No one except his Natasha, that is. She continued to watch out for him, and seeing her smile was always guaranteed to be the highlight of his day. She regularly brought him the latest news about the city. Petrograd was in chaos, as workers organized industrial strikes and starving citizen staged marches in the streets that quickly turned into riots. Soldiers were deserting and joining in with the strikes and the city was rapidly turning into anarchy.
Natasha had been excited when she visited him earlier that day. Tomorrow was International Women’s Day, and she was planning to join a march in honor of the occasion with her fellow nurses. Aleksei had no use for her enthusiasm, as he felt such activity was far beneath her. Who knew what kind of street trash she would encounter? Not to mention, he could barely hide his disgust when she shared that Max planned to desert his post and join in the march with her.
He tried to convince her that this march was no way for a lady of her caliber to behave, but Natasha merely shushed him and continued to chatter about Max and their plans. Aleksei could barely contain his rage. One more mention of that charlatan Max and he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
Natasha didn’t even notice his anger and left him with a smile as she always did. Aleksei watched her leave the tent and seethed as he imagined her meeting her precious Max. That was when he knew he couldn’t wait any longer for the vampires.
Now that they were right outside the tent, he felt a pang of fear. He had seen what they had done to the soldiers on the battlefield, their fangs sinking deep into their necks. Did he really want that done to him? He looked around the tent of dying men and got his answer. Of course he did. What was the alternative?
Aleksei got up from the cot and folded his blanket into a neat square. He didn’t look back at any of his fellow patients as he lifted up the door of the tent and walked outside. The cold air hit him in a rush. He had been so cold for so long he had been sure he was immune to the temperature, but leaving even the minimal shelter of the hospital tent proved how wrong he was. He shuddered, wishing he had brought the blanket with him. But as he turned towards the sound of the vampires, he knew he wouldn’t need it for long anyway.
There were three of them, two men and a woman. Aleksei could tell that one man was the leader just by his posture and body language. He was a stocky man, with dark hair and sallow skin, and the Asian-like features of the Russian Far East. The other man was tall and slender, with hair as blond as Aleksei’s and skin so pale it was nearly translucent. The woman was nearly as tall as the blond man and her face was surrounded by an unruly mane of bright red hair. She was standing with her arm draped over the blond man’s shoulder, as if she was marking her territory. The three turned and looked at Aleksei in unison and immediately bared their fangs.
Aleksei swallowed his fear, and continued to move towards the trio of vampires.
“Why are you disturbing us, soldier?” the stocky man asked.
“I want you to feed on me.”
The vampires laughed, again in unison. The woman dropped her arm from the blond man’s shoulder and walked seductively towards Aleksei.
“You’re offering yourself as food, handsome?”
“I am. But not just that. I want you to turn me.” Aleksei paused, remembering his manners. “Please.”
The woman stared into Aleksei’s eyes and ran an ice cold hand down his cheek. “You certainly are a gorgeous one.” She turned back towards the leader. “What do you think? Should we do what he wants? I’d like a new toy.”
Aleksei winced. “No, I don’t want that. Please. I don’t want to be part of your group. I just want you to turn me.”
The leader approached Aleksei now, his power evident in every step. Aleksei forced himself not to back away.
“You think you can just strut out here and make demands on us? What’s stopping me from feeding on you right now, and letting you rot here with the rest of your kind?”
“Nothing. I know nothing’s stopping you. I know you’re going to feed on me. All I want is for you to turn me as well.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the only chance I have at life.”
“You think you’re going to die?”
“I know I am. I’m starving. And the cold…”
The man nodded. “You’re right of course. You’ll all die here. But why is that our problem?”
“It’s not. But I know you need to feed. So I’m offering you myself. You won’t have to hunt or do any work.”
“You think I’d have to hunt if I walked in that tent right now? I’ve got a buffet in there, lined up and ready for me.”
“They’ll scream and fight you. I won’t.”
The blond man spoke for the first time. It was clear from his voice that he was not Russian. Scandinavian, perhaps? “You really think you won’t scream or fight? When the fangs sink in and your blood starts gushing out of you?”
“I know I won’t.”
The man chuckled. “You have no idea what you’re in for, soldier.” He turned back to the leader. “I’m inclined to give him what he wants. Just so I can hear him scream.”
The dark-haired man shrugged. “Do whatever you want, Greger. I’m going inside to eat.” He gestured towards the woman. “Come, Yelena.”
The two disappeared into the tent, leaving Aleksei alone with the vampire he prayed would soon become his sire.
“What’s your name, soldier?”
“Aleksei Nechayev.”
“Do you know how this works? Obviously you knew what we were. Have you watched us feed?”
“I have, sir. On the battlefield. And some nights in the tent.”
Aleksei now heard faint moans coming from inside the tent, and knew the vampires had begun to feed.
“So you’ve been watching us. Why are you offering yourself now?”
“Because I know I don’t have much time. And I need to be able to turn someone myself. Before it’s too late for her.”
“Her?” Greger burst into laughter. “This is about a woman? You want me to turn you into a vampire so you can make yourself a girlfriend?”
“I need to save her.”
“Is she dying too?”
“No. But she’s getting herself into trouble with a fool. She belongs with me.”
Greger continued to chuckle. “So you love her so much you want to kill her? How very romantic of you. And so Russian. All of you are mad.”
“You’re not Russian, sir?”
“I’m not. I’m Swedish. And don’t ask me how I ended up in this god-forsaken place, I’d rather not discuss it.”
Aleksei nodded and remained silent.
“So, I guess we might as well get on with it, shouldn’t we?” Greger said. “No time to waste. Although frankly, you don’t look like you’re ready to die any time soon.”
“It’s time, sir. Please.”
“Oh don’t go back to your begging. I already told you I’d do it.” Greger took a bite out of his own wrist and watched as red blood began to flow down his arm. “Do you know why I did that?”
“No.”
“Because that’s how it works. Once I bite you, I’ll drain you to an inch of your life. But right before you die, I’ll give you my wrist. You drink my blood, and you’ll turn.”
“Right away?”
“No. You’ll die first. But you’ll wake up tomorrow a vampire.”
Aleksei shuddered with a mix of fear and anticipation. “Will you be here?”
“I thought you said you didn’t want to join our group?”
“I don’t, but…”
“We’ll be around. I’m not the type to desert my descendents.” Greger grabbed Aleksei’s arm and pulled him close, his fangs grazing his neck. “Ready then?”
Aleksei nodded as he felt the teeth sink into his skin. He jerked at the intense pain, and fought the urge to scream as his feet collapsed under him, and the world around him faded to black.
Chapter 39
The phone rang and buzzed at the s
ame time, vibrating across Danny’s nightstand. Desperate for the noise to stop, he reached out and grabbed the phone without raising his head from his crumpled pillow.
“Hello?”
“Danny?”
Danny didn’t recognize the female voice on the other end of the line. “Yeah. Who is this?”
“It’s Amanda.”
“Oh, Amanda. I’m sorry. I’m a little out of it.”
“Are you drunk?”
Danny glanced at his clock. “At noon? Are you kidding?”
“Hungover, then.”
“Well, yeah. Guilty as charged there.” Danny propped himself up on his elbow and winced at the pounding in his head. He needed coffee, as usual. “What’s up?”
“Nothing in particular. I just wanted to check in with you. See if you found out anything more about Aleksei.”
Danny sighed. “No, I haven’t. I’m kind of on an unexpected vacation.”
"What? Oh my God, you didn't get fired because of me, did you?"
“No, no. I’m not fired. And they don’t know anything about you. My boss just wanted me to take some time off because he thinks I’m a wreck.”
Amanda bit her lip and remained silent.
“What?” Danny asked.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, but I know you wanted to.”
“I was just thinking your boss might be on to something.”
“Thanks a hell of a lot.”
“Well it’s true, Danny. Look at right now, for God’s sake. It’s 12:00 in the afternoon and the only reason you’re up is because I called you. You were passed out drunk before I called, I know it.”
“So?”
Amanda noticed the chuckle in his voice, and laughed herself. “You’re right, never mind. There’s nothing strange about that at all.”
Danny swung his legs over the side of the bed and forced himself to sit up. “So what can I do for you, Miss Fiske? I know you weren’t just calling to check in with me. Have you found anything useful there in Sitka?”
“Not really. Or at least nothing that could help us now.”
“But you did find something?”
“Nothing concrete, just speculation on my part.”
“Well spit it out, would you?”
“I did some research on the town where you said Aleksei is now, Coldfoot. It used to be a busy mining camp, but the place died out and the camp moved to a nearby town called Wiseman in the early 1900s. I looked into the history of the Wiseman area and starting around 1920, there were an unusually high number of murders and disappearances reported. And, the tribes in the region told stories about a white-haired monster that haunted the night.”
“So you’re thinking this white-haired monster is our Russian friend?”
“I’d say it’s possible. There was a significant Russian migration to the US and to Alaska in the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially after World War I and the Russian Revolution. It’s possible Aleksei came to Alaska then and never left.”
“Possible. But it doesn’t prove anything.”
“I know it doesn’t. I told you, it was just speculation on my part. I’ve still got a lot of material to research to see if I can track him.”
Danny took a deep breath and rubbed his hand through his thick mop of hair. He couldn’t believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth, but, what the hell. It wasn’t like he had anything he could do here.
“I think I’ll come there to Sitka too and help you search.”
“What? You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to. But I want to. It will give me something to do. And since I’ve fully committed to chasing a creature instead of being a cop, I might as well go all out.”
Amanda chuckled. “Well, okay. Since you put it that way.”
“How long does it take to drive to Sitka from here?”
“You don’t know Alaskan geography at all, do you?”
“No. But what kind of an answer is that? You care to enlighten me?”
“Sitka's on Baranof Island, so you can't drive here. Most of Southeastern Alaska is only accessible by plane or by boat.”
“Yet one more reason to hate this god-forsaken state.”
“Oh come on. It may be a tiny bit inconvenient to get here, but it's a gorgeous place.”
“Well I guess I better see if I can get a flight down there. Is it a long flight?”
“No. My trip was about 5 hours, it’s not bad. You’ll have to switch planes in Anchorage though.”
Danny got up from his bed. “Alright, listen. I’m going to see if I can book a flight for today. If I can, I’ll send you a text and let you know I’m on my way.”
“Okay. I can pick you up at the airport tonight. And I’ll book a hotel for you too so you don’t have to mess with that.”
“Thanks. I’ll get back to you in a bit.”
Danny walked to his kitchen and made his customary pot of coffee. While he waited for the coffee to brew, he sat down at the table and booted up his Macbook. He brought up the travel ap, where he typed in his flight criteria. To his amazement, there was a flight leaving Fairbanks for Sitka in 3 hours. If he hurried, he could easily make it.
He quickly booked a seat, trying not to flinch at the exorbitant cost, and printed out his boarding pass. Still waiting on the coffee, he sent a quick message to Amanda, letting her know when he would arrive at the Sitka airport. It was an odd feeling, and not one he actually wanted to admit to himself, but he couldn’t deny he was looking forward to seeing Amanda again.
He brushed the thought from his mind, rolling his eyes at his own silliness, and poured himself a cup of coffee. He gulped it down without bothering to add any creamer and quickly re-filled the mug. He took another sip and headed back to the bedroom to pack his suitcase.
Chapter 40
Amanda rapped her knuckles on the hotel room door and called out for Danny.
“Danny, are you up? It’s me. Amanda.”
She didn’t have to wait long for an answer, as the door opened and Danny greeted her with a scowl.
“I knew who it was. Who the hell else could it be, anyway? You’re the only person who even knows I’m here.”
“Wow. Good morning to you, too. Are you always so charming in the morning?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Amanda stepped around him and walked into the room. “Then I guess I can consider myself fortunate that you left my place before I woke up.”
“I’m not a morning person, I admit it. But I’m up, even though I’m suffering from jet lag. What the hell else do you want from me?”
“Nothing. Silly me for expecting you to act like a mature adult and exchange the customary morning greetings.”
“Fine. How are you, Amanda? Did you sleep well? How’s the weather out there? I hope this morning finds you well.”
Amanda chuckled. “Give it a rest, smartass. And give me a break on the jet lag. You’re in the same time zone you were in yesterday.”
Danny walked to the end table next to his king-sized bed, and picked up his mug of coffee. He took a drink, and plopped down onto the rumpled, unmade bed. “Well I don’t know what it is then, but I’m suffering from something.”
“I would guess it’s a lack of alcohol.”
“Good guess.” Danny finished his coffee and set the mug back on the table. “So what’s on our agenda today?”
“I thought you’d probably want breakfast first. Is that another good guess? Or did you bring your own box of Pop Tarts?”
“I wanted to, but they wouldn’t let me carry them on the plane.”
“Well you’re in luck then. I know a great diner right down the street. You can eat a real breakfast for a change. Put some meat on those bones of yours.”
“Who are you, my mother? I eat fine. And you’re not the first one to tell me I’m too skinny. I can’t help it that I’m naturally slim.”
Amanda chuckled. “You’re like a supermodel.”
“Is there a point to this banter? Or should we think about discussing the reason I’m here?”
Amanda plopped onto the bed next to Danny. “I was thinking we should go to the Russian Heritage Center today. They have an extensive archives collection there on Russian immigrants to Alaska.”
“You know, that’s one thing I was thinking about on the plane. If our friend really is a vampire, would he register himself through whatever process immigrants used? It seems to me he’d just come and go as he pleased.”
“Yeah, I know. But we don’t know for sure that he was already a vampire when he came here.”
“Good point.”
“Plus, they have a collection of materials from early 20th century Russia there as well. Photos, diaries, news accounts. We might find something useful. Based on the fact that you found related disappearances as far back as the 30s, and I learned about the mysterious deaths in the mining camp, I think it’s a good guess that Aleksei was around in the early 1900s.”
“Yeah, I agree. Good a place to start as any, at least.”
“We might actually get lucky. That time period was so tumultuous for Russia. World War I, the downfall of the Tsar, the Revolution…I would imagine we’ll be able to find a lot of material.”
Danny shook his head. “This is so strange to me. Trying to solve a case by looking at incidents from 100 years ago. It seems completely impossible.”
Amanda patted his knee with her hand. “You know what I think since I got attacked? Nothing’s impossible. The fact that Aleksei exists at all proves that to me.”
Danny stood up from the bed. “Well that’s the spirit. Let’s give it the old scout try or something like that.”
“I think it’s the old college try.”
“Whatever. I could swear there’s some kind of saying about scouts.”
“I don’t think so.”
Danny walked towards the door of his room and waved his hand dismissively, as if to surrender the point.
“Maybe you’re thinking of live by the Girl Scout way,” Amanda said.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I meant. Always been my mantra.”
Polar (Book 1): Polar Night Page 16