Siberius (32 page)

“
Once we have a plan, we will let you out,” said Radchek. He turned back to Nick and Talia. “Please, continue.”

“
Well,” Talia said. “These animals use orchestrated attacks, much like African lions.”

“
I don’t know about lions, but I do know warfare.” Radchek paused, thinking about how the Smilodons had killed Garkin, then used him as bait to draw the soldiers out. “They encircled and ambushed us.”

Talia could see the pain in his eyes. “For them, it’s just a matter of survival, captain.” She tried putting a clinical spin on it.

“But the camp has been here over 30 years,” said Ormskovo from atop the crate. “Nobody here ever saw any lions.”

“
They’re not lions,” said Nick.

“
Who gives a fuck,” Jovaravich stood up, hollering at Nick. “Filthy animals. If I only had a gun.”

Radchek waved his hand at the private. He sat back down. Radchek said, “Ormskovo is right. Angara
has
been here a long time. Why attack now? “

“
Talia,” Nick said with a sudden seriousness that gave him everyone’s attention. “You said earlier that I was the clue to their migration.”

“
That’s right,” she said. “You’re here for the same reason they are.” Nick studied her, trying to understand.

Radchek shifted his attention between them both. “It would be helpful if you didn’t talk in riddles.”

“It’s your radar installation,” Talia answered. The epiphany she had in the cavern may have cleared the air regarding the animal’s behavior, but it was of little comfort. Although she and Leonid had, during the past decade, made every effort to hide their presence while studying the cats, the Soviet Army had not. They had drawn the attention of the Smilodons, who had until recently no reason to venture as far south as the installation. That all changed after the facility came on line, and the big cats, who always followed the reindeer herds south during their annual migration had suddenly found themselves in the company of some unwanted neighbors.

“
She just admitted guilt,” Barkov hollered from his cell. “You all heard it. They’re spies.”

“
Shut up, colonel,” Radchek yelled. Infuriated, Barkov’s nostrils flared like an angry bull. “Go ahead, madam,” said the captain.

“
These animals have the ability to hear within a range I’ve never encountered before,” she continued. “No one has, to the best of my knowledge. The closest approximation in the class
mammalia
are bats and dolphins, which use high frequency sound to navigate, to communicate, to hunt. These cats must have similar abilities.”

“
They hunt by sound?” Nick said.

“
I think they communicate by sound. Siberia is vast, and so is the territory of this species. The most efficient way to reach others in their pride would be to emit a high frequency sound.”

“
You know your stuff, honey.” Nick felt proud to be with her.

“
Actually, I have no way to prove any of it,” she said, aware of Nick’s admiration. “These are just conclusions that I’ve made after years of watching them.”

“
Wait,” Radchek said. “Radar doesn’t make noise.”

“
Not to us,” said Talia. “Radar is sound waves. These cats must be sensitive to a particular frequency. Your radar installation, where is it?”

“
A few miles from the Yenisey River,” said Nick. He looked at Radchek and shrugged. “You know I know. Why hide it?”

“
The Yenisey cuts right through their territory. It’s a corridor that leads all the way north, to their Arctic territory,” Talia continued. “The radio waves generated by the radar must be the reason they’ve ventured south.”

“
It’s a beacon for them,” said Nick.

Talia nodded. “They’re tracking the sound waves to their source.”

“I don’t understand,” said Radchek. “If radar has attracted them, what are they doing here? Yenisey is 400 miles away.”

“
Have you been in contact with your base at all?” said Talia.

Radchek shook his head. Now it made sense why Yenisey wasn’t answering.

“That radar array just hollered out to them that people were here,” said Nick. “You fellas built a big million dollar dinner bell.”

A pall fell over the group.

“Actually, they don’t eat humans,” Talia said.

“
That you know of,” said Nick.

“
Arctic predators as big as siberius typically feed on big mammals. Reindeer, seals, musk ox. Even whales and dolphins.”

“
People are pretty scrawny by comparison,” Nick said.

Talia nodded. “Quite. Not even worth the expended energy it would take to hunt us.” In the grand scheme of things, she really didn’t have much empirical evidence regarding siberius’s predatory habits. But what she did have were Leonid’s theories about the roll man played in the life of siberius. If those theories were indeed true, which more than ever appeared to be the case, then siberius was a killer of man, and not a consumer.

“
As to why they’ve come this far south,” Talia continued. “Once they began tracking me and Nick, it was only a matter of time before the others joined in the hunt. They are not very fond of people.”

“
Okay,” said Radchek. “Where does all this leave us?”

“
I think it’s safe to say that we were, and are, targets for extermination.”

The matter-of-fact tone of Talia’s statement angered Jovaravich. He stood up, snagging his broken arm on the desk and yelping in pain. “Extermination?” he said wincing. “We’re not fucking bugs!”

“Sit down,” Radchek commanded, and Jovaravich did so. “Perhaps if we get out of this you can tell me
why
they dislike people,” he said to Talia. “I’m assuming it’s not relevant at this point, though.”

Talia nodded in agreement, but the reality was, she had no intention of telling them much more than she already had. For now, though, it was a matter of survival. Hers and Nick’s. “It’s the beginning of winter,” she said. “Once they’ve found or dug out a den, they’ll go into hibernation,” Talia said.

“So they may have left?” said Ormskovo.

Talia nodded. “Its possible.”

“There hasn’t been any movement outside for hours,” said Radchek.

“
That’s because they’ve gone,” said Barkov as he clutched the bars. “This woman is feeding you a lot of nonsense and you’re buying into it.”

Talia grew angry. She didn’t like being called a liar.

“Tell them the truth, madam. You’re trying to keep them occupied while your American figures a way out.”

“
They may be gone,” she said to Radchek. “But if they’ve added this camp to their territory, they won’t be gone for long.”

“
Is there any way we can tell before we go wandering around outside?” Radchek asked.

“
They’ll leave a pretty potent piss-puddle if they’ve added the Ritz here to their digs,” said Nick.

“
And a distinguishing set of gouges on wood,” Talia said. “Teeth marks.”

“
Well,” said Radchek. “At least that’s something.”

“
Okay then.” Nick stood up and paced around the group. Ormskovo kept the luger on him. “Let’s see what we have.” He stopped and looked at Radchek like he just stepped on the captain’s toes. “With your permission, captain?”

Radchek crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “Do all Americans act as you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“
You are still a prisoner,” said Radchek. “When we reach Bratsk, you will be turned over to the MGB. You know what that means, don’t you?

“
Tell you the truth, I haven’t given it much thought.”

“
I want you to be very clear on this.”

“
Captain, I’ve seen these cats in action, too. I’d rather take my chances with the MGB than with them.” Nick smiled, but underneath he was sweating. He had no intention of getting to Bratsk under Soviet guard. And Colonel Barkov was right. Nick
had
been formulating a plan while Talia talked. The plan involved a lot of deception on his part. He had to gain the trust of the soldiers and their captain, which he was sure he was now doing. Arriving at the gulag, as it turned out, was the best thing that could have happened. The cats had slowed his journey to Bratsk and safety, but Nick was sure of one thing: He would
not
, under any circumstances, be a guest of the MGB.

“
There are five of us.” Nick encircled the group. “Six if you count him.” He pointed to Barkov. “We’re holed up in a building with two possible exits-”

“
Three,” said Jovaravich. “There is a back staircase that leads to the second floor and the roof. That’s how I got down here.”

“
Uh-huh,” said Nick, then turned to Radchek. “How did you get in here, captain?”

“
A door out back,” Radchek said. “It was destroyed, but I closed and locked two other doors in the corridor between there and this cell block. I wouldn’t recommend going that way.”

“
Okay,” Nick continued. “Three exits: the back staircase, the front door and the tunnel entrance. Outside, we have two wrecked vehicles with nearly empty fuel tanks.”

“
There may be three or four gallons left in them, collectively,” said Radchek. He was relieved someone else had taken over for the moment. Even if it was an American spy.

“
There are also an unknown number of vehicles at the far end of the compound. Operational, we hope. Those are what we should go after.” Nick stopped behind Talia and held her shoulders. He looked up at Ormskovo on the crates. “Where does that tunnel lead?”

“
To the main building,” Ormskovo said.

“
Nowhere else?”

“
Nowhere else.”

He started his circle again. “Okay, we’ll assume that all the cats are still out there. Since we know they’re night hunters-”

“Most of the time,” Talia interrupted.

“
Right,” said Nick. “Most of the time. Just the same, it’d be a good idea to wait for daylight.” He looked to Jovaravich. “There’re weapons in the main building?”

The gray-haired private nodded. “Second floor. Corporal Garkin kept them in cabinets in the old infirmary. All locked away.”

“Terrific. You’ve got a direct line to them through the tunnel.” Nick continued his circle. “First order of business is to arm ourselves.” He glanced over at Radchek, who squinted at Nick. “Sorry,” said Nick. “The first order of business is for
you
to arm yourselves.” Nick looked at a saddened Talia and said “I’m sorry, but if it’s a matter of us or them-”

“
I know,” she said, then stared down at her boots.

“
Once we’re…I mean
you’re
armed, we check out those vehicles, see what’s what. If they run, great. If they need fuel, we siphon off as much as possible from the convoy.”

“
And what if the vehicles don’t work?” said a smug Jovaravich.

Nick stopped, then said, “Let’s just hope they do.”

36

The sun peaked over the forested horizon, bathing the camp in orange. Storm clouds from the night before traveled further southeast, toward Mongolia. For the moment, Siberia was clear of inclement weather. As it was during the night, the camp was quiet. Untouched and pristine, the fresh white blanket enshrouded Angara Labor Camp.

With his head sticking out of the doorway, Nick looked around and saw the stillness. There wasn’t even a breeze. He ducked back in and faced Radchek.

“
I don’t see anything,” said Nick. Next to Radchek and holding the pistol was Jovaravich. “I think they’re gone.”

“
How can you be sure?” Radchek said.

“
I can’t. But I don’t see any footprints.”

Radchek took a look for himself. He saw a quiet camp and nothing more. “I think you’re right.” They had been inside the cellblock for over eight hours. The storm had passed through within a half hour of the attack, and no more snow fell. That meant any footprints made within the past seven hours would still be there. “They must have left right after they ambushed us,” said Radchek. “What did your Talia say? They were preparing to hibernate?”

              “Yes,” Nick said. “In their den.”