Josephine rushed out of the office and barged. into Atticus’ office, urgently announcing, “Mr. Kowalski, I have to go somewhere far to attend to an urgent matter. Please find someone to replace me for my work.”
After saying that, she didn’t say anything else and sprinted out of the room and the company’s premises to go home to pack. She needed to get to the airport as soon as possible.
She returned home and frantically searched for her passport. Heidi, who was still hanging laundry to dry in the yard, asked curiously when she saw her daughter come home so early. “Joey? What are you doing at home at this hour?”
Josephine then emerged with a bag on her back and said to her mother, “Mom, I need to go on a trip for something urgent. Don’t worry about me.” “A trip?” Heidi asked, “Where are you going?”
“To a very faraway place. I need to see Ethan.” “Are you going on a trip with Ethan?” Heidi asked, confused. However, she wouldn’t worry if Josephine was with Ethan.
Josephine could only lie to her. “Yes, I’m going to see him.” She couldn’t help the tears welling up in her eyes as she turned around. “Okay, go ahead! Be safe! Do you have all your documents with you?”
“I have them all, Mom. I’m off.” Josephine quickly went to her car to head to the airport. Tears streamed down her face throughout the journey. When she arrived at the airport, she boarded the earliest connecting flight. Even though she hadn’t reached her destination physically, she was mentally already in the Arctic.
The layover took Josephine two days. After the anxiety-filled journey, she finally met up with the rescue team at the airport. It was a team composed of the world’s top snow rescue experts. Not only were they sufficient in manpower, but they were also equipped with the most comprehensive equipment.
Josephine sat by the window of the large plane that took off. When the middle-aged woman sitting beside her saw her tired face and reddened eyes, she gently advised, “Miss Jacobson, please get some sleep. We still have thirteen more hours to go.”
Josephine had only managed to doze off briefly during the journey. Being woken up by a nightmare every time she fell asleep made her reluctant to sleep again. But at this moment, she truly needed a good rest because the harsh cold weather of the Arctic required her to have a healthy body. “I have some sleeping pills here that can help you catch some shut-eye.”
“Please give me one. Thank you.” Josephine needed the assistance of medication. After taking a pill, Josephine looked at the clouds passing by outside the window. Her gaze flickered, and her eyes eventually closed when she fell asleep. She went on and slept for six hours, which was enough rest for her.
Looking at the snowy landscape outside the window, Josephine thought her heart flew to the Arctic along with this vast expanse of snow. Will they manage to rescue Ethan? She desperately hoped for good news as soon as she landed.
After enduring the passage of time, the plane finally touched down. Dozens of SUVs were waiting at the airport on the snowy mountain. Josephine had to put on her thick down jacket. The cold of the Arctic was more intense than any chill she had ever experienced, but her high- strung nerves made her ignore this cold. Sitting in one of the vehicles, she looked ahead, eager to reach the rescue site as soon as possible.
After about three hours of travel, they finally arrived at the base and set off from there to the place where the accident happened. It was. already close to evening by now, and the surroundings gave the impression that they were standing on the edge of the Earth and were about to enter another world.
