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Description
DECEMBER 7TH

North Pole
0630 Hours
Rudolph led the way with his bright red nose.  His father, Donner, stuck closely behind.  Rudolph's lover, Clarisse, and Hermey kept Chopper warm.  He certainly was not used to being in the cold for an extended period of time.  However, Chopper trusted these guys that they knew where they were going.
"Here it is," Rudolph squeaked in excitement.  Chopper, who was still a little chilly, was able to lift his head up and notice something in the distance.  There were windmills everywhere in the close distance and a small unmanned power station.  Ever since the planet was going green with solar energy and wind energy, more wind mills were being placed in remote locations.
"Sorry, but what exactly is here?" Chopper asked, chattering through his teeth.
"A phone," Donner replied. "Good thinking, son."
The five approached the small power station which looked like a small shack with a large antenna on it.  Hermey was the first one to approach the door and was relieved to find out that it was unlocked.  He pulled open the door, creating a track in the snow below, and peeked inside.  The room looked like a gate man tower for dams or power plants.  There were controls and gauges galore inside.  Indeed, there were also phones as well, including a red one with a small light on the receiver like a miniature police siren.  The red phone was reserved only for emergencies.  Indeed, this was an emergency.
"Rudolph, Donner, Clarisse, there should be a First Aid kit with a space blanket.  Get Chopper warm while I call for help," Hermey said.
The reindeer bright the shivering Chopper into the station to get warm.  The five bodies inside close together provided with body heat.  The three reindeer encircled Chopper to keep him warm.  At the same time, Rudolph managed to pull down the mounted First Aid kit off the wall with his antlers.
While the reindeer were tending to Chopper, Hermey picked up the red phone receiver and placed it to his ear.  He immediately heard someone on the other end pick up.  Since the phone does not have a dial or number touch pad, picking the phone up immediately calls the emergency hotline.
"What is your emergency?" the female operator replied over the phone.
"Hello?  We have a problem at the North Pole at Santa's castle," Hermey stuttered.  He was never in such a dangerous situation before.
"Sir, your calling from a power station, is there a power problem?"
"No!  Listen, there's a problem at Santa's castle!"
"Sir, this line is reserved for emergency calls only."
"Lady, do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza!" Hermey screamed. "Can you connect me to the authorities?"
"Sir, if there's a problem at Santa's castle, why doesn't he use his own phone?" the operator asked in a snobbish tone.
"Lady, the castle is over-run by some kind of terrorists!  This is the closest phone I found.  What day is today?  The seventh?"
"Uh, yeah, sir."
"That castle was raided two days ago!  We've been traveling by foot in the bitter cold for two days to get some kind of contact to the authorities.  Now, can you connect me to the authorities or not?"
"Sir, this line is reserved for emergencies, not pranks.  Now hang up before I report this as a federal violation."
"Fine!  Go ahead and report me!  Anything to get the authorities here!  Could you at leased connect me to NORAD?" Hermey was at his limit.  The operator was heard sighing on the other end.
"What is your name, sir?" the operator asked in a tone that was taking Hermey seriously.  Hermey was relieved himself.
"Hermey Elf," Hermey replied. "H-E-R-M-E-Y."
"Okay, stand by while I connect you to NORAD."
"Thank you," Hermey said in relief.  He turned and saw the three reindeer covering Chopper in an aluminum-colored space blanket.  At leased Chopper's shivering has stopped.  The rest of them were extremely used to the cold after years of exposure.
"Lieutenant General George Namath, NORAD," the voice on the other line said.
"General Namath, my name's Hermey, one of Santa's workers.  Listen, his castle's been raided by terrorists, me and a few others barely got away.  We need the military's help!" Hermey said very quickly.
"Okay, okay, calm down, what's this about Santa's castle being raided?" the General asked.
"Terrorists!" Hermey shouted.
"Okay, I get it.  I'll put you in contact with someone who can get there quickly," the General replied.
"Hurry up," Hermey said impatiently.  He stood in his spot hopping up and down on his feet quickly.  He then turned his attention back to the reindeer that have Chopper secured in a space blanket and trying to keep him warm.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
Matt Wiernasz was sitting in his temporary office looking over the files.  T.J. Dudek sat across from him looking over recent files as well.  It appeared as if there is a change in presidents in the oval office where the former president is giving the president-elect all of the information to run the country.
The phone on the desk ran and a light blinked on the receiver saying that the call is coming from NORAD.  Naturally, Matt answered it.
"Colonel Wiernasz," Matt said in the phone.
"Colonel, you have a caller, I'll patch him through," General Namath replied.  Soon, there was a clicking sound on the other line, indicating the call was put through.
"Hello, this is Colonel Wiernasz," Matt said.
"Mr. Wiernasz, my name is Hermey, one of Santa's elves!  Something terrible has happened!" Hermey nearly shouted.  Matt knew that this was the break he was looking for.  Quickly, without answering, he pressed the speaker phone button and placed the handset on the receiver.
"Okay, Hermey, you're on speaker, you're also on with Colonel T.J. Dudek of the Polish Land Forces.  Explain what happened," Matt said in a professional tone of voice.
"Okay, I was doing my job when I felt the castle rumble," Hermey explained. "Then I heard screaming and gunfire and men shouting."
"Did you get to see any?" T.J. asked.
"No, I didn't get to see any!" Hermey nearly shouted. "I hid in the reindeer stables and made my way to the basement and we climbed out through the window."
"We?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, with me are Donner, Rudolph, Rudolph's wife Clarisse, and a civilian named Chopper Chipmunk.  Chopper is not used to the North Pole cold, he needs to be in a warm place and fast," Hermey quickly said.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Matt said trying to calm Hermey down. "Tell me, where are you?"
"Some kind of a windmill power plant," Hermey said.
"There are many of those at the North Pole, which one are you at?" T.J. asked.
"I don't know; all I know is that it's the closest one to Santa's castle.  I know that much." That was all Matt needed to know.
Matt activated a map program on the computer he is on and typed in a search for windmill power plants.  Indeed, he found Santa's castle on the map and speculated where the closest windmill plant is.  The good thing was that the plant he assumes that Hermey is at is close to Thule.  Of course, Matt had to be sure it was the right plant.
"Okay, Hermey, I have a satellite image of a plant.  Which building are you in?" Matt asked calmly.
"I think it's a security guard tower or something.  It's small and has a red phone," Hermey replied.
"Okay, I know exactly where you are," Matt said. "Now, look outside, how many windmills can you see?"
"I can barely see outside, but I count ten." On the satellite picture, there were ten windmills.  Matt got them.
"Okay, I got you.  I'm sending out someone to pick you up right now," Matt said.  He then pressed a button on the phone to get in contact with the base. "Attention Thule Air Base, I need a pick-up helicopter to arrive at the Davis Windmill Farm, that's near the Mountain of the Whispering Winds.  I need a pick up of people there and bright here immediately, one in need of medical treatment."
"Yes, sir!" the voice shouted on the other end of the line.  Matt then clicked back to Hermey.
"Okay, Hermey I'm sending out a helicopter to pick you up."
"Thanks, and Merry Christmas." Matt clicked off the phone, hoping that there will be a Christmas to celebrate.
Outside, a pair of UH-72 Lakota helicopters lifted off and turned, heading over the icy cold Arctic Ocean and on their way to the North Pole.  Hopefully, they will get there in time for Chopper.

North Pole
0945 Hours
While the men at Thule are reacting to the raid on the castle, Burgermeister Meisterburger is occupying the castle like it was his home.  He was in contact with his men placed around the United States.  In addition, he had his contact in Germany.  Without him, Burgermeister would not of had been able to break into this castle with such brute force.  He was lounging in Santa's office with his feet on the desk, admiring that the elves are locked away in their quarters and the reindeer are locked in the stables.  In addition, he will have to send Santa out and away.  In the event that the castle was to be retaken by CT's, Santa would not be present to do anything.  All Burgermeister had to do was wait until Christmas passed, thus cancelling Christmas.
"Herr Burgermeister, Herr Burgermeister," Grimsby called knocked on the office door.  Burgermeister was shocked by Grimsby's entry that he fell out of the chair. "We've got some major trouble!"
Burgermeister slowly stood up grumbling. "What is it, Grimsby?"
"We might have a possible escape," Grimsby replied.  This immediately shot Burgermeister to stand up fast.
"What?" Burgermeister shouted, accidentally banging his knee into the desk. "Ow!  Stupid desk!  Anyway, who escaped?"
"Here, I'll show you," Grimsby said, reaching for the security monitors to the side of the desk imbedded into the wall.  Grimsby selected from a list of videos via the touch screen and a video started playing.
The security video was showing the basement.  There were Burgermeister's soldiers down there checking the place.  Once they left, a figure slowly emerged out from a well-hidden floorboard.  The figure was a large fat man wearing a winters coat and a belt of mining tools.  Slowly, the figure crawled out the basement window and outside.
"Who is he?" Burgermeister asked.
"We interrogated others and they claim him to be Yukon Cornelius, a northern prospector and a friend of Kris Kringle's.  He might be trying to warn the authorities about us."
"It doesn't matter," Burgermeister said. "I have my men set up in America.  They know that if an attempt at raiding this castle will result in destruction.  But, to be on the safe side, I want you to send men to his home and arrest him.  In the meantime, I must send Kris Kringle elsewhere in the world."
"What about your men with the fog machine in Berlin?"
"What about them?"
"They don't need to activate it for a while, give them something useful to do.  Bring the Kringle to a remote location."
"Not a bad idea, Grimsby," Burgermeister said nodding with a smug grin. "Tell them to send Kris to Saint Petersburg.  I know you can't get back to Poland with your record."
"And the fact that GROM almost caught me there," Grimsby said. "I'll make the calls." Grimsby got on his cell phone and started making his orders. "This is Grimsby; I need you to arrive here to send Kris Kringle to Saint Petersburg.  Yes, in Russia.  Hang on, I'll ask him.  Burgermeister."
"What, Grimsby?" Burgermeister asked.
"What about his wife?  Jessica?" Grimsby asked.  Burgermeister them remembered the horrible memories of her.  Technically, he could not arrest her back in Sombertown because she had nothing to do with making and delivering toys.  It was not until later that she was actually assisting the children in hiding the toys.  It was her idea to hide small gifts in stockings.  Later on, after Kris and the Kringles were arrested and in the dungeon, Jessica hired and hand-picked eight reindeer whom she trusted to fly in and break everybody out.  At that moment, Jessica became a wanted criminal as well.  She married Kris Kringle who changed his name to Santa Claus and the two of them went into hiding until Burgermeister was run out of town.  Now, finally, Burgermeister has his hands on her.
"Send her away as well, separated from the Kringle," Burgermeister said. "And, Grimsby, make sure they are unspoiled."
"Yes, sir," Grimsby said before going back to his cell phone.  After a brief conversation on the phone, he turned back to Burgermeister. "Okay, they'll be here tomorrow."
"Good, very good," Burgermeister said.  He sat down back in his chair after falling over from it.  So far, everything was going according to plan.  What he had no idea was that the world was aware of him and was spying on him.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
1030 Hours
The room was nearly pitch-black and the walls were thick to keep out electronic and even eavesdropping intruders.  The only light in the room came from the computer screen and the electronic equipment inside.  Occupying this room was a fox computer technician, named Zak, wearing a MARPAT BDU's uniform but his nametape clearly says, 'U.S. AIR FORCE' on it.  The other occupant is Matt Wiernasz and he's wearing the same uniform as Zak is, only his nametapes are removed.
Matt was staring at the cell-sheets of satellite images of the North Pole.  Many of which are different angle shots of Santa's castle before and after its raid.  Matt had a keen eye and he was looking for something.
"Hey, Zak, bring up the three-four corner side again," Matt ordered.
"Yes, sir," Zak replied.  He typed on his computer, showing the satellite image on the screen.  Matt approached Zak behind from the left and leaned against the small cupboard on the computer desk.
The image was just like the last ones.  It shown the top-view of the castle with several armed gunmen, carrying G36's and G3 rifles, sporting German Army camouflage winter field jackets over civilian clothes, winter hats with the floppy ear covers, and some with scarves.  They already discovered that they used the armored vehicles to break into the castle with brute force and send their men inside to make the captures.  There were tracked and wheeled vehicle tracks all over the snow outside.  Some were just fresh.
"They seemed to be moving something," Matt whispered to Zak. "Can you go back a few frames?"
"Yes, sir," Zak replied.  Zak typed a few keys on the keyboard.  The video of the satellite feed only took a picture every second, meaning that every frame was a second off from the last frame.  Zak moved back many frames until they saw a Stryker-looking APC "back up" into frame.  Since the frames were going backward, the APC was actually driving away.
"What's that?" Matt asked.
"Looks like an APC, sir."
"I know that!" Matt said in a way that made Zak feel like he was stupid. "But what's it doing there?"
"Well, it looks like it's there to transport troops, sir.  Let me see," Zak said, trying to keep his dignity.  Going backwards, the APC's doors "opened" and Santa's elves were being "taken out" of the carrier.
"They're loading them up," Matt whispered. "Do you think you can follow them?"
"Sadly, no, it's out of the keyhole, sir," Zak said.  Matt sighed, which actually sounded more like a hum, and he continued thinking.  Matt then realized that the APC could only hold a small number of elves, meaning that they would have to make multiple trips to continue talking them elsewhere.
"What if they were to do that again?" Matt asked. "Could you follow them?"
"Well, I would have to re-task the satellites and expand the keyhole range, sir," Zak replied.
"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" Matt asked with a slight grin.
"Um, no, sir, I can do that," Zak said.
"Good, continue the framing," Matt ordered.  The next frame showed a large bulky fat man "walking backwards" out of the castle's side door and chatting with one of his soldiers. "Who is this guy?"
"I can zoom in on him, sir," Zak said, pausing the frames.
"Do that," Matt ordered.  Zak created a box around the fat man and zoomed in on him.  The image was blurry. "Can you enhance that?  Sharpen it up?"
Zak did not answer.  He did as he was told.  The fat man was tilting his head backward, as if he was stretching his neck.  His eyes were visible, good enough for an ID check.
"Who are you?" Matt whispered silently to himself.  He saw those eyes before somewhere.  The question is where.  Why does this fat man look familiar? "Can you run an ID check on him?"
"Yes, sir," Zak said.  He began typing in the information to narrow down searches, such as his supposed height, weight, race, and an unknown nationality.
"German, try a German nationality," Matt suggested.
Zak did as he was told.  He then copied and pasted the still-frame of the man's eyes into the identification checker program.  Once in, he hit the Enter key and the search began.  Due to Germany being a small country, there should not be that many citizens there to search for.  Unfortunately, the search came out empty.
"I guess we can rule him out as German, sir," Zak suggested, but Matt was sure this guy was German.  He clapped his hand on Zak' shoulder to stop him.  Matt's eyes shifted at the statistics on the computer screen.  Then he came to a stat that could be changed.
"Change that one," Matt said, pointing to the status bar, which said 'living' on it.
"Change 'living,' sir?" Zak asked confused.
"Yes, change 'living' to 'presumed dead,'" Matt ordered.  Zak understood where Matt was going with this.  He changed the status and started the search all over again.  The search stopped after two seconds when it finally came with a match.  The screen showed a 98.56% possibility.  That was perfect for Matt's standards.
"Looks like we got him, sir," Zak said with a slight cheer in his tone.
"Good, let me see him," Matt said, also smiling.  Zak brought up the profile.
Then the screen showed a portrait photograph of a younger-looking German human with a fat face and an angry frown, similar to the picture that used to be on his wall before falling out of power.  Then the description to the right of the picture displayed his name and everything.
"Burgermeister Meisterburger," Matt whispered in a somewhat evil-like tone of voice.
Matt did not need to read the description, he read about him in the newspapers.  He was notorious for his hatred of toys and of Santa Claus, whom at the time was known as Kris Kringle.  Now it makes sense.
"Good job, Zak," Matt said, clapping his hand on his shoulder. "Print out his dossier for me."
"Yes, sir," Zak said as he selected the nearby printer.
"No, no, no, Zak," Matt said, stopping him. "Send it to my printer in my office.  Also, forward this to the CIA, FBI, NSA, and the NATO offices.  They should in turn forward it to the United Nations."
"Yes, sir," Zak said as he selected a different printer on the computer.  He hit the print key just as Matt turned and left the large black room, leaving Zak all alone.
Matt turned and started heading back to his office where T.J. Dudek was waiting.  Matt could tell that T.J. wanted him up in the office and quickly.  On that instant, Matt quickly dashed up the stairs and to the office door.
"You got something for me?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, check this out," T.J. said, rolling his office chair out of the way so that Matt could see the computer. "The newspapers said that Miami Police stopped a suicide bombing."
"I read about that," Matt replied, assuming there is more.
"I just received the hourlies," T.J. said. "The bombing was actually thwarted by a private investigator.  His name is Monguse Mongoose, one of the leaders of a PI group calling themselves the Temporal Police."
"Temporal Police?  I've actually heard of these guys," Matt said.  Indeed, Matt did.  He knows that the Temporal Police are experts in tracking and solving problems, skills that the 75th Rangers would wish to have. "T.J., can you send a private message to them?"
"Sure, why?" T.J. asked.
"I want them.  They stopped a bombing, and they are experts in problem solving.  I wonder if they can find out about those tanks in the North Pole as well as the ones found in Oman," Matt said with a grin. "Send them and those two Marine pilots to Hereford.  Contact the Royal Air Force to pick up the pilots in Oman and arrange for a private flight out of Miami."
"Yes, sir," T.J said and he quickly got on the phone.

North Pole
1230 Hours
Hermey himself was starting to feel the chills.  It has been several hours since he made the call to Thule.  Donner, Rudolph, and Clarisse were huddled around Chopper to keep him as warm as possible.  The little guy was getting colder by the minute, even with the aid of the space blanket.  However, space blankets could not keep him warm at the most northern point of the planet in the winter.
Suddenly, all sets of ears perked up.  They heard the welcoming sound of helicopter rotors in the distance.  The five of them could not help but smile.  Of course, Chopper was too cold to smile, but he felt happiness as well.
"Stay here," Hermey said as he reached in the First Aid kit for a road flare.  He then ran outside and stood out in the middle of the open field.
The sky was so dark, he could barely see anything.  However, he saw the beacon lights of the approaching helicopters getting closer.  That was when Hermey removed the white cap from the flare and struck it, igniting the glowing stick.  He waved it in the air as the helicopter sounds were getting closer.
Within a minute, two UH-72's slowed down and hovered right above Hermey, blowing gushes of dusty snow everywhere.  To Hermey, the helicopters looked like Black Hawks but with a large fan in the back that acted as a backwards propeller, which appeared to push the helicopter.  Either way, they have arrived.  Slowly, one of the helicopters with a bright red cross on its nose made a soft landing on the icy ground.  Immediately, six men jumped out and raced toward Hermey.  One of them skidded to a stop right in front of the short elf.
"Are you Hermey?" the American man asked.
"Yeah," Hermey nodded.
"Pee-Jay Master Sergeant Karl Williams, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, United States Air Force," the Pararescue Jumper said.  United States Air Force PJ's are considered the physically demanding and exhausting Special Operations training in the world, closely behind the United States Navy SEALs and the German Army's Mountaineering School.  Their job is to provide quick action medical response to desperate people.  They mostly handle rescuing downed pilots behind enemy territory.  In the event of combat, PJ's are expert marksman and combatants.  That explains their motto, "These things we do so that others may live."
The rest of the PJ's quickly brought the three reindeer to the awaiting helicopter.  Two of them carefully lifted Chopper up in a way so that he would not feel any pain.  His body has frozen to the point where his skin was becoming solid.  This is caused by the body's fluids becoming frozen and crystallizing, which can only happen if the body has been exposed to extreme cold for a long amount of time.  The PJ kept Chopper warm but not too warm too fast or Chopper would go into shock.  They gave him a sip of warm, not hot, water from their camel packs and brought him towards the helicopters.
Chopper managed to open his eyes and look out.  He saw a helicopter on the ground and six men bringing the reindeer inside.  Hermey stayed outside the door of the helicopter with the PJ Master Sergeant.  In addition, he looked up and saw another UH-72 helicopter hovering above head not too far away.
"Why won't the other helicopter come down?" Chopper asked loudly in his weak voice.  The two PJ's holding him held heir heads closer to Chopper as they ran.
"What?" one of the PJ's asked Chopper.
"Why won't the other helicopter come down?" Chopper asked louder.
"It's a gunship, not an evac," the PJ replied back loudly.  He did not yell; he just spoke in a powerful booming voice that emitted over the helicopter's rotors.  The hovering helicopter kept their miniguns armed and ready in the event someone was to arrive.  The two PJ's carried Chopper on board, keeping him still wrapped in the space blanket.  The Master Sergeant and Hermey then climbed aboard behind them.
"Go!" the Master Sergeant shouted before fully getting on board.
The UH-72 increased in power and slowly began lifting off while the PJ's closed the hatch door.  Chopper was being rested in the arms of one of the PJ's as another one was examining him.  He placed an ear-thermometer to his ear and instantly got the temperature.  Chopper's temperature has dropped to 92 degrees, three degrees near the lethal point.  The good news was that Chopper was still conscious and shivering violently.  Shivering is a good sign that they are not in the third stage.
"He's fading, Sergeant!" one of the Air Force PJ's said in a booming voice. "His temperature is down to 92.  He's pale and his fingers are blue!"
"Is he breathing?" Master Sergeant Williams asked.
"Yes, Sergeant!"
"Get that space blanket off him!"
Chopper's reactions heard that.  He was hoping that this leader guy was a jerk and was bossing them around because he could.  However, his ears flattened when he immediately felt the PJ take the space blanket off him.
"No!  I need it to be warm!" Chopper resisted.
"I know, but I'm sorry, we need to warm up your core, the blanket will just warm up your surface," the PJ explained. "Listen, the surface will warm up, causing the frozen air inside your body to literally be trapped and cause problems to your heart.  We have to feed you warm fluids to warm up your insides when we get back to Thule."
"How long will that be?" Chopper shivered.
"Not long.  But here, drink from my camel pack," the PJ said as he extended a small mouth piece to Chopper connected to a hose.  Chopper gripped his mouth on his and sucked on it.  Warm water was entering Chopper's system.  Although his skin was still cold, he felt better inside.  It was still not enough to be deemed as safe.  All Chopper could do was wait.

Miami-Dade, Florida
1615 Hours
The Temporal Police set up these secret meeting spots to avoid anyone trying to bug their house for any details.  It was decided that a public spot will be the last place anyone would look for a meeting arrangement.  Just in case, they keep to themselves as quietly as they could.
Activity was low in the mall due to the attempted bombing the day before.  The area where the bombing was foiled was closed off, but the rest of the mall was still in access and populated.  One of the populated people happens to be Monguse Mongoose.  To prevent the clerks from realizing they saw him recently, he wore sunglasses and a raincoat due to the downpour outside.  He casually walked, ignoring everybody.  Trying to hide his face would cause suspicion.
Finally, he made it to the Starbucks restaurant near the center of the mall.  There, he saw Elisa through the windows at one of the inner stands.  Being close to the windows was dangerous because their voices close to the window will vibrate the glass, causing laser microphones to pick them up.  Being in the center at one of the tables is safe.
Casually, Monguse let himself in and sat at the table with Elisa.  On the table are two Styrofoam cups, one near Elisa and one near Monguse.
"I got you a hot chocolate.  Been sitting here for a while, so it cooled down a bit," Elisa said.  Monguse smiled.
"Thanks," Monguse replied.  He took the cup and sipped it through the top.  It has cooled down a bit.  It was still hot, but not 'undrinkable' hot. "So, why did you call me?"
"The police told me what you found out the day before at the station," Elisa confessed. "Nobody else knows about it except us, and soon to be the rest of the police.  I mean our police."
"What about it?"
"Someone at the CIA found out about what you did and what you know, and they were impressed.  I still say you did something stupid that could have killed you."
"At leased I got the job done."
"Right," Elisa said, knowing he was right. "In addition, they learned about your skills to detect something and the combat skills of the rest of the Temporal Police.  I received a message from some head at the CIA."
"Who?"
"I wasn't told that.  All I know is that he wanted me to pass this message on to you," Elisa explained.  Then she reached in her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. "You are to burn that the second you're done reading it." Elisa then handed Monguse a lighter. "I know what's on it.  I just want to let you know that I'll be taking care of the kids while you're gone, along with Zlitch, Epsilon, and Feline.  Well continue out Christmas when you guys get back."
"What does that mean?" Monguse asked, confused.
"You'll see," Elisa replied. "I have to get back home now." Elisa stood up, took her coffee, and started exiting out the door.
Monguse knew what he had to do.  He got up, with his cup of hot chocolate, and exited Starbucks.  He figured the best place to read it would be the bathroom.  Bringing it home would be risky because any unforeseen event may cause him to lose the letter.  It had to be read and burned now.
Monguse trekked his way to the men's bathroom.  Inside, he was in luck to find that the room was vacant.  Slowly, he kept looking around as he entered one of the bathroom stalls, locking himself in.  He sat on the toilet and proceeded to open the letter.  He whipped the three-folded piece of paper inside and flattened it.  At the top was the watermark, which was of the CIA seal.
The CIA was officially contacting Monguse.  He knew it.  The letter read: 'Monguse Mongoose of the Temporal Police.  As you were told, you found out something heavily classified.  At the same time, you discovered something that we have been trying to find for a long time.  I will admit that Santa Claus' castle/workshop has been raided and taken over by hostiles.  We have identified these hostiles and we wish to share that information with you and your team.  Tomorrow, I want you and your team, including Geauga, Bam, Technomancer, Ariel, and Torque to do the following.  Go to the Miami International Airport near Gate JJ.  There will be a man wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt with a sign for 'Sanji Bitel' which is who you will be.  Approach him and tell him 'The Weather is Cold in the Rockies,' he'll ask for your Social Security Number, and you should reply with 'two-twenty-three-eighty-six.' He is a civilian-dressed Marine and he will take you and your team to an awaiting private plane.  Bring only your computers and equipment necessary for a mystery-solving operation.  We will provide you with weapons, transportation, and other equipment not sold to civilians.  We need your help.  Remember; go to the airport tomorrow morning.  You will be assisting two Marine pilots on this investigation as well.  See you there.  Col. M.W.'
Monguse understood this.  He had no idea who this "Col. M.W." is, but he will surely find out tomorrow.  Going through all of these secret codes must mean that this is very important.  Monguse does not know how important, but it is.  He stood up and placed the folded letter back in the envelope.  After striking the lighter, he lit the corner and saw the envelope engulf in flames.  He held the burning letter over the open toilet as the ashes fell in.  Once the flames were getting near his fingers, he let the envelope drop in the toilet where the flame was immediately extinguished.  The remaining paper was still black charred.  Monguse flushed the toilet and saw the remaining bits of the paper getting flushed down.  The water will disintegrate the remaining bits of paper left.
Monguse exited the bathroom, walked his way out of the mall taking a different route that he got in, and started leaving.  Tomorrow starts his long adventure with the Temporal Police by his side.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
1845 Hours
Matt Wiernasz and T.J. Dudek, both wearing their respectable country's BDU's, stood outside in the cold on the base tarmac.  To their backs is the hanger used to get into the underground Command and Control Center.  They kept themselves warm by wearing thermals underneath.
After a minute, the sound of two helicopters arrived.  The two UH-72's slowly made their way back to Thule Air Base.  The base ground crew used night sticks to guide the helicopters in.  The aimed for the helicopters to land directly in front of the two Colonels, both of whom to be unafraid.  Matt and T.J. stood side-by-side in the position of parade rest as the two helicopters slowly touched down literally feet away from the two.  Any normal person would not want to get anywhere near a moving vehicle, but these two are not afraid for two reasons.  One reason is because they both have over 30 years of experience in their careers, and two they trust the helicopter pilots.  A good leader will trust the men under him that they know what they are doing.
As soon as both helicopters touched down on their tricycle wheels, the doors flung open and the PJ's immediately jumped out.  Matt immediately recognized the elf from a distance and he saw the three reindeer as well.  He could tell that Clarisse was the one without the antlers and that Rudolph was the one with the bright nose.  Donner was the last one with antlers.  Once they were all out, two of the PJ's rushed out of the helicopter with the five-year-old in their arms.
"Make a hole!  Make a hole!" the Air Force men shouted.  Matt and T.J. knew that this had to be an emergency, so they quickly stepped aside and let the two pass.  This was one of the very few times when a soldier can pass an officer without saluting.  They had to get Chopper immediately to sick bay.  There was no time to be formal and Matt and T.J. respected that.
"Sergeant Williams!" Matt called out approaching the PJ's.  He was closely followed by T.J.  As soon as the two approached the group, the Master Sergeant saluted them.
"Area ten-HUT!" Williams called.
"As you were," Matt replied.  Everyone went back to the way they were. "What happened?  Why did those two guys leave in a hurry?"
"His body was 92 degrees when we got him and he was slowly approaching 90 when we arrived here, sir," Williams explained.  If Chopper got any colder, he would arrive at the third stage of hypothermia.  The good news was that they arrived at the base just in time.  The base medics would have to do immediate work on him but warming up his core.  The cure for hypothermia is to warm the insides first and work outward.
"How's everybody else?" T.J. asked.
"We're fine," Donner said. "I'm Donner; this is my son Rudolph and Clarisse.  And this is Doctor Hermey."
"Nice to meet you all," Matt said. "I'd love to chit-chat right now, but let's get back inside where it's warm.  I'll have to question you guys later, okay?"
The reindeer and Hermey nodded.  They followed Matt and T.J. into the hanger and toward a warm area of the control center, obviously leaving the secret entrance to the underground center a secret.  However, knowing that Santa Claus has a watchful eye, these reindeer most likely have a good idea that they know about the base underneath.  Matt did not want to risk testing them so he made them casually walk by the disguised door.
"Hey, why don't we go down to the command center where it's safer?" Rudolph asked, pointing his head to the door.  That answered it.  Matt nodded, knowing that the secret was blown.
"Yeah, um, T.J., could you take them downstairs while I check on the last guy," Matt said, followed by T.J. nodding. "What's his name?"
"Chopper Chipmunk," Hermey replied.
"Thanks," Matt said.
Matt Wiernasz turned heel and jogged down the corridors toward the sick bay.  He was not running to embarrass himself; he kept a walking speed while in a jogging pace.  As soon as he arrived at the sick bay, he saw Chopper laying on a bed with an oxygen mask over his face and doctors, in military BDU's, treating him.  Matt could tell that Chopper was still conscious.  Slowly, Chopper turned his head and looked at Matt through the glass window separating the hallway and the medial room.  Chopper took one long glance at Matt and then he smiled and, with his blue fingers, waved at Matt.  Matt smiled as well and waved back.  Communicating just by glances, Matt told Chopper that he would vow to get the men that left him out in the cold.

Description
DECEMBER 7TH

North Pole
0630 Hours
Rudolph led the way with his bright red nose.  His father, Donner, stuck closely behind.  Rudolph's lover, Clarisse, and Hermey kept Chopper warm.  He certainly was not used to being in the cold for an extended period of time.  However, Chopper trusted these guys that they knew where they were going.
"Here it is," Rudolph squeaked in excitement.  Chopper, who was still a little chilly, was able to lift his head up and notice something in the distance.  There were windmills everywhere in the close distance and a small unmanned power station.  Ever since the planet was going green with solar energy and wind energy, more wind mills were being placed in remote locations.
"Sorry, but what exactly is here?" Chopper asked, chattering through his teeth.
"A phone," Donner replied. "Good thinking, son."
The five approached the small power station which looked like a small shack with a large antenna on it.  Hermey was the first one to approach the door and was relieved to find out that it was unlocked.  He pulled open the door, creating a track in the snow below, and peeked inside.  The room looked like a gate man tower for dams or power plants.  There were controls and gauges galore inside.  Indeed, there were also phones as well, including a red one with a small light on the receiver like a miniature police siren.  The red phone was reserved only for emergencies.  Indeed, this was an emergency.
"Rudolph, Donner, Clarisse, there should be a First Aid kit with a space blanket.  Get Chopper warm while I call for help," Hermey said.
The reindeer bright the shivering Chopper into the station to get warm.  The five bodies inside close together provided with body heat.  The three reindeer encircled Chopper to keep him warm.  At the same time, Rudolph managed to pull down the mounted First Aid kit off the wall with his antlers.
While the reindeer were tending to Chopper, Hermey picked up the red phone receiver and placed it to his ear.  He immediately heard someone on the other end pick up.  Since the phone does not have a dial or number touch pad, picking the phone up immediately calls the emergency hotline.
"What is your emergency?" the female operator replied over the phone.
"Hello?  We have a problem at the North Pole at Santa's castle," Hermey stuttered.  He was never in such a dangerous situation before.
"Sir, your calling from a power station, is there a power problem?"
"No!  Listen, there's a problem at Santa's castle!"
"Sir, this line is reserved for emergency calls only."
"Lady, do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza!" Hermey screamed. "Can you connect me to the authorities?"
"Sir, if there's a problem at Santa's castle, why doesn't he use his own phone?" the operator asked in a snobbish tone.
"Lady, the castle is over-run by some kind of terrorists!  This is the closest phone I found.  What day is today?  The seventh?"
"Uh, yeah, sir."
"That castle was raided two days ago!  We've been traveling by foot in the bitter cold for two days to get some kind of contact to the authorities.  Now, can you connect me to the authorities or not?"
"Sir, this line is reserved for emergencies, not pranks.  Now hang up before I report this as a federal violation."
"Fine!  Go ahead and report me!  Anything to get the authorities here!  Could you at leased connect me to NORAD?" Hermey was at his limit.  The operator was heard sighing on the other end.
"What is your name, sir?" the operator asked in a tone that was taking Hermey seriously.  Hermey was relieved himself.
"Hermey Elf," Hermey replied. "H-E-R-M-E-Y."
"Okay, stand by while I connect you to NORAD."
"Thank you," Hermey said in relief.  He turned and saw the three reindeer covering Chopper in an aluminum-colored space blanket.  At leased Chopper's shivering has stopped.  The rest of them were extremely used to the cold after years of exposure.
"Lieutenant General George Namath, NORAD," the voice on the other line said.
"General Namath, my name's Hermey, one of Santa's workers.  Listen, his castle's been raided by terrorists, me and a few others barely got away.  We need the military's help!" Hermey said very quickly.
"Okay, okay, calm down, what's this about Santa's castle being raided?" the General asked.
"Terrorists!" Hermey shouted.
"Okay, I get it.  I'll put you in contact with someone who can get there quickly," the General replied.
"Hurry up," Hermey said impatiently.  He stood in his spot hopping up and down on his feet quickly.  He then turned his attention back to the reindeer that have Chopper secured in a space blanket and trying to keep him warm.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
Matt Wiernasz was sitting in his temporary office looking over the files.  T.J. Dudek sat across from him looking over recent files as well.  It appeared as if there is a change in presidents in the oval office where the former president is giving the president-elect all of the information to run the country.
The phone on the desk ran and a light blinked on the receiver saying that the call is coming from NORAD.  Naturally, Matt answered it.
"Colonel Wiernasz," Matt said in the phone.
"Colonel, you have a caller, I'll patch him through," General Namath replied.  Soon, there was a clicking sound on the other line, indicating the call was put through.
"Hello, this is Colonel Wiernasz," Matt said.
"Mr. Wiernasz, my name is Hermey, one of Santa's elves!  Something terrible has happened!" Hermey nearly shouted.  Matt knew that this was the break he was looking for.  Quickly, without answering, he pressed the speaker phone button and placed the handset on the receiver.
"Okay, Hermey, you're on speaker, you're also on with Colonel T.J. Dudek of the Polish Land Forces.  Explain what happened," Matt said in a professional tone of voice.
"Okay, I was doing my job when I felt the castle rumble," Hermey explained. "Then I heard screaming and gunfire and men shouting."
"Did you get to see any?" T.J. asked.
"No, I didn't get to see any!" Hermey nearly shouted. "I hid in the reindeer stables and made my way to the basement and we climbed out through the window."
"We?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, with me are Donner, Rudolph, Rudolph's wife Clarisse, and a civilian named Chopper Chipmunk.  Chopper is not used to the North Pole cold, he needs to be in a warm place and fast," Hermey quickly said.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Matt said trying to calm Hermey down. "Tell me, where are you?"
"Some kind of a windmill power plant," Hermey said.
"There are many of those at the North Pole, which one are you at?" T.J. asked.
"I don't know; all I know is that it's the closest one to Santa's castle.  I know that much." That was all Matt needed to know.
Matt activated a map program on the computer he is on and typed in a search for windmill power plants.  Indeed, he found Santa's castle on the map and speculated where the closest windmill plant is.  The good thing was that the plant he assumes that Hermey is at is close to Thule.  Of course, Matt had to be sure it was the right plant.
"Okay, Hermey, I have a satellite image of a plant.  Which building are you in?" Matt asked calmly.
"I think it's a security guard tower or something.  It's small and has a red phone," Hermey replied.
"Okay, I know exactly where you are," Matt said. "Now, look outside, how many windmills can you see?"
"I can barely see outside, but I count ten." On the satellite picture, there were ten windmills.  Matt got them.
"Okay, I got you.  I'm sending out someone to pick you up right now," Matt said.  He then pressed a button on the phone to get in contact with the base. "Attention Thule Air Base, I need a pick-up helicopter to arrive at the Davis Windmill Farm, that's near the Mountain of the Whispering Winds.  I need a pick up of people there and bright here immediately, one in need of medical treatment."
"Yes, sir!" the voice shouted on the other end of the line.  Matt then clicked back to Hermey.
"Okay, Hermey I'm sending out a helicopter to pick you up."
"Thanks, and Merry Christmas." Matt clicked off the phone, hoping that there will be a Christmas to celebrate.
Outside, a pair of UH-72 Lakota helicopters lifted off and turned, heading over the icy cold Arctic Ocean and on their way to the North Pole.  Hopefully, they will get there in time for Chopper.

North Pole
0945 Hours
While the men at Thule are reacting to the raid on the castle, Burgermeister Meisterburger is occupying the castle like it was his home.  He was in contact with his men placed around the United States.  In addition, he had his contact in Germany.  Without him, Burgermeister would not of had been able to break into this castle with such brute force.  He was lounging in Santa's office with his feet on the desk, admiring that the elves are locked away in their quarters and the reindeer are locked in the stables.  In addition, he will have to send Santa out and away.  In the event that the castle was to be retaken by CT's, Santa would not be present to do anything.  All Burgermeister had to do was wait until Christmas passed, thus cancelling Christmas.
"Herr Burgermeister, Herr Burgermeister," Grimsby called knocked on the office door.  Burgermeister was shocked by Grimsby's entry that he fell out of the chair. "We've got some major trouble!"
Burgermeister slowly stood up grumbling. "What is it, Grimsby?"
"We might have a possible escape," Grimsby replied.  This immediately shot Burgermeister to stand up fast.
"What?" Burgermeister shouted, accidentally banging his knee into the desk. "Ow!  Stupid desk!  Anyway, who escaped?"
"Here, I'll show you," Grimsby said, reaching for the security monitors to the side of the desk imbedded into the wall.  Grimsby selected from a list of videos via the touch screen and a video started playing.
The security video was showing the basement.  There were Burgermeister's soldiers down there checking the place.  Once they left, a figure slowly emerged out from a well-hidden floorboard.  The figure was a large fat man wearing a winters coat and a belt of mining tools.  Slowly, the figure crawled out the basement window and outside.
"Who is he?" Burgermeister asked.
"We interrogated others and they claim him to be Yukon Cornelius, a northern prospector and a friend of Kris Kringle's.  He might be trying to warn the authorities about us."
"It doesn't matter," Burgermeister said. "I have my men set up in America.  They know that if an attempt at raiding this castle will result in destruction.  But, to be on the safe side, I want you to send men to his home and arrest him.  In the meantime, I must send Kris Kringle elsewhere in the world."
"What about your men with the fog machine in Berlin?"
"What about them?"
"They don't need to activate it for a while, give them something useful to do.  Bring the Kringle to a remote location."
"Not a bad idea, Grimsby," Burgermeister said nodding with a smug grin. "Tell them to send Kris to Saint Petersburg.  I know you can't get back to Poland with your record."
"And the fact that GROM almost caught me there," Grimsby said. "I'll make the calls." Grimsby got on his cell phone and started making his orders. "This is Grimsby; I need you to arrive here to send Kris Kringle to Saint Petersburg.  Yes, in Russia.  Hang on, I'll ask him.  Burgermeister."
"What, Grimsby?" Burgermeister asked.
"What about his wife?  Jessica?" Grimsby asked.  Burgermeister them remembered the horrible memories of her.  Technically, he could not arrest her back in Sombertown because she had nothing to do with making and delivering toys.  It was not until later that she was actually assisting the children in hiding the toys.  It was her idea to hide small gifts in stockings.  Later on, after Kris and the Kringles were arrested and in the dungeon, Jessica hired and hand-picked eight reindeer whom she trusted to fly in and break everybody out.  At that moment, Jessica became a wanted criminal as well.  She married Kris Kringle who changed his name to Santa Claus and the two of them went into hiding until Burgermeister was run out of town.  Now, finally, Burgermeister has his hands on her.
"Send her away as well, separated from the Kringle," Burgermeister said. "And, Grimsby, make sure they are unspoiled."
"Yes, sir," Grimsby said before going back to his cell phone.  After a brief conversation on the phone, he turned back to Burgermeister. "Okay, they'll be here tomorrow."
"Good, very good," Burgermeister said.  He sat down back in his chair after falling over from it.  So far, everything was going according to plan.  What he had no idea was that the world was aware of him and was spying on him.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
1030 Hours
The room was nearly pitch-black and the walls were thick to keep out electronic and even eavesdropping intruders.  The only light in the room came from the computer screen and the electronic equipment inside.  Occupying this room was a fox computer technician, named Zak, wearing a MARPAT BDU's uniform but his nametape clearly says, 'U.S. AIR FORCE' on it.  The other occupant is Matt Wiernasz and he's wearing the same uniform as Zak is, only his nametapes are removed.
Matt was staring at the cell-sheets of satellite images of the North Pole.  Many of which are different angle shots of Santa's castle before and after its raid.  Matt had a keen eye and he was looking for something.
"Hey, Zak, bring up the three-four corner side again," Matt ordered.
"Yes, sir," Zak replied.  He typed on his computer, showing the satellite image on the screen.  Matt approached Zak behind from the left and leaned against the small cupboard on the computer desk.
The image was just like the last ones.  It shown the top-view of the castle with several armed gunmen, carrying G36's and G3 rifles, sporting German Army camouflage winter field jackets over civilian clothes, winter hats with the floppy ear covers, and some with scarves.  They already discovered that they used the armored vehicles to break into the castle with brute force and send their men inside to make the captures.  There were tracked and wheeled vehicle tracks all over the snow outside.  Some were just fresh.
"They seemed to be moving something," Matt whispered to Zak. "Can you go back a few frames?"
"Yes, sir," Zak replied.  Zak typed a few keys on the keyboard.  The video of the satellite feed only took a picture every second, meaning that every frame was a second off from the last frame.  Zak moved back many frames until they saw a Stryker-looking APC "back up" into frame.  Since the frames were going backward, the APC was actually driving away.
"What's that?" Matt asked.
"Looks like an APC, sir."
"I know that!" Matt said in a way that made Zak feel like he was stupid. "But what's it doing there?"
"Well, it looks like it's there to transport troops, sir.  Let me see," Zak said, trying to keep his dignity.  Going backwards, the APC's doors "opened" and Santa's elves were being "taken out" of the carrier.
"They're loading them up," Matt whispered. "Do you think you can follow them?"
"Sadly, no, it's out of the keyhole, sir," Zak said.  Matt sighed, which actually sounded more like a hum, and he continued thinking.  Matt then realized that the APC could only hold a small number of elves, meaning that they would have to make multiple trips to continue talking them elsewhere.
"What if they were to do that again?" Matt asked. "Could you follow them?"
"Well, I would have to re-task the satellites and expand the keyhole range, sir," Zak replied.
"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" Matt asked with a slight grin.
"Um, no, sir, I can do that," Zak said.
"Good, continue the framing," Matt ordered.  The next frame showed a large bulky fat man "walking backwards" out of the castle's side door and chatting with one of his soldiers. "Who is this guy?"
"I can zoom in on him, sir," Zak said, pausing the frames.
"Do that," Matt ordered.  Zak created a box around the fat man and zoomed in on him.  The image was blurry. "Can you enhance that?  Sharpen it up?"
Zak did not answer.  He did as he was told.  The fat man was tilting his head backward, as if he was stretching his neck.  His eyes were visible, good enough for an ID check.
"Who are you?" Matt whispered silently to himself.  He saw those eyes before somewhere.  The question is where.  Why does this fat man look familiar? "Can you run an ID check on him?"
"Yes, sir," Zak said.  He began typing in the information to narrow down searches, such as his supposed height, weight, race, and an unknown nationality.
"German, try a German nationality," Matt suggested.
Zak did as he was told.  He then copied and pasted the still-frame of the man's eyes into the identification checker program.  Once in, he hit the Enter key and the search began.  Due to Germany being a small country, there should not be that many citizens there to search for.  Unfortunately, the search came out empty.
"I guess we can rule him out as German, sir," Zak suggested, but Matt was sure this guy was German.  He clapped his hand on Zak' shoulder to stop him.  Matt's eyes shifted at the statistics on the computer screen.  Then he came to a stat that could be changed.
"Change that one," Matt said, pointing to the status bar, which said 'living' on it.
"Change 'living,' sir?" Zak asked confused.
"Yes, change 'living' to 'presumed dead,'" Matt ordered.  Zak understood where Matt was going with this.  He changed the status and started the search all over again.  The search stopped after two seconds when it finally came with a match.  The screen showed a 98.56% possibility.  That was perfect for Matt's standards.
"Looks like we got him, sir," Zak said with a slight cheer in his tone.
"Good, let me see him," Matt said, also smiling.  Zak brought up the profile.
Then the screen showed a portrait photograph of a younger-looking German human with a fat face and an angry frown, similar to the picture that used to be on his wall before falling out of power.  Then the description to the right of the picture displayed his name and everything.
"Burgermeister Meisterburger," Matt whispered in a somewhat evil-like tone of voice.
Matt did not need to read the description, he read about him in the newspapers.  He was notorious for his hatred of toys and of Santa Claus, whom at the time was known as Kris Kringle.  Now it makes sense.
"Good job, Zak," Matt said, clapping his hand on his shoulder. "Print out his dossier for me."
"Yes, sir," Zak said as he selected the nearby printer.
"No, no, no, Zak," Matt said, stopping him. "Send it to my printer in my office.  Also, forward this to the CIA, FBI, NSA, and the NATO offices.  They should in turn forward it to the United Nations."
"Yes, sir," Zak said as he selected a different printer on the computer.  He hit the print key just as Matt turned and left the large black room, leaving Zak all alone.
Matt turned and started heading back to his office where T.J. Dudek was waiting.  Matt could tell that T.J. wanted him up in the office and quickly.  On that instant, Matt quickly dashed up the stairs and to the office door.
"You got something for me?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, check this out," T.J. said, rolling his office chair out of the way so that Matt could see the computer. "The newspapers said that Miami Police stopped a suicide bombing."
"I read about that," Matt replied, assuming there is more.
"I just received the hourlies," T.J. said. "The bombing was actually thwarted by a private investigator.  His name is Monguse Mongoose, one of the leaders of a PI group calling themselves the Temporal Police."
"Temporal Police?  I've actually heard of these guys," Matt said.  Indeed, Matt did.  He knows that the Temporal Police are experts in tracking and solving problems, skills that the 75th Rangers would wish to have. "T.J., can you send a private message to them?"
"Sure, why?" T.J. asked.
"I want them.  They stopped a bombing, and they are experts in problem solving.  I wonder if they can find out about those tanks in the North Pole as well as the ones found in Oman," Matt said with a grin. "Send them and those two Marine pilots to Hereford.  Contact the Royal Air Force to pick up the pilots in Oman and arrange for a private flight out of Miami."
"Yes, sir," T.J said and he quickly got on the phone.

North Pole
1230 Hours
Hermey himself was starting to feel the chills.  It has been several hours since he made the call to Thule.  Donner, Rudolph, and Clarisse were huddled around Chopper to keep him as warm as possible.  The little guy was getting colder by the minute, even with the aid of the space blanket.  However, space blankets could not keep him warm at the most northern point of the planet in the winter.
Suddenly, all sets of ears perked up.  They heard the welcoming sound of helicopter rotors in the distance.  The five of them could not help but smile.  Of course, Chopper was too cold to smile, but he felt happiness as well.
"Stay here," Hermey said as he reached in the First Aid kit for a road flare.  He then ran outside and stood out in the middle of the open field.
The sky was so dark, he could barely see anything.  However, he saw the beacon lights of the approaching helicopters getting closer.  That was when Hermey removed the white cap from the flare and struck it, igniting the glowing stick.  He waved it in the air as the helicopter sounds were getting closer.
Within a minute, two UH-72's slowed down and hovered right above Hermey, blowing gushes of dusty snow everywhere.  To Hermey, the helicopters looked like Black Hawks but with a large fan in the back that acted as a backwards propeller, which appeared to push the helicopter.  Either way, they have arrived.  Slowly, one of the helicopters with a bright red cross on its nose made a soft landing on the icy ground.  Immediately, six men jumped out and raced toward Hermey.  One of them skidded to a stop right in front of the short elf.
"Are you Hermey?" the American man asked.
"Yeah," Hermey nodded.
"Pee-Jay Master Sergeant Karl Williams, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, United States Air Force," the Pararescue Jumper said.  United States Air Force PJ's are considered the physically demanding and exhausting Special Operations training in the world, closely behind the United States Navy SEALs and the German Army's Mountaineering School.  Their job is to provide quick action medical response to desperate people.  They mostly handle rescuing downed pilots behind enemy territory.  In the event of combat, PJ's are expert marksman and combatants.  That explains their motto, "These things we do so that others may live."
The rest of the PJ's quickly brought the three reindeer to the awaiting helicopter.  Two of them carefully lifted Chopper up in a way so that he would not feel any pain.  His body has frozen to the point where his skin was becoming solid.  This is caused by the body's fluids becoming frozen and crystallizing, which can only happen if the body has been exposed to extreme cold for a long amount of time.  The PJ kept Chopper warm but not too warm too fast or Chopper would go into shock.  They gave him a sip of warm, not hot, water from their camel packs and brought him towards the helicopters.
Chopper managed to open his eyes and look out.  He saw a helicopter on the ground and six men bringing the reindeer inside.  Hermey stayed outside the door of the helicopter with the PJ Master Sergeant.  In addition, he looked up and saw another UH-72 helicopter hovering above head not too far away.
"Why won't the other helicopter come down?" Chopper asked loudly in his weak voice.  The two PJ's holding him held heir heads closer to Chopper as they ran.
"What?" one of the PJ's asked Chopper.
"Why won't the other helicopter come down?" Chopper asked louder.
"It's a gunship, not an evac," the PJ replied back loudly.  He did not yell; he just spoke in a powerful booming voice that emitted over the helicopter's rotors.  The hovering helicopter kept their miniguns armed and ready in the event someone was to arrive.  The two PJ's carried Chopper on board, keeping him still wrapped in the space blanket.  The Master Sergeant and Hermey then climbed aboard behind them.
"Go!" the Master Sergeant shouted before fully getting on board.
The UH-72 increased in power and slowly began lifting off while the PJ's closed the hatch door.  Chopper was being rested in the arms of one of the PJ's as another one was examining him.  He placed an ear-thermometer to his ear and instantly got the temperature.  Chopper's temperature has dropped to 92 degrees, three degrees near the lethal point.  The good news was that Chopper was still conscious and shivering violently.  Shivering is a good sign that they are not in the third stage.
"He's fading, Sergeant!" one of the Air Force PJ's said in a booming voice. "His temperature is down to 92.  He's pale and his fingers are blue!"
"Is he breathing?" Master Sergeant Williams asked.
"Yes, Sergeant!"
"Get that space blanket off him!"
Chopper's reactions heard that.  He was hoping that this leader guy was a jerk and was bossing them around because he could.  However, his ears flattened when he immediately felt the PJ take the space blanket off him.
"No!  I need it to be warm!" Chopper resisted.
"I know, but I'm sorry, we need to warm up your core, the blanket will just warm up your surface," the PJ explained. "Listen, the surface will warm up, causing the frozen air inside your body to literally be trapped and cause problems to your heart.  We have to feed you warm fluids to warm up your insides when we get back to Thule."
"How long will that be?" Chopper shivered.
"Not long.  But here, drink from my camel pack," the PJ said as he extended a small mouth piece to Chopper connected to a hose.  Chopper gripped his mouth on his and sucked on it.  Warm water was entering Chopper's system.  Although his skin was still cold, he felt better inside.  It was still not enough to be deemed as safe.  All Chopper could do was wait.

Miami-Dade, Florida
1615 Hours
The Temporal Police set up these secret meeting spots to avoid anyone trying to bug their house for any details.  It was decided that a public spot will be the last place anyone would look for a meeting arrangement.  Just in case, they keep to themselves as quietly as they could.
Activity was low in the mall due to the attempted bombing the day before.  The area where the bombing was foiled was closed off, but the rest of the mall was still in access and populated.  One of the populated people happens to be Monguse Mongoose.  To prevent the clerks from realizing they saw him recently, he wore sunglasses and a raincoat due to the downpour outside.  He casually walked, ignoring everybody.  Trying to hide his face would cause suspicion.
Finally, he made it to the Starbucks restaurant near the center of the mall.  There, he saw Elisa through the windows at one of the inner stands.  Being close to the windows was dangerous because their voices close to the window will vibrate the glass, causing laser microphones to pick them up.  Being in the center at one of the tables is safe.
Casually, Monguse let himself in and sat at the table with Elisa.  On the table are two Styrofoam cups, one near Elisa and one near Monguse.
"I got you a hot chocolate.  Been sitting here for a while, so it cooled down a bit," Elisa said.  Monguse smiled.
"Thanks," Monguse replied.  He took the cup and sipped it through the top.  It has cooled down a bit.  It was still hot, but not 'undrinkable' hot. "So, why did you call me?"
"The police told me what you found out the day before at the station," Elisa confessed. "Nobody else knows about it except us, and soon to be the rest of the police.  I mean our police."
"What about it?"
"Someone at the CIA found out about what you did and what you know, and they were impressed.  I still say you did something stupid that could have killed you."
"At leased I got the job done."
"Right," Elisa said, knowing he was right. "In addition, they learned about your skills to detect something and the combat skills of the rest of the Temporal Police.  I received a message from some head at the CIA."
"Who?"
"I wasn't told that.  All I know is that he wanted me to pass this message on to you," Elisa explained.  Then she reached in her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. "You are to burn that the second you're done reading it." Elisa then handed Monguse a lighter. "I know what's on it.  I just want to let you know that I'll be taking care of the kids while you're gone, along with Zlitch, Epsilon, and Feline.  Well continue out Christmas when you guys get back."
"What does that mean?" Monguse asked, confused.
"You'll see," Elisa replied. "I have to get back home now." Elisa stood up, took her coffee, and started exiting out the door.
Monguse knew what he had to do.  He got up, with his cup of hot chocolate, and exited Starbucks.  He figured the best place to read it would be the bathroom.  Bringing it home would be risky because any unforeseen event may cause him to lose the letter.  It had to be read and burned now.
Monguse trekked his way to the men's bathroom.  Inside, he was in luck to find that the room was vacant.  Slowly, he kept looking around as he entered one of the bathroom stalls, locking himself in.  He sat on the toilet and proceeded to open the letter.  He whipped the three-folded piece of paper inside and flattened it.  At the top was the watermark, which was of the CIA seal.
The CIA was officially contacting Monguse.  He knew it.  The letter read: 'Monguse Mongoose of the Temporal Police.  As you were told, you found out something heavily classified.  At the same time, you discovered something that we have been trying to find for a long time.  I will admit that Santa Claus' castle/workshop has been raided and taken over by hostiles.  We have identified these hostiles and we wish to share that information with you and your team.  Tomorrow, I want you and your team, including Geauga, Bam, Technomancer, Ariel, and Torque to do the following.  Go to the Miami International Airport near Gate JJ.  There will be a man wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt with a sign for 'Sanji Bitel' which is who you will be.  Approach him and tell him 'The Weather is Cold in the Rockies,' he'll ask for your Social Security Number, and you should reply with 'two-twenty-three-eighty-six.' He is a civilian-dressed Marine and he will take you and your team to an awaiting private plane.  Bring only your computers and equipment necessary for a mystery-solving operation.  We will provide you with weapons, transportation, and other equipment not sold to civilians.  We need your help.  Remember; go to the airport tomorrow morning.  You will be assisting two Marine pilots on this investigation as well.  See you there.  Col. M.W.'
Monguse understood this.  He had no idea who this "Col. M.W." is, but he will surely find out tomorrow.  Going through all of these secret codes must mean that this is very important.  Monguse does not know how important, but it is.  He stood up and placed the folded letter back in the envelope.  After striking the lighter, he lit the corner and saw the envelope engulf in flames.  He held the burning letter over the open toilet as the ashes fell in.  Once the flames were getting near his fingers, he let the envelope drop in the toilet where the flame was immediately extinguished.  The remaining paper was still black charred.  Monguse flushed the toilet and saw the remaining bits of the paper getting flushed down.  The water will disintegrate the remaining bits of paper left.
Monguse exited the bathroom, walked his way out of the mall taking a different route that he got in, and started leaving.  Tomorrow starts his long adventure with the Temporal Police by his side.

Thule Air Base – Qaanaaq, Greenland
1845 Hours
Matt Wiernasz and T.J. Dudek, both wearing their respectable country's BDU's, stood outside in the cold on the base tarmac.  To their backs is the hanger used to get into the underground Command and Control Center.  They kept themselves warm by wearing thermals underneath.
After a minute, the sound of two helicopters arrived.  The two UH-72's slowly made their way back to Thule Air Base.  The base ground crew used night sticks to guide the helicopters in.  The aimed for the helicopters to land directly in front of the two Colonels, both of whom to be unafraid.  Matt and T.J. stood side-by-side in the position of parade rest as the two helicopters slowly touched down literally feet away from the two.  Any normal person would not want to get anywhere near a moving vehicle, but these two are not afraid for two reasons.  One reason is because they both have over 30 years of experience in their careers, and two they trust the helicopter pilots.  A good leader will trust the men under him that they know what they are doing.
As soon as both helicopters touched down on their tricycle wheels, the doors flung open and the PJ's immediately jumped out.  Matt immediately recognized the elf from a distance and he saw the three reindeer as well.  He could tell that Clarisse was the one without the antlers and that Rudolph was the one with the bright nose.  Donner was the last one with antlers.  Once they were all out, two of the PJ's rushed out of the helicopter with the five-year-old in their arms.
"Make a hole!  Make a hole!" the Air Force men shouted.  Matt and T.J. knew that this had to be an emergency, so they quickly stepped aside and let the two pass.  This was one of the very few times when a soldier can pass an officer without saluting.  They had to get Chopper immediately to sick bay.  There was no time to be formal and Matt and T.J. respected that.
"Sergeant Williams!" Matt called out approaching the PJ's.  He was closely followed by T.J.  As soon as the two approached the group, the Master Sergeant saluted them.
"Area ten-HUT!" Williams called.
"As you were," Matt replied.  Everyone went back to the way they were. "What happened?  Why did those two guys leave in a hurry?"
"His body was 92 degrees when we got him and he was slowly approaching 90 when we arrived here, sir," Williams explained.  If Chopper got any colder, he would arrive at the third stage of hypothermia.  The good news was that they arrived at the base just in time.  The base medics would have to do immediate work on him but warming up his core.  The cure for hypothermia is to warm the insides first and work outward.
"How's everybody else?" T.J. asked.
"We're fine," Donner said. "I'm Donner; this is my son Rudolph and Clarisse.  And this is Doctor Hermey."
"Nice to meet you all," Matt said. "I'd love to chit-chat right now, but let's get back inside where it's warm.  I'll have to question you guys later, okay?"
The reindeer and Hermey nodded.  They followed Matt and T.J. into the hanger and toward a warm area of the control center, obviously leaving the secret entrance to the underground center a secret.  However, knowing that Santa Claus has a watchful eye, these reindeer most likely have a good idea that they know about the base underneath.  Matt did not want to risk testing them so he made them casually walk by the disguised door.
"Hey, why don't we go down to the command center where it's safer?" Rudolph asked, pointing his head to the door.  That answered it.  Matt nodded, knowing that the secret was blown.
"Yeah, um, T.J., could you take them downstairs while I check on the last guy," Matt said, followed by T.J. nodding. "What's his name?"
"Chopper Chipmunk," Hermey replied.
"Thanks," Matt said.
Matt Wiernasz turned heel and jogged down the corridors toward the sick bay.  He was not running to embarrass himself; he kept a walking speed while in a jogging pace.  As soon as he arrived at the sick bay, he saw Chopper laying on a bed with an oxygen mask over his face and doctors, in military BDU's, treating him.  Matt could tell that Chopper was still conscious.  Slowly, Chopper turned his head and looked at Matt through the glass window separating the hallway and the medial room.  Chopper took one long glance at Matt and then he smiled and, with his blue fingers, waved at Matt.  Matt smiled as well and waved back.  Communicating just by glances, Matt told Chopper that he would vow to get the men that left him out in the cold.