For his part, Aleksei would be as shocked as all the others that the saloon keeper they had all trusted had turned out to be a murderer. He’d wonder with the rest of them what had become of Dzubenko’s wife and speculate on whether or not she had been an accomplice in the murders. He could hear the camp workers insisting that she must have been, why else would she have disappeared in the dark of night and left her home behind? He’d shake his head and sadly agree that they must be right.
Aleksei burst out laughing at the thought of it, his laugh echoing off the trees as he walked through the woods. It was all going to be such fun.
The smoke and lights of the Turnagain Arm saloon came into view. His saloon. He heard the whistle of the locomotive coming from the direction of the camp, the signal that workers had finished laying more track and it would soon be time to move on from Potter Creek.
The railroad company had years of work ahead before they would be finished with the railroad. And Aleksei and the Turnagain Arm would be there the rest of the way, moving along with the camps as they worked their way towards Fairbanks and the completion of the project. By the time the railroad was completed, Aleksei would have all the money he could ever need for setting up his next venture.
Aleksei smiled as he prepared to go inside and tell everyone the shocking and tragic story of the tragedy that had befallen the heroic James Hawkins and the terrible truth that had been revealed about Vasyl Dzubenko. It was all he could do to keep from laughing again. There was no question in his mind that coming to Alaska had been the best decision he’d ever made.
He liked it here.
***
Aleksei Nechayev’s story continues…
POLAR NIGHT
At noon the sun awakens as rural Dalton highway is painted on the arctic, Alaskan horizon. Silhouetted against the burning haze, a haunted asylum pierces the never-ending sky.
A woman screams.
A silken voice and a powerful grip to the throat persuades her silence. His classic Russian features, not unlike the minted image of Czar Nicolas II, remain frozen in time. “Please do not disappoint me like the others, my darling.”
The doorbell chimes. He releases his hold and caresses her cheek. “Natasha,” escapes his lips as he ascends the creaky wooden stairs. A calm hand opens the door. The glistening snow on the front porch pales against Aleksei’s skin and charming smile.
The callused hand of detective Danny Fitzpatrick flashes a search warrant. His puffy, bloodshot eyes lock onto Aleksei’s …
The young woman cries out, but only Aleksei hears. They will never find you my dear. This beaten and hung over man does not have a clue.
Hours later, the detective crosses the threshold and shudders as if encased in a block of ice. The sun drops to sleep and an eerie shadow creeps alongside him. He shakes his head.
Aleksei watches from the peephole. You feel my immortal essence … do you not? A forceful hand bolts the door. Aleksei probes his elongating eye teeth.
It is time for a new plan …
Polar Night on Amazon
And coming in January, 2015 from Ink Smith Publishing:
The midnight sun heralds the arrival of a new enemy in the sequel to Polar Night, POLAR DAY.
***
About the Author
Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. She has spent her life reveling in the pleasures and the magic of books. Julie is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals. She is a life-long animal lover and an animal rescue advocate and shares her home with her rescued dog and cat.
Julie’s published novels include the paranormal thriller Polar Night and the historical ghost story The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Both are available in ebook and paperback from Ink Smith Publishing. Polar Day, the sequel to Polar Night, will be published by Ink Smith in January, 2015.
Julie is a proud member of the speculative fiction writing group Untethered Realms. Meet the rest of the group and explore their books at http://untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/.
Please visit Julie at her website at julieflanders.net or contact her by email at [email protected]. She can also be found on Twitter at @JulesFlanders.
Table of Contents
Also by Julie Flanders
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
About the Author
Table of Contents
Also by Julie Flanders
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
About the Author
Polar (Prequel): The Turnagain Arm Page 7