Hypothermia

The relentless, icy wind buffeted his whole body as he staggered on. I had been watching him for a good ten minutes. I lowered the field glasses and turned the heater up to maximum. The remnants of my coffee had gone stale, but I downed it regardless. The wind slammed into the tower in a rhythmic fashion, but I could still hear the distinct crack and whine of the power cutters working away in the mineral caves.

            Just then, something in the distance caught my eye. I picked the glasses up once more and peered towards the disturbance. Something was stalking closer and closer to our runner. Just trying to focus the shape was making me sweat. Should I let him know something was following? The indecision blocked any rational thought like a brick wall. Then the unexpected happened. He stopped and turned toward the shape. I soon realised it was an Arctic Wolf, probably his companion. He leaned closer and frisked it briefly. After that, he carried on with his task. Seeing the man walk away, the Wolf let loose a chilling howl, causing the hair on my body to stand on end.

            What felt like a day (Although it was closer to two hours) passed by uneventfully. I had gone through another three and a half cups of coffee in that time, and there was nothing to see from the windows but the sprawling compound below, and the vast featureless Arctic Plains beyond. The wind had calmed for a while, but after the snow started falling, it picked up with such force that visibility was reduced to maybe 20 yards. I stood and shook off my limbs; I had been sitting for far too long and I was starting to go numb. I was pacing the width of tower, waiting for the snow to ease off, when a large explosion echoed through the caverns below, shaking the tower like an infant shakes a rattle. I sighed, and started to reorganise the paperwork that had fallen from the desk. Then I heard the shouting. The shouting and the gunshots. They were so loud that they were audible over the winds unending assault of the tower. Looking out over the compound I could barely see people scurrying to and fro like ants, thanks to the flood lamps cutting through the blanket of white. It wasn’t until I retrieved my field glasses that I could make out what they were carrying. People were being marched out of the mine carrying Munitions and Explosives, pushing carts full of minerals. Then I noticed the strange hooded figures entering the mine too. I realized something was afoot, so I snatched up my rifle and threw on my overcoat before hurtling down the stairs 3 at a time.

            Within 10 minutes I had descended the tower and crossed the compound without being seen. The troves of miners leaving had died down considerably, but there was an alarming amount of hooded men and women around. Something moved on the edge of my periphery vision. Turning towards it revealed a hulking Arctic Wolf, up to maybe my shoulder, leaping towards me, knocking me to the ground. The next few moments felt as if I was falling in slow-motion. I vaguely recalled a man wearing Arctic camouflage appear from the shadow, and the Wolf nudging my rifle towards him.

            “I knew there was someone up in that watchtower, but I never dreamt of it being the famed Adam Housann! What a catch I’ve made! The council will be most pleased” He said gleefully, rubbing his hands together. A small crowd of hooded people had gathered around the pair, eager to see what was happening

            “Liam Zaine... I should have known you would do something like this” I managed to whisper.

            “Oh Adam, Adam, Adam. You never change do you?  Always charging into situations without authority or backup. Always wanting to be the hero. You really think you were stationed up in that tower because of your injuries, like command told you? No. The council has eyes and ears everywhere. They have their claws in everything. The Government. The Military. Hell, even in the Industrial sector. There is absolutely nowhere you, or your godforsaken-“ A snub pistol was fired from the crowd, silencing Liam, and causing the crowd to gasp. A tall, bald man with dark skin and intricate tribal tattoos stepped out.

            “And you should learn to shut up. It is quite beneficial to one’s health.” He said down to Liam, before bringing a heavy booted foot down upon his throat, killing him instantly.
“As for you Adam, you have two choices. The first would be to join our council, being as our friend here gave up his seat. The second would be a slow and painful death. The choice shouldn’t be hard for someone with your brains, Mister Housann.”

            “You really think I would put in with your filth?” I spat

“Very well, you have brought this upon yourself.” They were the last words I heard, before a sharp pain in my temples rendered me unconscious.

I awoke sometime later. How much later is anyone’s guess. I had been stripped of everything but my undergarments. I tried to stand, but my wrists were chained to the wall, I couldn’t move.

“So, you are awake now Mister Housann? That is definitely good news!” said the man from before. “Have you reconsidered our offer?”

“Can a cheetah change its spots?” I said through gritted teeth.

“No. What relevance does that have to my question?”

“You just answered your own question with that answer.”

“Fair enough. Please, do not try to free yourself. Those chains are set to lock the door and flood the walls with liquid nitrogen, and I must say, it gets pretty chilly when that happens. We wouldn’t want the famed Adam Housann to dodge death more than thrice over, only to be killed by a freak case of Hypothermia would we?” He rapped the wall with his fist as if to reinforce that point, before cackling manically and leaving the room. Hypothermia, he said. Was that even possible? There was but one way for me to find out I thought to myself. I shuffled slightly, before wrenching on the left arm binder with all my might. It gave way with a loud pop on the third try. Nice, I thought. The fool was just trying to scare me. Then, as if to mock me, the vents shuddered into life. I sighed in resignation, laid back and let the pumps do their work. Damn my luck.