Stay:The Last Dog in Antarctica by Jesse Blackadder

willed Kaboom to tell her where exactly she was going, but the wind must have been too strong. If Kaboom said anything, Stay couldn’t hear it over the howl of the blizzard.

Chapter 18
    Stay felt like she’d been hidden for days by the time the blizzard finally dropped. When the wind stopped shrieking, she heaved a sigh of relief. She had no way of knowing if it was day or night — though there was no such thing as day or night anyway, in the middle of the Antarctic summer when the sun never set. And however bright it might have been outside, it was dark inside the mailbag where Kaboom had hidden her.
    Stay heard a loud thump. A door cracked open and a stream of cold air rushed in. She could hear voices and someone moving things around.
    ‘About time we got the all clear,’ a voice grumbled nearby. ‘I’ve been waiting to take off for days!’
    Stay recognised the deep voice of Nuts from the Last Husky. He was a tall man with black hair and a bushy black beard, who piloted one of the helicopters. Kaboommust have hidden Stay in the little office at the heliport, ready to go on the flight!
    But where was she headed now? Some of the scientific teams who went out in the field to study rocks travelled by helicopter. Perhaps she’d be flying out to one of their camps for a visit?
    ‘Remember, Nuts, you guys have got to be back from Mawson before dinner.’
    It was Kaboom’s voice and Stay felt a rush of excitement. Mawson! She was going to Mawson Station! The huskies lived at Mawson, and Chills was just nearby. Surely if she made it to Mawson she’d find a way out to him!
    ‘Not fair,’ Nuts grumbled. ‘Can’t even party with the Mawson dudes.’
    ‘You know the rules,’ Kaboom said. ‘It’s too windy for Squirrels to stay overnight there.’
    ‘Yeah, yeah, so I hear,’ Nuts said. ‘Big winds flowing down off the plateau and all that. Very uncool. I’ve never been to Mawson and neither has Stretch. We wouldn’t mind exploring.’
    ‘Well, get moving!’ Kaboom said. ‘Have you got a mechanic with you?’
    ‘Yeah, Bluey’s coming along. He’s going with Stretch in the other chopper. They’re ready to go.’
    Stay felt herself being picked up and realised Kaboom was carrying the mailbag outside.
    ‘Got a bit of extra room?’ Kaboom asked.
    ‘I’ve got a spare front seat,’ Nuts answered. ‘Wanna come?’
    ‘Love to, but I haven’t got a day off till next week,’ she said. ‘This is a special delivery for Chills, next time someone goes out to Beche to drop off supplies or if he comes in to pick some up.’
    Stay felt herself being passed up into the helicopter and put on the seat.
    ‘Pretty big present,’ Nuts said. ‘What is it?’
    ‘A surprise,’ Kaboom said. ‘And I mean that, Nuts. Don’t open it. OK? And make sure no one else does either. I’d deliver it myself, but it can’t wait.’
    ‘It’ll have to go on the front seat,’ Nuts said. ‘Can you buckle it in?’
    Kaboom adjusted Stay so she was sitting on the seat facing forwards. Stay felt the seatbelt tighten over her chest.
    ‘OK, we’d better get our skates on,’ Nuts said.
    ‘Travel safe.’ Kaboom was talking to Nuts, but she patted the mailbag as she spoke and Stay knew she was talking to her as well.
    ‘Always,’ Nuts said. ‘See ya!’
    I’ll miss you, Kaboom, Stay thought.
    The door closed and Stay heard Nuts flick a series of switches and start up the engines. The blades began to turn, speeding up and making a thud-thud sound that she remembered hearing on the helideck of the ship. She could hear the other helicopter starting too.
    ‘VLZ-Davis, this is Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar,’ Nuts said.
    The radio crackled into life. ‘Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar, this is VLZ-Davis, reading you loud and clear.’
    ‘Hi, dudes. Me and Sierra-Echo-Sierra are ready to take off for Mawson.’
    ‘Safe flying, Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar and Sierra-Echo-Sierra. Catch you for a drink later on.’
    ‘Thanks, VLZ-Davis. Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar