense or anything, but I don't have the time to catch up right now," Stella said. "Can you please just drive me to the airport so I don't miss the plane?"

　　"Sure thing," Billy nodded as he drove away in the direction of the airport. "But, one of these days you're gonna have to tell me about this new boyfriend of yours."

　　"Another time," Stella promised.

　　"I'm gonna hold you to that."

　　They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Billy drove as fast as he could without getting them killed and Stella continuously checked her watch, willing the hands to move slower so that she could make it there on time. She fidgeted in the seat, knee bouncing, fingers tapping against her jeans. And as time ticked by even faster, she looked up at the sky, praying that she wouldn't see the taillights of the plane taking off without her.

　　As they approached the small airport building⎯⎯little more than three larger rooms, baggage sorting, toilets and two-man control tower⎯⎯the lights started going out. And that could only mean one thing⎯⎯the airport was closed just like the rest of the town and she was stranded in Barrow.

　　"No!" Stella shouted, banging her fist against the dashboard in frustration.

　　Billy drove faster. "Stella, this doesn't look good."

　　"I didn't see it take off!"

　　"Runway heads east, we're coming from the west. It'd be a mile away, at least. And the clouds⎯⎯"

　　"But they must have known I wasn't on board! My ticket! They should have waited for me."

　　"Stella . . ." Billy began, but he drifted and let the woman vent her rage.

　　More lights flickered off, and by the time Billy came to a stop in front of the main building, the security guard had already approached the gate and started locking and chaining the airport up for the month. The only light left was from the safety bulb that would go out within the hour.

　　Stella leapt from the truck and ran towards the doors the guard was locking up. "I can't have missed it!"

　　The security guard only looked at her, shrugged, and then left Stella standing there, frustration running deep within her bones.

　　"Hey!" Stella shouted, banging against the locked gates. She didn't appreciate being ignored, it wasn't something she was particularly fond of given the short temper she had been cursed with all her life. And yet, no matter how much noise the woman made, the security continued to act like she didn't even exist. And that only made her angrier.

　　Stella stepped away from the gates, eyes falling to the sign that read CLOSED-SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! She shook her head, voice dripping with that of disappointment. "No. No, no, I am not trapped here for a month. This is a bad dream."

　　The car door slammed behind her as Billy made his way over. "Don't worry, Stella, I'm sure you can bunk with someone in town." She turned, giving him a pointed look. Billy threw his hands up in defense, a nervous laugh escaping his chapped lips. "What about Lucy? Maybe Denise? Eben and Freya would gladly have you. Or hey, Peggy and me could even move the girls into one room and you could⎯⎯"

　　Stella had stopped listening by now, her anger drowning everything out but the sign that stared back at her in an almost mocking manner. It was that the reality of what was happening finally set in, and a creeping sense of panic overcame the woman. "But I can't stay here! I've got bills to put in the mail, and a dentist's appointment next week. My plants and my cat need to be fed! And, God, Mitch is supposed to be picking me up from the airport!"

　　"Ah, so his name is Mitch, huh?" Billy smirked. Stella turned, glaring, and his amusement immediately faded away. "Well, look, you can call Mitch from my place, can't you? I'm sure he'll be more than willing to handle all of that for you."

　　"Damn it, Billy," Stella sneered. She had gone from anger, to panic, to hopelessness in such a short span of time. She felt like screaming from the rooftops. Fuck, she even felt like taking out her pistol and shooting something to get all her frustrations out in the air. Instead, she settled on kicking the gate a few times. "Damn it!"

　　Billy stepped closer, placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "Come on, it'll work out." He even offered the woman a smile, hoping that would do her some good. But it didn't. She was beyond pissed.

　　Stella stood there in silence. Lifting her head, she took one last long look at the darkened airport before nodding her head in the direction of the deputy's 4x4. "Let's go before we freeze to death."

　
━━━━━
　

　　AFTER SPENDING OVER an hour at Ikos Diner, drinking countless cups of steaming cocoa and eating the delicious food Lucy had cooked up for them, Freya Oleson had found herself at the police station with her son, niece and brother-in-law in tow. Young Gale was drinking from her cocoa, Ben was carrying his comic books, and Jake had kindly taken the to-go cups of coffee from Freya as the woman had struggled to carry all the food and drinks inside at once.

　　The moment they entered the station, Helen Munson looked up from her desk and smiled brightly at them all. "Well, would you look at this . . . I wasn't expecting everyone to drop by and see little ole me!"

　　Freya smiled back, watching as her son crossed the room to wrap his grandmother in a hug that Helen didn't hesitate to return. "Yes, well, I promised Ben that we would stay for a little while. Figured you and Eben could use the company."

　　"Well you won't hear me complaining," Helen said as she pulled away her Ben. She offered the boy a smile before he ran off to play with Jake and Gale. She got up, moving around the desk and meeting Freya halfway in a hug. Stepping back, she then helped with the takeout boxes of food from Iko's Diner.

　　"A salad," Freya told her. "Just for you, of course. Jake has your coffee. Cream, no sugars, just the way you like it."

　　"You're an angel, Freya," Helen said, leaning forward and kissing the woman's cheek. She then grabbed the salad and cup of coffee from Jake before plopping down at her desk once more. "This is just what I needed. Thank you."

　　"You're quite welcome," Freya replied. She shed off her jacket and threw it over the chair at her husband's desk, smiling when she saw the few photographs that were there. One of them was a wedding photo. Eben's arms were wrapped around her waist from behind and he was leaning forward to smother her face in kisses. Both of them were smiling and laughing. They looked so happy. The other photo was taken shortly after Ben had been born, the two of them sitting in bed together and smiling down at a small bundle.

　　Glancing around the station, Freya noticed the lack of bodies. "So, where's Eben?"

　　"He's on his way back," Helen explained as she poured the salad dressing over her food. "Shouldn't be long now. But I got another call so he's gonna have to go right back out again."

　　Freya frowned. "It's a long night, huh?"

　　Helen hummed a response.

　　"Well, I'm making him eat some dinner when he gets back, at least." Freya pulled out the chair at her husband's desk and sat down. "He needs to keep his strength if he's gonna be working all night."

　　Helen snorted, amused. "Good luck getting him to do that. You and I both know that my grandson can be a damned stubborn mule when he wants to be."

　　Freya chuckled lightly. "Mmm, you've got that right."

　　Nearby, the kids chuckled at something the other had said. They had gotten a board game from the cupboard and were setting it up to play at one of the tables. Freya noticed that it was the game of Risk, something which she knew Gale didn't know how to play.

　　"Oh, you two, why did you have to go and pick that game?" Freya folded her arms and leaned back in the chair. "Gale doesn't know how to play Risk."

　　"It's okay, Aunt Freya," Gale reassured. "Jake said he is gonna teach me how to play."

　　"Yeah, I mean, it shouldn't be that hard," Jake shrugged as he began laying out the board and pieces. "I taught Ben, remember?"

　　"Well, alright," Freya shrugged. "If she's willing to learn how to play, go for it. Just be patient with her, okay? Ben's a quick learner and Gale might not understand at first."

　　"I know, I know," Jake waved his hands. "Don't worry, I can handle it."

　　"You wanna play with us, Mom?" Ben asked.

　　"Not right now, baby," Freya shook her head. "Maybe in a little bit, though."

　　While taking another bite of food, a wave of nausea overcame Helen, and she grimaced. She turned away, jaw tensing as pain washed over her body and mind. Nobody seemed to notice except for Freya, of course. She always noticed. She always cared.

　　Not wanting to concern the children who were playing their game, Freya casually got up and walked over to Helen, bending down beside the gray-haired woman to see if she was alright. "Helen, are you okay? Do you need your medicine?"

　　"No, no," Helen quietly waved the woman away, and thankfully, the children still hadn't noticed. Her nausea passed after a moment and she felt better. Well, better than before anyway. She was always in pain. But that's what happens when you have cancer that has spread to your lungs. Eben, Freya, Jake and Stella were the handful of people that knew about her condition, and she preferred it stayed that way.

　　"Are you sure? I can⎯⎯"

　　Helen cupped Freya's cheek with one hand, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm alright, dear, really. It was just a bit of nausea. Nothing that this old gal can't handle."

　　Freya could tell that Helen was in a lot of pain and trying to hide it for the sake of the children. So, she didn't make a scene. Instead, she nodded and stepped away, returning to her seat. Helen didn't like it when people would fret over her, so she was going to respect the woman's wishes and give Helen the privacy she so desired.

　　Just as Freya went to sit down, the door opened up and Eben walked inside. He was wearing his usual jacket and black beanie, which he began to take off. His face lit up at the sight of his wife and son, having not expected to see them at the station.

　　"Hey," Eben greeted, glancing at Ben and Gale and offering them a smile. He then turned to his wife. "What're you doing here?"

　　Freya walked over to his desk, grabbing the take-out box and cup of coffee from Ikos Diner. "We brought you a burger and some coffee. And don't even think about going out on another call right now. I want you to eat every bite of this burger before you leave again, Sheriff."

　　Eben quirked an amused brow as he threw his winter gear onto his desk. "Yes, ma'am." He reached out for the food and coffee but she pulled them away, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. He smiled, knowing exactly what kind of game that she was playing.

　　Freya smirked and took a small step back, looking at her husband expectedly. Eben grinned, taking two slow steps forward and closing the space between them with a sweet kiss that left her lips buzzing. "Much better," she whispered against his chapped lips.

　　He took the food and coffee and sat down. But he didn't start eating just yet. First, he pulled out his albuterol inhaler and took a quick blast from it. He breathed in and out and Freya stored the medicine back inside his jacket pocket before Gale could see it. The little girl was the only one in the room that didn't know about his asthma and he wanted to keep it that way.

　　"Don't get too comfortable, Eben," Helen told him. The man had sat down at his desk, Freya settling onto his lap while he ate. "While you were busy with John Riis? Carter and Wilson called about a vandalism problem at the Utilidor."

　　"Jesus," Eben sighed. "Can it wait?"

　　Freya combed her fingers through his dark hair as she stared at the side of his face. Given the massive bite he had taken from the burger, he was clearly staring, which meant he had skipped lunch earlier. She didn't like it when he forgets to eat something, but she didn't say anything.

　　Helen shook her head in response to her grandson's question.

　　Eben scarfed down a few more bites of his burger and took another sip from his coffee before patting Freya on the hip. She got off his lap and he stood, putting his jacket and everything else back on. Freya plopped down in the seat, passing her husband his gloves. He leaned down, one hand on each arm of the chair, and gave her a kiss. "Thanks for the food. Sorry I have to eat and run. I wish⎯⎯"

　　She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "It's okay, Eben. I understand. Just be careful out there, okay?"

　　"Always am," Eben replied, a cocky smile playing on his lips.

　　She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him away. "Go see your son."

　　After saying a quick goodbye to Ben and giving Gale a one-armed hug and wishing his niece good luck in their game of Risk, Eben walked over to Helen's desk and started reading the dispatch sheets. "Okay. Helen, do me a favor and call Point Hope and Wainwright, see if they're having any troubles. This just feels odd." He then lowered his voice so only she could hear. "You okay, Grandma?"

　　"Don't call me that," Helen scolded. Then she nodded. "I'm fine. I'm having a good day."

　　Eben smiled, pecked her on the cheek and walked away. He flashed his wife another smile before walking out the door with his cup of coffee.

　
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　　THE UTILIDOR SEWAGE PLANT had been built from oil money and was, without a doubt, the biggest and most expensive structure in all of Barrow. There was a pump house, a large spare building that contained the massive shredder, and two connected storage tanks which towered over a hundred feet into the sky. Those were the tallest structures in town, and if it hadn't been for the aircraft lights, they would get lost in the darkness. Eben wouldn't mind making the trip, but the air was foul and it made him want to throw up the contents of his stomach. He never understood how Carter and Wilson could endure such a smell all the time.

　　Throwing his hood up over his head and zipping the coat all the way up, Eben tried not to breathe in through his nose. But he couldn't help it. "Phew," the Sheriff whispered, face twisted with disgust as he walked toward the entrance of the building.

　　The door to the pump house swung open and Carter Henry stepped out into the cold to meet him. Eben took one look at the man's outfit and shook his head. How Carter could wear nothing but jeans and a T-shirt without freezing to death was beyond him.

　　Carter shouted to the Jayko twins, Paul and Xavier, who were working on a huge sewage pipe about a hundred feet away. "Guys, you can't get that pipe fixed tonight. Seal it off from the town and come back tomorrow. Have a beer. Dream of retirement."

　　"Good enough!" Paul called. He waved to the Sheriff, and Eben politely waved back.

　　"Lord, Carter, it's gotta be ten below out here," Eben said, blowing into his gloved hands to keep them warm. "Can't your wife send you a sweater or two?"

　　"Damn things give me a rash," Carter replied. "Besides, I'm such a fine figure of a man, why cover myself up?"

　　Wilson Buolson appeared in the doorway behind them, and they both turned to look at the man who wore no smiles.

　　"Hey, Wilson," Eben greeted. He was expecting a greeting in return but there were no niceties this time.

　　"You need to see this, Eben," Wilson said, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder. There was an urgency in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by the Sheriff.

　　"Yes, you do," Carter said, and the smile dropped from his face. "Let's go inside."

　　Eben silently followed them inside, not saying another word as they guided him through the building. He recognized the area as the pump house, the part of the sewage plant that Carter controlled and monitored. He called it Shit Central, or at least that's what Eben heard. The control panel where Carter worked was scattered with knick knacks and family photographs of the family that the man obviously missed. Eben couldn't imagine living so far away from his family.

　　"So when are you bringing the whole tribe back here, Carter?" Eben asked.

　　Carter shrugged. "They'll come when they're ready, I guess."

　　"A family oughta be together, Carter."

　　Carter only nodded and followed Wilson as the man led through another door into a much smaller and noiser room. Eben glanced around the room, taking everything in. There was an open trapdoor in the corner; racks of tools, protective clothing, and coiled rope fixed to one wall. Beyond another door, Eben could make out some shower stalls.

　　Another wall had some shelves that carried a variety of things from books, kids' toys, clothing, a picture frame without a picture, a pile or CD cases, a pile of eating utensils, a smashed food blender, and so many other things that Eben didn't have time to identify. But most of the objects were impact damaged or stained by dirty water. Regardless, everything on the shelf was worthless.

　　Carter made a gesture toward the shelving. "Welcome to my Museum of Shit. So . . . I've found all kinds of garbage here over the years. Amazin' the sort of stuff people try to flush away, y'know? Blue jeans. Bikes. Sometimes I can yank 'em out before the Muffin Monster chews 'em to shit."

　　"The Muffin Monster?" Wilson asked.

　　"Mmmmhmmm. Something falls in, it gets shredded," Carter explained, pointing at the open trapdoor in the corner of the room.

　　"Is that where that delightful smell is coming from?" Eben asked.

　　Carter sniffed the air with a shrug. "Can't say I notice it. Come on. I've already told Wilson what I found, now I can show you both."

　　Eben and Wilson exchanged a look before following Carter again. When they finally made it to the high-torque four-shaft shredded that the man had nicknamed the Muffin Monster, they came to a stop. The area wasn't as noisy or as smelly as Eben was expecting, but he wasn't complaining.

　　Carter gestured toward the Muffin Monster. "Welcome to Barrow's stinking underside."

　　"Like somethin' out of Blade Runner," Eben muttered.

　　"Not quite so high-tech," Carter said. "Every pipe ends here, and the Muffin Monster chops it all up. Main sewer from town has a couple of baffles, stops bigger stuff from coming through, and earlier I found this." He lifted a trash can, showering them the contents. "Saw Wilson's logo on it, pulled this stuff out before it got totally trashed, so I called him and he said not to touch it till I called you."

　　Wilson took the trash can and emptied the contents onto the floor. Eben took a step back, looking down at everything. There were tattered seat belts, pipes and leads, a chunky metal device that looked as though it belonged inside an engine, dashboard controls with a Polar Tours logo on it, and a bloated wet book with the words Top of the World Tours on the fading on the cover.

　　"You keep your copter under lock and key, don't you, Wilson?" Eben asked.

　　"Yeah, of course," the man nodded. "I put it in dry dock when the tourists headed south. Haven't looked at it for days. Then Carter called me, told me about this, and I swung by on the way over. It's a mess. Totally fucked up."

　　"Could you fix it up if you needed to?" Eben asked.

　　Wilson shook his head. "Not without parts from Anchorage. This is my living, Eben. Why would someone rip the hell out of my bird?" He stood and angrily threw some of the pieces into the Muffin Monster, and the shredder devoured it immediately.

　　Why indeed? Eben thought. The phones, the dogs, now Wilson's helicopter. Almost like someone doesn't want us to leave town. Shit.

　　Eben reassured Wilson Buolson that he would figure out who did this to his helicopter before making his way out to the 4x4. He turned up the heat and took another blast from his inhaler before reaching for the radio to contact Billy. But as he did, the radio suddenly started crackling, startling him.

　　"Eben, you there?"

　　"Here, Helen." He could hear the concern in her voice, and that made him sigh. "What's up now?"

　　"Some stranger's causing trouble up at Lucy's diner. Lucy thinks he's a vagrant."

　　His brows furrowed. "A vagrant in Barrow?"

　　Helen uttered a brief laugh. "Yeah, I know. But that's how she described him."

　　"Hell, a stranger in Barrow is weird enough," Eben said.

　　"I'll tell her you're on your way."

　　"I'll be there yesterday."

　　Lucy Ikos was a tough, willful and kind woman that was well into her sixties, and in many ways she reminded Eben of his grandmother. She'd run the Ikos Diner for two decades now, and while serving oil workers, the woman had her fair share of disturbances. Usually, Lucy could handle them on her own with a few harsh words that put the person in their place. But if she was calling the problem in, Eben knew that it was a serious matter.

a/n: the phones, the dogs, the helicopter, and now eben meeting the stranger in the next chapter? we're only one step closer to the vampires ladies and gents! also, i decided to give stella a boyfriend that lives in anchorage so it makes sense why she doesn't want to be trapped in barrow for the dark