HELLULAND

March 19, 2024

HELLULAND

C.R. Lindström

GENRE: Geo Political Thriller crossed with a Young Adult Urban Fantasy

A GIFT AWAKENING. A LEGEND REVEALED.

In a remote corner of the Arctic, unexplained phenomenon haunt an isolated community. Several people have disappeared, and somehow young Erika Holstrom knows why. Still reeling from the loss of her mother, she escapes to university, only to be followed by unsettling visions of the future.

When a Russian submarine vanishes in the far North, Erika's nightmares suggest the answers lay buried deep in her family history. Now, just as the melting polar ice releases its sinister secrets, Erika and her friends are in a race against time to convince the sceptical authorities what is really happening in her Arctic homeland, before it’s too late.

Will they succeed, or is the frozen North lost forever...

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Katherine was staring down the Russian defence attaché when her intelligence officer burst in the room. Realising Katherine was not alone, the J2 covered his mouth while whispering to her. “General, the USS Samuel Ronaldson is reporting they’ve lost contact with their helo.”

Damn.

“Colonel Borishov,” she breathed, “you’ll have to excuse me for a moment.”

The attaché started to protest before Katherine closed the door behind her, leaving the Russian with her chief of staff.

The Arctic headquarters in Pond Inlet’s community centre was already alive with activity. Katherine took her position at the head of a series of flat screens and looked to her J3 operations officer. “Report, please.”

“Ma’am, at approximately 20:44 Zulu, the USS Samuel Ronaldson, operating in the south-western search zone, dispatched one of its helos to act as overwatch due to deteriorating sea ice conditions.” The J3 pointed to the electronic map to his front. Katherine mentally deducted five hours from the reported time, since Zulu was based on Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT in England. The operations officer continued. “General, roughly thirty minutes later the Russian frigate Nikolay Khabalov entered the Ronaldson’s search area from the south and dispatched its own helo.”

Katherine’s face was tense. She could tell where this was leading, but hoped she was wrong. The J3 pressed on.

“Though there was considerable electronic interference at the time, at roughly 21:20 Zulu, radar contact was lost with the Khabalov and Ronaldson helos. From what we gather, they were both within the same grid square when this occurred. Ma’am, at this point we are assuming a midair collision between the helicopters. The Ronaldson has undertaken its search and rescue procedures, and we believe the Khabalov is doing the same.”

Katherine looked about the room. All eyes were on her.

“Any survivors, J3?” she asked quietly.

“Unknown at this time, ma’am, though no emergency beacons have been detected.”

Katherine pulled a notepad from the right cargo pocket of her pants and scribbled down several points before directing the operations officer.

“Engage the search and rescue protocols if not already done, and request SAR aircraft to support us from Goose Bay and Thule. Open up a secure line to both Ottawa and Washington.”

The headquarters staff started carrying out her orders when Katherine glanced grudgingly at her closed office door.

“J3, please ask Colonel Borishov to join me. He deserves to know what has happened.”