Dead Alive Trilogy (Book 1)-Before the storm

Enter Svalbard

The plane screeched to a halt. Noah let go is death grip in the chair arms. Sarah's hand was gently soothing his. He hated flying. He didn't give a crap that statistically, you're more likely to get in a car wreck than a plane wreck. But man was not meant to fly. If it was, we would have wings. Plus, you may be more likely to crash a car but you're also more likely to live through it.

Ham was excited. He had never been any further from his home than West Virginia to see his grandparents and now he was in Svalbard! Wherever that was. He followed his parents out through the gate. After  long baggage claim process, they left the air port for the hotel. The first thing he noticed was the cold. A blast of cool air almost knocked him over it surprised him so much.

"Dad," he said, "I don't like Svarlbard."

"Svalbard," Dad corrected.

"Whatever, Dad. It's too cold. You could freeze a body in your lawn."

"That's the idea."

Noah rented a BMW. The roads were snowed over. It was the only time he was glad he grew up in Maine. He passed the hotel.

"What are you doing, honey?" Sarah asked, "You passed the hotel."

"Yes," Noah replied, "That's exactly what I did. I've got a surprise for you and Ham."

Ham jerked himself from his daydreaming when he heard his name, "Who? What? You talking about me?"

"No, not at all," Noah said.

An hour and a half later, they were still driving. The snow was up to the windshield. Luckily a snow plow had come through just before.

"Okay!" Sarah exclaimed, "I'm calling it! You're lost!"

"I am not lost," Noah argued.

"Yes you are. Admit it!"

"Come on, Dad," Ham interjected, " Admit it. You should've let me drive!"

"I'm not lost!" Noah persisted, "And Jonah, watch who you're talking to."

Noah made a sharp right turn. In front of the car, about a hundred yards off, laid a big stone fortress. It was about 200 yards by 100 yards. At 10 yards tall it towered over the flat landscape around it.

"Welcome do Chateau de Hamilton."

The inside seemed bigger than the outside. There was an open (and stocked) kitchen in the back. In front was a carpeted living area. There was luxurious furniture and a 60-inch flatscreen. Every DVD or Blu-ray ever made (almost) were on wall shelves. This was all behind a metal, blast proof front door with a keypad lock.  Ham's jaw was in the snow. He ran in and jumped on the couch heavily. In contrast, Sarah's mouth form a thin line. Uh-oh.

Noah showed them to the second floor. It was full of canned goods and dry foods. About in the middle of the room was a metal wall with a vault door in the center. Ham and Sarah wondered what that, or even nonperishable food items had to do with anything. Probably in case they got snowed in.

Noah took them up a level higher. It was a narrow hallway with doors staggered every 20 yards, about 9 of them. Each door lead to and identical bedroom, each with it's own full restroom and closet. At the end of the wall was a larger ornate, wooden door. It held the entrance to the master suite. The suite's walls were painted a dark, relaxing swamp green. the bed comforter was stitched to look like a large quilt with Greek and Roman designs on it. They turned to their left through the bathroom doors. It was large with beige colored stone tile. It had warm lights and the bathtub was big enough for two. They turned left again into a fully stocked, walk-in closet.