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Chapter 1: Epidemic

 

The man threw down his winning bridge hand just before the steward stepped to his side and said, “Doctor LeBlanc, a doctor with the territorial government wants to speak to you, something about an epidemic.”

            LeBlanc glanced through the big parlor windows. The rays of the morning sun framed the Alaskan mountains in a spectacular backdrop for the ice-dotted bay that spread from the foothills beyond to the ship’s sides. In the foreground, people heavily bundled against the late February cold walked the deck. One figure leaned against the railing with a big camera tucked under the arm of a sheepskin jacket as it adjusted the googles between the sky blue scarf across the lower face and the ushanka above with its dangling ear flaps. Ice broke from the railing, bounced off the heavy pants, and landed on sturdy boots.

LeBlanc said, “What does he need a pediatrician for?”

“He didn’t say, sir.”

            “Bring him up.” LeBlanc pushed his chair back. “Gentlemen, I’m sure you understand.” He crossed to an empty table, stretched out in a chair, loosened his tie, and waited. The figures outside the parlor scattered as the wind pushed a blast of snow across the deck. The one with the camera slipped in the parlor door, drawing in a burst of cold air and drawing out a burst of loud objections. But the bundled figure ignored everyone and dropped into a seat at the table next to LeBlanc’s.

            LeBlanc waited as the quick staccato of rushed footsteps ascended the stairs. A hollow-faced man with a salt and pepper beard that looked newly grown emerged, still shrouded in snow-spattered caribou hide, a parka over his body and qarliik over his legs. He wrestled off one big mitten and held out a hand. “Doctor Joseph LeBlanc? I’m Dr. Elmer Mier. I’m hoping you can help me.”

            LeBlanc took the cool hand in his. “What can I do for you, Dr. Mier?”

            Snowflakes tumbled to the hardwood floor as Elmer dropped into a chair. “You’ve heard of the serum run to Nome in twenty-five?”

            “I expect everyone has. Quite the event at the time, and it was only about ten years ago.”

            Elmer nodded. “We’ve got another outbreak brewing in the mining town of Copper Bottom. Seven hundred people, and apart from a few supervisors and store owners, they’re all natives with low resistance. Mortality is expected to be eighty percent. My job is to get serum and doctors there. I’ve got serum. I’ve got a plane to carry it; there’s no other way to get to Copper Bottom in winter. What I don’t have is doctors. The medical team that was supposed to assist me is trapped behind the incoming storm. And when that storm gets here, all planes will be grounded. So, if I’m going to head this epidemic off before it explodes, I have about two days to scrounge up any doctors I can and get to Copper Bottom.”

            “And you want me to go with you?”

            “Please. The territorial government will pay you for your time, but I can’t say how much or when. And of course I can’t force you.”

            Joseph dragged his fingertip over the table. “Do you really think I’d be useful? My specialty is pediatrics, and I just finished my internship last month. I’m not even in practice; I’ve got a sweet job lined up that should pay four grand a year, but I was going to worry about that when I got back.”

            Elmer turned his hands up. “Doctor LeBlanc, I’m in no position to be choosy. I’d take a woman with one month of nursing school.”

            Joseph smiled grimly. “This isn’t what I expected to do with my cruise, but the Hippocratic Oath isn’t an empty ritual.”

            Feet thumped on the stairs, slow, heavy feet dragged from one step to the next by sheer will. A man wrapped in a thick overcoat crested the top, dragging his boots the final step before he shuffled over. His dark beard engulfed his face except his narrow eyes.

            Elmer waved a hand between the other two men. “Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, Dr. Lewis MacRavy. He’ll be the third doctor on our little expedition.”

            Lewis grimaced. “Mier, there won’t be an expedition. Trip’s off.”

            “Why, what’s happened?”

            “Mr. Stack came down with what looks to be appendicitis. He won’t be in any shape to walk, let alone fly, for days. We’ve got a plane full of serum and no pilot.”

            The news left all three men silent. The camera thumped against the next table over as the chair squeaked against the hardwood and the figure rose.

            A well-muscled hand pulled the scarf down from narrow lips and a pointed chin. “Pardon me, gentlemen,” said the figure. The goggles slid up from piercing green eyes. “I confess I’m a bit nosy, and listened in. Sounds like you could use my help.” One hand swept the ushanka off, and a mane of blond hair spilled out. She extended her hand “Miss Stella Baker.”

            “Are you a nurse?” Elmer asked.

            “No. I’m a pilot.”

 

* * *

 

            Despite the heavy chinking between the boards and the fire that blazed in the haphazard stone fireplace, coats and blankets shrouded the five people around the table. A heavy blanket hung over the single window. Their bare hands, shaded by the fans of cards, gleamed in the faint light of the fire and two oil lamps. In the corner, a radio hissed quietly.

            One said, “Call it.”

            The next tossed a handful of chips on the pile. “Call.”

            Another said, “Too rich for my blood. I fold.” He slapped his cards against the table.

            The next looked from her cards to the pile of chips at the center again and again. She tossed the last chips from her own stockpile into the center. “Call. Show ‘em.”

            The man across from her dropped his cards face up. “Two pair. Queens high. What’ve you got, Carroll?”

            The man who’d called threw his cards out. “That beats me, Alex. Pair of jacks.”

            Alex grinned. “How about you, Faye?”

            The woman grimaced. “Two pair, nines high.”

            Alex chuckled. “Too bad for you. Looks like that cleans you out.”

            “Sure does.”

            “Well, Faye, I don’t think you’ve been the loser before. How does it feel to know if we all get sick today, you don’t get a dose of serum? Worried? Scared? Nervous?”

Faye eyed him. “You’ve lost four times, Alex. You tell me.” She turned to one of the others. “Willis, I think it’s your turn to clean up.”

            Whipcorded hands scooped everything into a pile. They reached up to tweak a pair of glasses with huge lenses. “Mike, get lunch started. Carroll, crank up that radio and check on the storm. If it’s gotten any worse, I want to know. Everyone else, when I finish here, we’ll go get some more wood. We’ve got enough now, I want more than enough right outside the door when the storm hits.”

            Everyone pulled on gloves and braced themselves. Willis swung the door open and the icy wind surged in. They filed out. Outside, the snow threatened to engulf the sturdy wooden structures that formed a half-ring around the long rows of empty mine carts on rails that flowed into gaping black voids in the mountain side. Someone picked up an axe.

            The door behind them swung open. “Boss! Willis!”

            Willis stopped mid-step. “What is it?”

            “I heard from Lonnie and Luther. They’ve got a new problem.”

            “Aw, dammit, what now?” Willis ran back to the cabin, his heavy clothing exaggerating his stride into a slow, wide motion.

            Carroll braced the door open against the wind. Willis slipped past and plopped into the radio chair without even taking his gloves off. He clicked the microphone on. “What is it?”

            The radio crackled, then a voice came through. “Boss? This is Lonnie.”

            “I hear you Lonnie, what have you got?”

            “Bad news. They found another pilot.”

            “What? Where?”

            “I dunno. They got a doctor and nurse off the cruise ship that’s parked here, maybe they found a pilot too. It doesn’t matter. They’ve got a pilot, and the serum run is back on.”

            Willis glanced back as the wind pressed against his spine. Alex had followed him inside and was talking to Carroll. Willis turned to the microphone. “What do you know about the new pilot?”

            “Nothing. Haven’t met him or even seen him; he didn’t get off the ship with the doctor and nurse. I know they found one, that’s it. And they haven’t ordered any food yet. If they do, we can feed the new pilot the same stuff, but I don’t know if they will.”

            Willis pulled the microphone closer, “No, no. That’s no good. If two pilots in a row come down with appendicitis, that’s going to ring alarm bells until someone figures it out, and you’ll be in the soup in a big way. You’ll have to do something else.”

            “Like what? I haven’t got much time to work with.”

            “I know, I know.” He thumbed the microphone switch furiously as his brain raged. “Make sure the plane can’t take off.”

            “How am I supposed to do that?”

            Willis looked back. “Alex, get over here.” Willis handed over the microphone. “The doctors found another pilot. What can our boys do about the plane?”

            Alex hesitated. He covered the microphone with his hand. “How subtle do we need to be?”

            “As subtle as two clerks can be in two hours.”

            Alex uncovered the microphone. “Lonnie? Alex here. Your best bet is to crimp the fuel line. You know what that means?”

            “I know what it means, but I can’t do it. What does a fuel line look like?”

            “How about the exhaust pipe? Can you clog the exhaust pipe?”

            “Those engines have about a hundred pipes. How do I know which one to plug?”

            “Look, there should be some panels you can open to get at the engines, right?”

            “Right. I’ve got the engine open. What then?”

            “All right, inside the engine, there’s going to be a lot of wires. Cut ‘em. That simple enough for you?”

            “I got it.”

            “All right, get cracking. Out.” Alex snapped off the microphone. “I think they can handle that.”

            Willis paced. “If they can’t, we’ll have to figure something else to try. Fate dealt me a glorious hand for once, and if that serum gets through, I’ll have to throw it away. I ain’t giving up this opportunity without a fight.”