Chapter 20

On Christmas morning Grif awoke with Tara lying on his chest sighing contentedly. It was still dark outside as he gently stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. They played lovingly and finally got up when Grif noted that his travel alarm said it was 7:48.

Grif woke his nephew, and went down to make some coffee. That is when he learned that Alice had set up the coffee pot with the automatic timer the day before. Pouring himself a cup, and one for Tara, he called the number Alice had given him the evening before at the church. Lula was willing and able to come to work at the Fox, anytime after Christmas Day. He made arrangements to have Tara pick her up in Koyuk on Sunday around 1:00 at the Koyuk Airport.

Meanwhile Tara had come down followed by Chris, and fixed the instant oatmeal they carried with them. The refrigerators and walk-in freezer had been turned off, and Grif made certain they were all on and cooling before they left. When Link came up, he admitted that he was just there temporarily, but would be back to guide in the summer. He liked the money of the construction work, but he loved his job as a fishing guide. While he couldn't guide, he worked for the AVWCC.

In fact, Link was on the crew that erected and moved the hangars, so he would be at Walker Lake the coming week. Grif asked him if he could have someone keep the airstrip plowed, and Link promised to take care of it until mid week. As soon as they were all ready, Link carried them over to the airstrip, and helped them uncover and roll the Cessna out for the trip to the Chena River Lodge.

It was a 2 1/2—hour flight to the Chena Hot Springs airstrip, and Grif, Tara and Chris arrived ahead of Dennis, Sheila and her kids. They exchanged hugs and gifts. Grif handed Tracy an envelope containing the Spring Bear Hunt for two at the Aurora View. Tracy was polite, about it, until Tara relayed Link's information that they released a relocated problem bear near the Arctic Fox's Wilderness Camp that was an adult female just a few days after her attack.

A look of intense focus came across Tracy's face, and she said, "Hello Mama Bear, guess who remembers you? You have no idea what this means to me, you two. I was ready to risk hunting for that hairy beast in the park! Oh, yes, there IS a God!"

Sam interrupted, "Which in reality is why we are gathered here today, to celebrate the birth of His son."

"We did that last night too," Tara replied. "In fact since the Walker Lake Lodge is going to be in transition Alice offered the church there for the wedding, and if we can't get the Fox ready by Saturday, the big fishing lodge for the reception. Now they have me calling it the big lodge and the Fox. There is plenty of room for everyone that is coming."

"You're probably right there," Tracy said, just as Sheila and Dennis' bunch walked in the door.

They thought it was a better idea considering the pending change of hands at Walker Lake. Tracy and Sheila would have to get with Alice on the head count so they could fly the food out. Rudy then announced that although Langford had tried to negotiate an air charter contract with Bill Evans in Bettles, Evans wanted nothing to do with the AFF. Rudy had the concession on the air taxi through 2005, and Langford would do it Rudy's way at least through fall. That meant that Rudy could sub-contract with other Part 135 FAR qualified pilots, and Langford could go through them, but Rudy would be getting part of the fares.

"Actually," Rudy admitted, "I am not interested in flying for them, only making them have to come through us, at least until our permit runs out."

Grif replied, "I think we have seen all of the good out of the AFF we will ever see. I think we should just refuse to do business with them."

Tracy pointed out, "When you do that, they start sending minorities to represent them and you end up in court with discrimination lawsuits."

Sam interrupted, "OK, no politics today, it is Christmas."

"So it is, my good man," Dennis said, shaking Sam's hand, "and a very merry one at that."

After dinner, everyone exchanged their gifts, visited and talked about the wedding the next weekend. The pilots began a discussion about the logistics of moving the equipment at Walker Lake Lodge to the Arctic Fox. It would only take about two loads in the Caravan to completely move everyone's personal items and the security equipment. Tracy suggested that they use the King Air 350 rather than going to Merrill Field to get the Caravan since there was nowhere to shelter it at the moment.

The move would be easier if the airstrip at the Fox were lit for low light and night use. Everything was closed with it being Christmas, and the freestanding units like they used at Walker Lake operated on solar power. Three hours of decent daylight was barely enough on its own to charge the battery. The regular FAA approved lights were on order and due in just two more weeks. Those would be delivered to the other lodge and required several days to install even in the summer.

Rudy had eight of the temporary freestanding lights at the FBO in Bettles. He offered their use until the lights came in and could be installed. The batteries would all need charging before they were operable, but it was eight more than they had. The radio frequency to turn them on and off would need to be reset, and then synchronized before they were used. Rudy even offered to help ferry the planes out.

"Things could get slow around here next summer without the Walker Lake Outfitting," he suggested. "Just in case some friends of mine were in need of a good bush pilot or two?"

"What about being on call for the sisters?" Tara asked. "Our taking on the Arctic Fox has left them with only you and Tim."

"Sam is taking his Instrument training," replied Tracy. "We made a deal with Rudy for the Cessna that you used to fly, and Jeff Owens will be updating the instrument panel for us. That is once Rudy is finished installing the new engine and the wheels."

"Almost done, Tracy," replied Rudy, "like I said, it will be ready when you get back from your honeymoon."

"Tara," asked Tracy, "would you mind too much keeping an eye on Carol while we are gone? I mean she is sixteen and can take care of herself, but just be available to come to the lodge if she needs you."

"We can do that," Tara agreed. "If the weather is bad, and we are stuck, you might ask Rudy?"

Rudy said, "She has already asked. Mother worries too much."

"You've never had a teenage girl," remarked Sheila. "Donna wants to come out and work for you guys now. I think it has a lot to do with Chris working there. Bonnie and Tommy are ready to go now if they won't be in the way. They did promise to help you move stuff. While you guys were out west yesterday, I called Felicia Snow at AVAS and arranged for the Casa to bring Tara's Escape out from Nenana, and the snowmobiles and the small truck with the plow from Walker Lake."

"Thanks, Sheila," Tara offered. "That will be a big help. Here are the keys to the Ford."

"No problem," Sheila answered. "They will carry whatever we need as long as they have space. We should be able to get the small stuff, no?"

"We should," agreed Rudy. "In fact, why don't I go get the BKA ready and I'll stop by Bettles tonight for those lights. We are expecting snow by Tuesday, and we should get done what we can tomorrow and Monday."

"As long as you don't leave us to walk from the Airstrip to the lodge, buddy," replied Grif. "You can have cabin six for the night. That's the first one on the southeast end of the lodge."

Chris offered, "Uncle Grif, why don't Donna and I ride out with Rudy? If the kids are going with you and Aunt Tara, that would give you more room with the presents and all."

"Okay," Grif consented, "I guess we had best round up Bonnie and Tommy and get on our way."

"How close are you to where Paula Clark is?" asked Tommy.

"An hour by road," Tara replied, "why?"

"You are not having your new 'aunt and uncle' playing chauffeur so you can see a girl," Sheila scolded. "I am sure that you will have time to visit with your friend sooner or later. Now, you and Bonnie behave yourselves, and do exactly what Uncle Grif and Aunt Tara tell you."

Bonnie sighed, "We will, Mom, thanks for letting us stay with them."

The celebration wound down, and Grif thought about his SUV and how useless it was to him at the Chena River Lodge. They didn't need it, now that Sam's Chevy Suburban had arrived from New Mexico, and Tracy's Cadillac Escalade from Philadelphia. He debated selling it, since they would have Tara's little one at the Arctic Fox.

Donna solved the problem by telling Grif that since he was about to be family, if he had the Jimmy flown out to the lodge for she and Chris to use, then he and Tara were welcome to use the old Navigator that was now in Anchorage, when they went there for supplies. Grif agreed, and he would drive his SUV to Nenana Airport. Bonnie wanted to go with Grif, and Tommy with Tara in the Cessna to meet them in Nenana later.

All of the emergency releases for the kids and contact information were given to Tara before Sheila and Dennis left in his plane for Anchorage. Bonnie proved to be a perfect little angel on the ride to Nenana where they met Tara and Tommy some two and a half hours later. With the Nenana Airport closed down for Christmas they had to top off from the company's supply at Chena Hot Springs before taking off. They had little fuel to spare when they arrived at Chena that morning, with everything in between being closed down. Fortunately there were three more drums at Walker Lake to refuel with before going on to the Arctic Fox.

Refueling with the hand pump took some time and that gave Grif a head start, but he felt bad about leaving it to Tara and Tommy in the cold. Grif was more worried about her traveling on the road by herself than flying by herself. Then again, not as many people that would harm her are at 6,500-feet as there are cruising the highway for a damsel in distress. Once they made the rendezvous at Nenana, they loaded the Turbo Stationair, and took off for Walker Lake.

It was after dark when they landed and clouding up. Grif found an opening in the clouds to drop below when they were over Walker Lake, and turned on the twelve temporary lights with the comm frequency. Ten minutes later, they were unloading inside the hangar, bringing only what had to go inside with them. Rudy came for them in the small truck with several boxes to go aboard the BKA. They all helped him load the plane and then went to the lodge for the night.

Once inside, they decided to put off moving stuff until morning. Wally and Anita had also packed their belongings, the big screen TV and DVD player, and one of the smaller TV's, carried them to the hangar and would be ready to go at first light. What furniture had been brought in was to remain behind, except for Grif and Tara's queen-sized bed with the deep mattress. That would need to go on the Casa when it went that way. In the morning, Grif would gather the cameras and sensors while Chris took down the monitors, and computers that made up the security system.

That was tomorrow, it had already been a long day. Grif made sure everyone was set for the night, and went on to bed. He and Tara discussed the fact that once they made the trip the next day, everything would be in the hangar or on the way to the Arctic Fox. Even the groceries were packed, other than the refrigerated and frozen foods. Soon they too drifted off to sleep.

(December 26, 2004, 5:15 a.m., Walker Lake Lodge)

The motion sensors to the northwest of the lodge set off the alarm inside, and Grif dressed and went to the monitor control room. There two of the Infra red cameras had a fix on a person wandering about with what looked like a can of liquid, pouring it on the building. He summoned Chris to keep an eye on the intruder, while he went outside armed with his pump shotgun to confront the person.

Just then Chris yelled out, "He's torched us, get everyone out!"

Chris set of the alarm as Tara gathered the kids and hurried them into their clothes. He then thought to grab the security tapes, threw them in a box and got into his clothes to get out. Tara had Donna, Bonnie and Tommy get into the Snow Cat and headed for the hangar.

By then Rudy heard the alarm, and would dress and try to extinguish it with the fire extinguishers. Wally worked from the other end as Tara came back for the others. Grif was looking for the intruder and following the tracks in the snow. Shortly the fire extinguishers had done all they could and the fire slowly gained on them. When that was all they could do, Rudy volunteered to rescue the boxes of food from the kitchen before the sprinkler systems ruined it. Chris and Wally joined him and five minutes later everything that wasn't in the freezer was outside being loaded into the Snow Cat.