winter in greenland

Chapter 68

Dan and his group landed at the airport outside Copenhagen just after 7:[-] a.m. Nina woke up once on the way. After listening to Dan explain that they arrived in Copenhagen because of an emergency, they didn't cry. Mixed.

After getting off the plane, Dan contacted the car rental company. Murphy looked at his pale face and was a little worried: "Are you okay?"

Dan shook his head. "I'm fine. Tell Heath we're here and can come over anytime."

When Murphy stepped aside to call Heath, Harvey also jumped out of the passenger seat.

"Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Dan smiled gratefully at him: "It's been a great help for you to send us here overnight, I'll deal with it myself later, thank you."

Harvey shook his head: "We're all friends, there's no need to be so polite. I don't know much about your military department, and I probably can't help you much, but if there's anything I can do, call me anytime, I'll go back first .”

As he spoke he took Dan's hand and patted him on the back.

Dan nodded: "Be careful all the way."

Seeing Harvey's helicopter circling and rising, Murphy also led Nina over and said, "Westbo Hotel, Heath will wait for us there."

7:42 a.m., Denmark, Capital Region, Copenhagen, Hotel Westerborough.

Most of the guests hadn't woken up at this time, and the lobby was a bit empty.

As soon as Dan and the others walked in, they saw Heath sitting on the sofa in the lounge area.

Dan took the lead and walked over quickly: "Heath."

Heath also stood up, put his arms around his shoulders, raised his wrist to look at his watch, and said to Murphy behind him: "Murphy, we may have to go back to the headquarters right now, can you... um... ...Where did this little girl come from?"

He looked at Nina beside Murphy in surprise.

Nina didn't speak, but grabbed Murphy's skirt and looked at him curiously.

Murphy glanced at Dan: "The situation is a bit complicated, and I may explain it later. Don't worry, go to the military headquarters. I will take this child back to my side for the time being. Do you need to open a room for Dan in the hotel?"

"I have completed all the formalities, you go back first, thank you for your hard work." Heath said and half pushed Dan out: "Let's go, my car is in the parking lot, let's move quickly, I will let you know the details." I'll explain it to you in the car."

Murphy led Murphy to the entrance of the hotel, watched as Heath's jeep came out of the parking lot, drove onto the main road, and accelerated all the way towards the headquarters building.

"Where are they going?" Nina gently tugged at Murphy's finger.

Murphy took a light breath: "They have to do something urgent. Let's go, Nina, I'll take you back to my apartment, where you can stay until Dan comes to pick you up."

"...You mean, the internal review has reviewed the records of my winter patrol with August three years ago, that is, the time we encountered poachers, and they now suspect that the deaths of those people were deliberate by August Murder?" Dan's voice was a little incredulous.

Heath sighed, "That's it."

"But I remember that you called me and said that August really overreacted, but the coast guard who came to deal with the aftermath has already dealt with the relevant matters?" Dan frowned slowly.

"According to the information they compiled and reported to us, this accident really 'should' have been dealt with."

"You mean, someone from the Coast Guard has provided relevant records that are inconsistent with the archived information?"

"To be precise, it was an anonymous report letter, which was sent directly to the headquarters."

"How is the situation now?"

"If it were someone else, maybe this matter would have been suppressed. However, it is Hodge who came to review this time. This person had some problems with August before. If he seized this opportunity, he would like to get August out of that place." Therefore, the current situation is that August is isolated at the headquarters. If we cannot provide relevant evidence to prove that this is a self-defense incident before 9:[-] this morning, August will be sued in a military court. , charged with murder and torture of prisoners. We need you as August's companion on patrol at the time to testify against him."

Dan was silent for a while without speaking.

Heath rushed all the way to the downstairs of the headquarters, stepped on the emergency brake, unfastened his seat belt and wanted to get out of the car: "Let's go, I'll take you up."

Dan held him down, staring straight at Heath: "If I need to testify, why didn't you contact me until now?"

Heath scratched his head: "After we were brought to the headquarters, everyone's phone calls were monitored. I had to ask Murphy to find you..."

Dan still didn't move: "That's not what I said, Heath, you should understand what I mean. Why didn't you let me come here at the beginning, and you must wait until the end when you really have no other way to come to me?"

His tone was very slow, and he spoke almost word for word: "What else do you hide from me, or what does August hide from me? Was that incident really just pure self-defense?"

8:30 am, headquarters building, basement.

Two guards opened the door to August's brig, and Hodge appeared at the door.

"The time has come, Major, and it appears that your team cannot provide evidence in your favour."

August was still neat and meticulous in his regular clothes. He looked at Hodge with a calm tone: "What I said is the whole truth, and it won't change anything even if I go to a court-martial."

"Oh? I'm curious about a question, Major. Do you really not know how it will affect your future in Sirius once you go to the court-martial, or do you mean that you don't care at all?"

Auguste stared at him for a few seconds, and said, "I have made the relevant statement very clear before. Your so-called murder charges are not established at all."

"You should leave these words to the court." Hodge's tone was cold, and he gestured to the two guards around him. The two walked in and stood beside August: "Please, Your Excellency the Major."

The court-martial was not set up in the headquarters building. As soon as they took the internal elevator to the lobby on the first floor, they bumped into the person in charge directly under Sirius—a lieutenant general with gray hair, followed by a group of members of Sirius. Heath was among them.

"Oh, Lieutenant General, is there anything I can do for you?" Hodge stopped in his tracks and saluted the Lieutenant General.

"Major, I think your itinerary needs to be changed." The lieutenant general said in a cold voice, and turned to the rear: "We found the former Sirius member who was patrolling with Major August, Lieutenant Dan Smithton, maybe You are interested to hear his explanation."

Hodge's eyes narrowed, and a smirk formed on his face: "Of course." As he spoke, he motioned to the two guards behind him: "Invite Major August to interrogation room No. 2."

The moment August saw Dan, his pupils suddenly constricted, and the expression on his face that had been calm and unwavering seemed to have cracked, and then his eyes suddenly turned to Heath.

Heath turned his head a little unnaturally, not meeting his gaze.

But Dan looked a little out of place among a group of special forces in camouflage and uniforms. He put his hands in his trouser pockets, his posture was still upright, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

He didn't look at August from beginning to end.

Interrogation Room 1.

Dan sat in a chair, even with a relaxed posture, and Hodge sat across from him.

"So, Lieutenant Dan Smithton?"

Dan nodded.

Hodge flipped through the paper in his hand: "So, on September 2022, 9, you and Major August Field set off from Sirius' base in Port Ferringe and started a five-month winter patrol ?”

"Yes."

"According to your statement, on November 2022, 11, you found a group of poachers on the ice shelf off the coast of Kellaway Island. There were 30 people on the other side, and they attacked you first?"

"5."

Hodge paused: "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, 5, the other party is 5 people." Dan's voice was very calm.

Hodge looked at him for a few seconds and smiled: "Oh yes, it's five, I misunderstood."

"You said that the other party attacked you first, sorry, can you please repeat the details at that time?"

There was a thoughtful look on Dan's face, and it took a while before he said: "We were going into polar night soon, and our travel usually slowed down during the transition period. Earlier that day, we found the ice shelf on the coast. The carcass of a seal, to be precise, is a mutilated carcass, the skin has been peeled off, and most of the flesh has been cut off—”

"Please allow me to interrupt, Lieutenant, after such a long time, can you still remember these details accurately?"

Dan raised his eyes to look at him, and his tone was still very calm: "If this is the first time you have seen the cruel methods of poachers, I believe you will have a deep memory."

Hodge shrugged: "Please continue."

"After that, Major August reminded me to be more vigilant. We selected the camping site at about 7 o'clock in the evening. Because of the discovery during the day, we decided to watch the night in shifts. I kept watch in the middle of the night, and August at 1 o'clock in the morning. The major came to change shifts, and I went back to the tent to rest. I don't know exactly how long I slept, but I just remember that I was awakened by the sound of fighting-"

"Fighting sound?" Hodge interrupted him again.

"Yes, the sound of fighting. I thought too much at the time, so I opened the tent and rushed out. Outside, August was wrestling with two people. One of them was stabbed in the leg, and he was half lying on the ground to greet him. There are three other people approaching us on the snow slope on the right."

"That is to say, you and August, the two of you, deal with 5 people from each other. According to my understanding of special forces, two fully armed Sirius members deal with 5 poachers who only have cold weapons. Did you kill it?"

"We don't have guns."

"No gun?" Hodge raised his eyebrows.

"Major August's weapon should have been thrown aside during the fight. I didn't take the gun when I came out of the tent. And the opponent's weapon was all poisoned."

Den paused, leaned forward slightly, and put his elbows on the table: "Also, if I remember correctly, only two of the five opponents were killed by our weapons, and the other three were killed by their own weapons." Stabbed and subsequently poisoned. If you have read the detailed report, you should be very clear about this."

Hodge didn't answer for a while, but after a while, he smiled playfully in his eyes: "I think we'll figure it out." After speaking, he rolled up the documents in his hand, got up and walked out of the interrogation room.

Outside the interrogation room, the gray-haired old lieutenant general was standing in front of the monitor screen. When he saw Hodge coming out, he had a mocking smile on his face: "How about Major Hodge, did you get the result you want? ?”

The expression on Hodge's face remained unchanged, and he saluted the old lieutenant general politely: "I have finished asking my questions, and there will be a series of cross-examinations in the future. Thank you for your hard work, lieutenant general."

The old lieutenant general snorted and ignored him.

As soon as Hodge walked out of the monitoring room, an adjutant who had been guarding the door greeted him with an anxious expression on his face: "Your Excellency, Major, Lieutenant General Loren is waiting for you in his office, please go there immediately."

Hodge frowned: "What's the matter?"

The adjutant was a little nervous: "I don't know the details. It seems that Admiral Field knew about this and called back to ask for details."

Hodge cursed softly: "I see, you stay here and guard."

The 16th floor of the headquarters, the general's office.

Hodge knocked on the door, pushed the door open and walked in after hearing "Come in".

Lieutenant General Loren looked just over 50 years old, sitting behind his desk at the moment, looking a little distraught.

"Lieutenant General, are you looking for me?" Hodge walked over and saluted.

"How's the trial going?"

"I haven't found any flaws so far, but just give me a few more days..."

"How many more days do you want?!" The lieutenant general's voice suddenly became severe.

Hodge was stunned by his yelling, and his voice involuntarily became softer: "One week at most. I promise to find a breakthrough."

"One week? I've let you interrogate August for nearly half a month! Did you ask anything? Now that they have provided new witnesses, how long are you going to keep him in custody? Do you know that the headquarters has started Are there rumors?"

Hodge argued: "But don't you think this lieutenant appeared too coincidentally? Just when we are going to send August to a court-martial? Who can guarantee that they are not colluding?"

"Okay, this matter is over. Take him back to Greenland to identify the place where the accident happened, and if it meets the requirements, let him go through the process."

"But--"

"I said this is over!"

Hodge was silent for a few seconds, and said, "I heard that General Field called back to the headquarters?"

Lieutenant General Loren raised his eyelids and glanced at him: "Otherwise, why do you think I called you over? Not only General Field, but the Secretary of the Ministry of National Defense also called to inquire about this matter just now. Let the matter be dealt with before it gets out of hand. If you still want to keep your position."

Hodge opened his mouth unwillingly, as if he still wanted to argue.

Loren's face darkened: "If you insist on continuing to pursue the matter, I will not interfere, but I will not give you any authority beyond the level. Do you hear me clearly?"

"……Clear."

"Let's go." Loren waved his hand.

The author says:

August: Who isn't a connection? ?

End countdown 3~4:[-] p.m. [-] more~