by Dan Glover
Chapter 47—From the Ashes
The cabin looked deserted.
Karen first knocked at the front door and when it went unanswered she walked around to the back to peer through a lone window.
"May I help you?"
The voice was in Russian startling Karen into thinking she was doing something wrong. Turning she saw an old woman staring at her as if she had just been caught trying to break into the stone cabin. Karen answered the old woman in her own halting rusty Russian.
"I am looking for my friends. Do you know if a tall beautiful woman is staying here?"
"This is the witch's cabin. No one from my village comes here. We are all afraid."
"They might have been foreigners unfamiliar with your customs."
"There were three women here, not one. I saw them myself. One was tall, yes, and they were all three beautiful. Do you know these people?"
"I'm not sure... you don’t happen to know their names by chance."
"Two of these women I have seen here before. Not recently... many years ago. They are Ladies of the Lake."
"What do you mean... do they come from this area?"
"They come from the Lake."
The old woman made the sign of the cross, turned to hurry back down the forest path as if suddenly frightened by something unseen, and disappeared as quickly as she had come.
"Wait... please don’t go. I have questions..."
Too late, she called out to the old woman who didn’t look back. It had taken Karen nearly a week to locate the cabin. Everyone in the village seemed intent upon protecting the Ladies of the Lake, as they called them. She finally met a young man named Viktor. He claimed he was the brother of a man who contracted Lake Baikal fever and died during the outbreak fourteen years ago. He explained the local legend to Karen in a way she hadn't heard before.
"They say these creatures come up out of Lake Baikal to tempt men into mating with them. They are beautiful. Though they resemble the women of the village they are different too. It is said that once a man falls in love with such a creature they can think of nothing else... not food, not sleep, nothing. They waste away in a matter of days."
"Did your brother talk of meeting a Lady of the Lake?"
"I was only seven years old at the time but I noticed something was wrong with him. Anton was always full of life, laughing and joking and playing ball with me when he came home from working the fields with my father. Even after working all day he was still full of energy.
"Late one night I awoke. I had to urinate so I thought that was why I woke up. I went out the back door making my way to the outhouse. My father always yelled at me if I peed in the weeds. I thought I saw Anton walking across the field in the moonlight. He looked like a ghost. I wondered: why is my brother out so late when he must be up early to continue the harvest?
"Curious, I forgot my need. I followed him staying far enough back that he didn't see me. He walked like a man with purpose, right to the shores of the Lake where he stood extremely still for a long time. I was by now crossing my legs remembering why I had left the house and yet reluctant to move out of the sight of Anton to empty my bladder.
"In the moonlight I noticed how the surface of the Lake began to ripple. Something was emerging. Was it an enormous fish? Or was it something even more dangerous? At first I thought it must be the monster of the Lake which I had heard so much about. I started to call out to Anton... to warn him. But then I saw it was a woman coming out of the Lake, not the monster at all. She was without clothes and so beautiful I lost my breath as she took my brother by the arm to lead him into the forest.
"I had to relieve myself or risk wetting my pants so I went into a patch of trees to do so all the while looking over my shoulder trying to see which way my brother and the woman went. I lost sight of them, however. Eventually I made my way back to our house where I laid awake the rest of the night awaiting the return of Anton. When the sky began to turn pink I must have fallen asleep.
"In the morning when I went down to breakfast Anton was already at the table. He looked exhausted. Though my mother had set a plate of food in front of him he pushed it aside saying he was not hungry. Are you feeling ill, my son? No mother. I am fine, he said. My father grunted the way he did when it was time to go to work. Anton got up to follow him.
"The next night it was the same way: Anton left the house after our parents were snoring. I was ready this time. With stealth I followed him to the shores of the Lake and I watched as the beautiful woman emerged from the waters. Again she was naked. I was closer this time. I smelled a melliferous odor in the air, like the time we found a honeycomb in a rotten tree.
"The woman took Anton by the hand to lead him into the forest. This time I followed. She brought him to the witch's cabin where I was warned to stay away from. That old stone house stood alone deep in the forest. Everyone was frightened to go there. I called out to Anton, to warn him, but my voice sounded like the cry of a wounded animal in the night and he paid me no heed.
"I summoned all my courage to go to the window. By the light of a candle I saw the beautiful woman removing Anton's clothing before leading him to a bed. I was but a little boy but I knew what it was to make a baby. This was what my brother and the woman from the Lake were doing. I stood transfixed. I couldn’t take my eyes from them. I moved closer and in doing so I stepped upon a twig.
"Who is there? my brother called out. Get away from here! Panicked now, I fled the cabin and ran through the forest arriving back home in a sweat even though the night was chill. I wondered should I say something to my mother and father about what I had seen. I felt like a spy, however, a traitor, so I said nothing.
"The next night it was the same, and the night after. Each night after the moon had set and our home was full of snores my brother ventured forth. When I followed him we went straight to the witch's cabin and no longer to the Lake. The beautiful woman was waiting for Anton, as if expecting him.
"Each morning my brother was a little more pallid. He did not eat. My father began to complain about how Anton couldn’t work like he used to, how he sat in the shade, not asleep and yet not awake either. Mother announced that Anton must go to the doctor in the far away city... that he had the Lake sickness and unless he went he would linger and die.
"My brother was incensed and refused to leave. He demanded to be left alone. So my father arranged for some stout neighbor boys to meet at the house early one morning. When Anton emerged to go to work they all seized him dragging him to the back of my father's wagon which was already hitched.
"Despite his struggles they forced my brother to go to the far away city. It took all those boys to hold him down while they tied him up for the trip. That was the last sight I saw of Anton alive. He was crying out a name which I couldn’t make out while he flailed his fists and kicked his feet at his abductors. It was no use, however. Soon the wagon was out of sight though I heard Anton's cries for a long while after.
"My father returned two days later. He was alone. By the look on his face I knew something dreadful had happened. In the buckboard of the wagon lay a form covered by a black blanket. It was Anton. He had died while away in the city. Father warned us all not to touch the body or we may become ill too. They built a funeral pyre to burn Anton's body and when he was ash they dug a deep hole into the ground far from the village, dumped in his remains, and covered it up again. There was no marker on his grave, no reminder that Anton ever lived."
"I'm so sorry, Viktor. What a sad story, and what a terrible thing for such a little boy to see."
Karen went to the young man to offer him a hug but he pulled away his face twisted in both pain and rage.
"Why are you here? Are you going to kill that Lake bitch? She is the reason my brother died, you know."
"I know, and yes, I am here to help. I need to find this woman, to study her, to help others who may become infected. Do you remember where that cabin is at?"
"I will never forget it. Come... I will show you.
"
Now, Karen was alone at the cabin. Viktor refused to go any closer than to point it out to her from the top of a hill before walking briskly away not stopping to look over his shoulder. The old woman had vanished as well.
Karen tried the door handle. It was locked. She looked about for stones or pottery under which to hide a key before feeling over the top of the door frame. Finding nothing she walked around to the back of the cabin where she spotted something curious: a statue of a mermaid in the middle of a stone circle. Going to it she tilted the statue to the side. Under it was a key and sure enough, it fit the lock on the back door.
Inside the cabin the air smelled of honeysuckle and new roses. It was meticulously neat and there were obvious signs of being recently occupied. She wandered through the tiny three room cabin investigating the living room and bedroom before returning to the kitchen.
There was no refrigerator nor was there running water in the cabin. Instead, a hand pump graced the sink. Karen pumped the handle three times before crystal clear water gushed forth. Cupping her hand she bent down and took a long deep drink while continuing to pump the handle.
Rising up again she noticed a postcard pinned to the wall with a thumbtack under the upper set of cabinets. Pulling it free she examined the card. There was a picture of a castle on the front with the words 'Orchardton Hall' printed under it. Flipping the postcard over there was no address but she saw it had been printed in Scotland by the tiny copyright symbol at the bottom.
"I got you now, Lily."
Chapter 48—Out of Sight
"We need to get to the old Centers for Disease Control headquarters right away, darling Natalia. Our people may be trapped there."
After a long walk through the catacombs they emerged in the outskirts of the old village of Kurgan. Lauren knew the ancient cars and trucks littering the street would not start. Panic was rising in her throat as she thought of Lily and the others locked in that horrid cage where they kept her for so long.
"But Lady Lauren... if you do not go back to Orchardton Hall everyone will die."
Ginger improved to the point where she could now walk unassisted though with a limp. She looked imploringly at Lauren as if she was willing her to go back to the castle and save the People.
"Ginger is right, lovely Lauren. If you do not go back they will all perish."
"We've got to save our Lily though. She is in danger. I feel it."
"I'll go, my love. But I cannot walk there. We must return to the castle so I can take one of Nate's vehicles. You remain behind, please. I promise you I will bring them back safely."
"What if the People attack us when we go back, lovely Natalia? They might be waiting to finish what they started."
"By now they will be too sick to do anything, sweet Lauren. We've been gone a good four hours. Once they are out of your presence the parasites they carry will quickly begin to overwhelm them. Besides, I am sure this is the work of Marilyn and Kirk. No one else will aid them."
Lauren never trusted human beings. As much as she loved Natalia there was part of her that abjured doing as she said. She wished to run to Lily's side, damn all the People. Let them die. They deserved it. Six billion of them could not equal the love of her life.
Seeing the tears welling up in her lover's eyes, however, she relented. The walk back to the castle was only a few kilometers but Ginger's injuries slowed them down. The sun was in the middle of the western sky when they reached the courtyard.
The black limousine sat in the circular drive on the east side of the castle. Lauren recognized it as the same vehicle Nate chose to drive to CDC headquarters today. As they drew closer Lauren heard the engine idling. The passenger side door was open and someone sat behind the wheel.
At first, she thought the worst, that Marilyn was getting ready to run them down. There was no movement, however, and coming closer Lauren saw Marilyn was obviously dead, but not from Lake Baikal syndrome. Blood spilled over her stomach saturating her lap. A look of surprise was still upon her now rigid face.
"Ginger! You're safe!"
Amanda stumbled toward the three women returning from the village. She was sick. Her skin was pale and lumpy with a raging rash clearly visible on her neck.
"I thought Kirk killed you."
"Where is he, Amanda?"
Lauren feared he was about and even in a weakened condition might still pose a danger to them all.
"He is passed out in the living room, Lady Lauren. He's sick like the rest of us. I thought we'd all die."
"Please go to Nate's automobile barn, sweet Natalia. Take any vehicle with a full tank of gas and go directly to the Centers for Disease Control headquarters. If you hurry you can make it by sunset. But please don’t take any chances either. Drive carefully. While you are away I'll make sure everyone here is looked after. Bring our darling Lily and her family home to us."
Lauren watched as Natalia ran around the back of the castle. In a minute a black Jeep Grand Cherokee came into view. Natalia waved as she drove away.
"What happened here, darling Amanda?"
"Marilyn was crazy. She kept talking how she was going to be the queen from now on and Kirk would be king. When she discovered you and Natalia were gone she went berserk. She told me that she had to get back to CDC headquarters otherwise we were all going to die.
"I asked her to wait a minute... I had to get something first. I went inside to see if anyone else wanted to go with us. I felt uncomfortable around Marilyn and I needed time to think. Kirk had passed out earlier from the sickness but now he was awake. He told me of Marilyn's plot and how she made him push Ginger down those horrid dungeon steps.
"I remembered overhearing Marilyn and Kirk in their apartment one day when I was in the garden gathering herbs for dinner... I didn’t understand what they were talking about at the time but after Kirk told me what had happened to Ginger, I realized my mistake in not coming to you earlier.
"I guess that I just saw red. I got that old pistol of Natalia's. She showed it to me once. She told me how she took it from a man who wanted to bring Lady Lily back to prison. She said she knew it didn’t look like much but it would work if there was ever a time when I was in danger.
"I brought it out to the car holding it in the folds of my shirt. When I climbed into the passenger seat and pointed it at her Marilyn seemed surprised to see the gun. She started talking about how she had to have Kirk push Ginger down those stairs. Something inside me snapped. I didn’t even hear the gunshots but all of a sudden Marilyn was holding her stomach. She tried to say something... her mouth moved but no words came out, only a trickle of blood."
Tears were running down the girl's face as she recounted the events leading up to Marilyn's death. Lauren realized things might have gone quite differently if Amanda hadn’t intervened.
"You did well, Amanda. You will begin to feel better right away now that I am back. Come... we must lock Kirk away before he recovers his strength. I feel he is still a danger to us. We must decide how to handle him later, when everyone has returned."
Chapter 49—Flight to Nowhere
She made him sick sometimes.
Though Hector wanted to consummate their engagement Karen put him off by claiming she still had pain in her ribs. He suspected she was lying about it but didn’t want to press his luck... not now. He was too close to cracking her secret.
"The plane leaves in an hour, Hector. You better go."
They were sitting in the train depot at Irkutsk.
"Look Karen... I don’t think I should be leaving you now. We're too close."
"You've been ordered back, Hector. If you don’t go back now they're liable to cut off our funding."
"I don’t care about that. I have money. You could be in real danger."
"Thank you, Hector. I'm touched that you care."
"You don’t have to always be so damned sanctimonious, you know."
"The hell with you, Hector... I meant it. Why do you always have to see the bad in everyone
?"
"I'm sorry, Karen. It's this headache. Ever since we got off the train it's only been getting worse."
"Did you take your medication?"
"Yes but it doesn’t help."
"Well, I'm sure it will fade given time. Come on... let's get you to the airport. I'll hail a taxi."
Outside it was raining. Each step he took resounded with a booming thud inside his head as if his brain was ready to explode. Lightning cracked the sky causing him to involuntarily twitch.
The taxi cab was an old Vanka. It smelled of mildew and spilt vodka. The odor played havoc with his stomach. As soon as they set out to the airport Hector was hit with a wave of motion sickness as he rolled down the window to puke.
"Christ, Hector... you should have said something. I would have had the driver pull over."
"Just get me to the goddamned airport."
He hated being coddled. He hated looking weak in front of others. And he especially hated puking. Now the bitter taste of bile would be in his mouth all the way to Moscow. The driver was saying something he didn't understand.
"What's with him?"
"He says it's going to cost extra now so he can wash your vomit off the side of his cab."
"Tell him to go screw himself."
He thought puking might help the headache but it only served to make it worse. He fumbled in his valise to find the concussion glasses hoping they might help relieve the symptoms he was feeling.
"That must be your plane."
Karen was pointing to a worn-out turbo prop airplane on the tarmac with a moveable set of stairs beside it. There was no terminal to enter. The taxi drove right onto the runway to stop beside the plane.
"Jesus Christ, Karen... is this really the best that goddamned assistant of yours could do?"
"It's the middle of Siberia, Hector... what do you want?"
He stepped out into the downpour feeling cold rain drench the back of his neck as well as the crack of his ass as he bent over to gather his luggage. Again, a wave of nausea overcame him even though he had already upchucked everything in his stomach. The dry heaves were even worse, as if they were wrenching his esophagus loose from his stomach.