The Black Devil's Cave, page 18
“I intend to deliver a subject alive,” she added after a while. “You think PharGen will want a dead subject and will pay you for that?”
“She does have a point,” James, the other guy, agreed. He shared the back seat with Lisa, and now, he gave the boy a worried look.
Yea… mention money, and they are instantly on your side. Lisa didn’t say it aloud.
“It’s your job to keep him alive. So, give him something,” Krill barked.
The boy moaned, and his eyelids twitched. The tranquilizer was wearing off.
I have to think fast. I have to take him away from these men. Lisa desperately tried to come up with a plan.
The boy slowly opened his eyes, and after a second or two, realized where he was. He raised his head, growled, and tried to push Lisa away.
“Calm down,” Lisa said aloud, leaned over the child again, and whispered to his ear, “If you can understand me, please, I’m begging you, do as I say. I’ll help you. Trust me.”
The child stopped scratching her arm and looked straight into Lisa’s eyes. He understood, but Lisa detected hesitation. No wonder—why should he trust me after everything I’ve done?
She looked outside. There was almost no traffic. They were in the middle of nowhere, with a forest growing on both sides of the road. It had to be now or never.
“Pull over!” she said to Krill.
“What now?” He turned his head and gave Lisa another angry look.
“CX-5 is going to be sick,” she explained. “I think he may also have diarrhea. It’s a normal reaction after what I’ve given him. So, if you don’t want this truck covered with puke and shit, you better do as I say. Unless you enjoy the smell.”
“All right, all right,” Krill slowed down and put the truck to a stop on the narrow shoulder. The line of trees was no more than fifteen feet away. “Do it fast.”
Lisa jumped out of her seat and pulled the child by his hand. He obeyed.
“Pretend you’re sick,” she whispered again, and the boy bent his body and made some impressive retching noises.
“Give me my stuff,” Lisa said in the direction of James.
“Can you smell it?” she asked the man after grabbing the duffel bag. The man responded with a noncommittal nod. Nothing like the power of persuasion. “He needs to be cleaned up. I’ll do it over there,” she pointed in the direction of the trees.
“Why can’t you do it here?” Krill asked.
“I thought you didn’t want to draw attention,” Lisa said. “You want me to take off his clothes in the middle of the road?”
“There’s nobody here,” James pointed out.
“There’s some traffic,” she insisted.
“The kid doesn’t look sick to me,” Krill pointed out.
“Hey, if you want to spend hours inside a car that is covered with shit, be my guest. Unless you want to clean him up yourself?” Lisa was already walking in the direction of the trees.
As soon as they were out of sight, Lisa said, “Run!” She pulled the child into thick vegetation and kept running, holding his hand, and oblivious to branches mercilessly hitting her body. She still had no plan, and she didn’t know where they were. She only knew that she had to take the boy away from Krill and his men.
Chapter 36
The Great Mother was tired. She just participated in a ceremony of bringing a new child into the world. It started at dusk and lasted until dawn. First, the Great Mother performed a ritual to give the pregnant woman strength for the upcoming ordeal. It would be her first child, and the birth wasn’t expected to be easy. The ritual started with gifts for Uda Yurra, the mother and father of all creation. Then, all doors were opened, and pots and jars were uncovered to remove obstructions and provide a clear path for the spirit that would come to enter into the body of the newborn child.
The woman who was about to give birth was placed in a special vessel filled with water that turned green after adding herbs and medications. Of course, the Great Mother’s unseeing eyes could not tell her that, but there was no doubt—she could smell the delicate, musky aroma.
For hours, the Great Mother chanted and recited prayers while gently massaging the belly of the mother-to-be. Finally, with the assist of five other women, the Great Mother received the newborn baby into the tribe. It was a girl, which was the source of great joy. Their numbers were dwindling, and while all children were considered a blessing, the birth of a female was much celebrated. It came with a promise of continuity for their entire race.
Next, the newborn girl was greeted with fire which symbolized life. They also brought fresh tree branches—the symbol of health, and flower petals—the symbol of beauty. In exactly one cycle of the Moon, the newborn girl would be given a name, but she would be known only as a Blessed Newcomer until then. Both white and black shamans would keep vigil by the newborn child during that time. They would watch for messages brought to the tribe by the spirit, who had just arrived from the invisible realm of the unknown.
The Great Mother unfolded the mat and laid it down. She felt more tired than ever in recent weeks, often thinking about departing this world and joining her ancestors in the afterlife. She remembered the tribe being much bigger and stronger. There were fewer strangers around, and her people didn’t have to hide all the time. But then, the Others started coming. First, they build settlements and villages, and later big cities. The soldiers came and fought other soldiers. They murdered the villagers and those who lived in the cities. Many died. Countless cars that moved on iron rails transported terrified and starving people, always to the east. She witnessed history unfolding around the tribe, although they were never involved. It wasn’t their fight.
Over time, she realized that the Others were there to stay. Was her tribe cursed to remain hidden forever? So finally, she sent a special boy to the leaders of a powerful country far away, with the hope that the boy might change their fate. But the mission failed. The Great Mother failed. She couldn’t understand the world anymore. Who knows—maybe the birth of a new female indicated that she would be allowed to leave this world? But she had to wait for the sign.
The Great Mother was slowly drifting into sleep when she received a strong distress signal. It came from the boy, Naneyu. He was in grave danger and needed help. She instantly opened her white eyes.
“Send me the image, Young One. Find a bird high in the sky and use him to send me the image.” The boy was much closer now. She knew he could hear her voice.
In less than a minute, she was able to connect with his mind and saw everything that happened—the innocent man falling to the floor and a puddle of blood growing around him; the boy carried to the moving machine and given medication to make him sleep, and finally, the woman grabbing him and running into the forest.
“Can I trust her, Great Mother? What should I do?”
“I cannot read her heart, but you must stay with her, at least for now. It’s better than staying with those men. I’ll send help. Your mother is not far away, and I’ll do everything I can to reach out to her and send her to you. I’ll send others as well. But, for now, stay safe and lead that woman in the direction of the setting sun.”
Reaching Aab was not easy. She loved her son and was ready to sacrifice herself to save him, but her powers were weak. Aab’s connection with the world wasn’t strong enough to do what needed to be done. It was as if all unique qualities that came from her ancestors skipped Aab and were channeled into her son, Naneyu, with not much left for her own use.
For a while, the Great Mother was lost in thoughts. Then, finally, she raised her arms and used all of her own powers to call to Aab. After long fifteen minutes, the woman finally responded.
“I’m here, Great Mother. Do you see my son?”
“Your son is facing danger once again,” the Great Mother said. “He was kidnapped by the same people who took him before, in the faraway land across the big water. But don’t despair. A woman who helped those people before but whose heart may have changed has now helped him escape. They hide in the forest, and they’ll be heading in this direction.”
“Can that woman be trusted?”
“I don’t know. It’s very hard to read the minds of Others. That’s why you have to go immediately. You must take your son away from that woman and bring him here.”
“But how am I going to find him, Great Mother? I have been looking for days. From time to time, I can hear his voice, like I hear yours, but I don’t know where he is.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll send help.”
The Great Mother scanned the area for a creature suitable for the task. Finally, she saw one. Yes, you will be perfect. Hear my voice and follow it to the woman who awaits your arrival. After you find her, I will lead you to help her find her son.
Aab didn’t have to wait long. She was sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree when she saw a pretty bird with a spotted belly, and orange rings around the eyes landing on a branch no more than five feet away. The bird was big but not huge, and a curved beak indicated a bird of prey. A female Amur falcon was staring straight at Aab, showing no fear.
“Oh yes, little one. Show me the way.”
As if understating her words, the bird took flight heading west. Aab followed.
Chapter 37
Jenny never before saw that much blood. She felt nauseous and, for a brief moment, was overwhelmed by an irrational urge to run away. But it was Sergei, their guide and—at that point—also their friend.
“Hey, can you hear me? Shake it off and help!”
Jenny realized that Sonia was talking to her. Sonia was already on the ground, doing CPR.
“Bring towels,” she barked to Jenny. “And you,” she turned to the women from the hotel, “call 911. Or whatever number you call for an emergency.”
“Is he breathing?” Jenny asked, her voice quivering.
“I’m working on it. You must stop the bleeding. Get the largest towel and push it into his wound. Harder,” she added, seeing that Jenny gently attached the cloth. “You can’t hurt him more, trust me. And if this bleeding continues, he won’t survive.”
For a moment, Sonia worked in silence, compressing Sergei’s chest and breathing into his mouth. After what felt like an hour but was probably only a few minutes, Jenny thought she saw a slight movement of Sergei’s chest. Or was it an illusion? Wishful thinking?
“He’s back,” Sonia confirmed. “His breathing is shallow, but he has a chance.” She removed the towel that was already soaked in blood and pushed her hand inside the gaping hole in Sergei’s stomach.
“What, the hell, are you….” Jenny did not finish the sentence. Several men wearing what looked like scrubs stormed into the room.
“I’m a physician. I’ve administered CPR, but he’s not out of the woods yet. He’s lost a lot of blood, but I don’t believe there’s critical damage to vital organs. Do you understand English?” Sonia asked the men.
“Yes. Give us some room.” One of the men gently pushed Jenny aside.
She went to the hallway and closed her eyes. The entire world was spinning. Please, please, don’t let him die…
“Get us clean clothes. Fast.” Jenny heard Sonia’s voice. “We’re going to the hospital. I’ll ride in the ambulance, and you will go with them,” Sonia pointed to two uniformed policemen.
Jenny realized that they both still wore their pajamas, now smeared with blood. They changed in seconds and just wiped away some of Sergei’s blood from their hands and faces. There wasn’t time to wash.
After a short ride, the police car stopped in front of a modern structure with one circular wing built in the shape of a rotunda. It had to be the hospital. The ambulance disappeared into a different entrance, probably taking Sergei straight to the ER.
“Follow me,” somebody said in English. It was an older woman, a hospital employee. Someone must’ve told her about Jenny, but Jenny didn’t ask, still unable to snap out of the trance. She saw death before; she was around dead bodies, but that much blood….
“Please, wait here.” The woman pointed to a row of seats and walked away only to return a couple of minutes later with a box of wipes. Probably to wipe out Sergei’s blood. The woman also gave Jenny a bottle of water and started walking away.
“Excuse me,” Jenny stopped her. “How’s that man they’ve just brought in?”
“I know nothing, ma’am. I’m sure someone will come to talk to you.”
Jenny closed her eyes again, making a herculean effort to compose herself. The image of Sergei in all that blood would stay with her forever. She started methodically cleaning her arms, face, and neck, grateful for having something to do. The waiting room was empty—she was the only one there.
Maybe an hour later, she was joined by Sonia.
“Give me some of that,” Sonia demanded, grabbing Jenny’s water and emptying the bottle in one gulp. “He’ll live,” she finally said. “Those Russian doctors know what they’re doing. I’m impressed, and it takes a lot to impress me.”
Jenny felt like a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders. “What now?” She turned to her friend.
“Damn if I know,” Sonia shrugged.
For a while, they were silent, each lost in her own thoughts. Jenny checked her watch—it was 5:45 a.m. local time, the beginning of a new day.
“Nothing in this entire mess goes our way.” Jenny frowned. “We are exactly where we started. The kid’s gone. PharGen has him, and we’ve traveled across the world for no reason at all.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Sonia disagreed, but her voice lacked conviction.
“With the mummy of Lady Miren, we had the manuscript giving us hints and sending us to the right places,” Jenny continued. “We had Ximena and her people watching over us. We had Brian. But now, all we have is a bunch of unrelated stories that don’t deserve to be called clues. We have a kid with strange powers, or abilities, or whatever you want to call it. We have a Voynich manuscript that can’t be deciphered for hundreds of years, but the kid reads from it fluently. We also have a Tsar and his entire family murdered by Bolsheviks, and a crazy monk, Rasputin, who apparently could do some of the things that the kid does. Oh, and he was also murdered. Does anyone in the freaking country die of natural causes? Not to mention that all of those clues have nothing in common!”
“That’s not true,” Sonia disagreed. “They all lead to the same location, somewhere here. We’re getting closer. I can feel it.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore!” Jenny sat back; her expression worried. “Naneyu is gone.”
“So, what, you want to just quit and leave?”
Before Jenny could answer, the door opened, and a gorgeous woman walked into the room. She had shoulder-length blond hair, huge blue eyes, and an hourglass body emphasized by a tight dress. As she came closer, Jenny and Sonia noticed that she was older than they first thought, but perfect makeup, perhaps combined with plastic surgeries, made her look no more than twenty-five. She was followed by a middle-aged man who was anything but good-looking, yet they immediately felt his commanding presence. If they were a couple, something had to draw that stunning woman to that unattractive guy.
The woman said something in quick Russian.
“Sorry, but we don’t speak Russian,” Jenny said while admiring the woman’s dress. It looked vaguely familiar. Was it Chanel from the spring collection? If it was, it had to cost a fortune.
“My name is Tatiana. Tatiana Drozdov and this is my husband, Pavel,” the woman said in heavily accented English. “Sergei’s told me that he travels with two Americans. What happened? How is he doing? They won’t tell me anything! I want to see him right away! Pavel, do something!”
“And you are?” Jenny raised a brow.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Sergei’s sister. I came as soon as I heard.”
“Well, he’s out of surgery, but I doubt it that they’ll let you see him,” Sonia said. “He’s still unconscious, but his prognoses are cautiously optimistic. I’m Dr. Sonia Ruiz, and this is my friend, Jenny Williams.”
“Who did it to him?” the man asked. “Was it that lying bastard, Krill?”
“You know him?” Sonia and Jenny asked in unison.
The stunning woman looked at her husband, visibly shocked. What he’d just said must have been news to her as well.
“He’ll definitely regret that he knows me,” the man hissed. “I’ll go and find out about Sergei,” he turned to his wife. “You wait here.”
As soon as he left, the door opened again, and the women were approached by a thin, nondescript man wearing a cheap suit.
“Isn’t it our lovely Mrs. Drozdov?” The man asked in English while mockingly bowing before the striking woman. “However, I shouldn’t be surprised. You must’ve come to check on your little brother. Has your husband told you that he is involved with people who tried to kill him? Who knows, maybe he even ordered the hit. What a nice, loving family….”
“Yob tvoyu mat,” the woman cursed in Russian and quickly walked away.
“What did she say?” Jenny asked.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” The man grimaced.
“And who are you?”
“Anatoly Andreyevich Ivanov. I’m with the… authorities. I wonder if you could tell me what happened.”
Ivanov didn’t follow the Americans, but he was aware of their movements thanks to his informers in different parts of Siberia. From other agents within the FSB, he also learned about Krill buying information from Drozdov. However, Ivanov was still puzzled by the presence of the American women and the purpose of their visit to Russia. He knew about the boy but couldn’t find out who the child was, where he came from, and what made him so valuable.
Ivanov was a stern believer that, in most cases, human actions were motivated by greed. He knew that Krill and his goons wanted the kid at all cost but had no idea why. It probably had something to do with biomedical research, but Ivanov didn’t know the purpose or the details. Or, why did those women bring the kid to Russia? If the boy was Russian and they only wanted to take him home, wouldn’t it be easier to contact the Russian consulate in L.A.? No, there was some conundrum there, and Ivanov hated puzzles. Nevertheless, he was determined to find out what was going on, and he intended to start by questioning the American women.
