The Siberian Incident 2 Read online

  Contents

  THE SIBERIAN INCIDENT 2

  Copyright © 2020 by Mystic Lion Publishing

  Chapter One - Fairbanks

  Chapter Two - Pokok

  Chapter Three - Dinner with Torngarsuk

  Chapter Four - To the Hunting Grounds

  Chapter Five - The Hunt

  Chapter Six - New Quarry

  Chapter Seven - Departure

  Chapter Eight - Aboard the USS Jimmy Carter

  Chapter Nine - From the Depths

  Chapter Ten - Club 21

  Chapter Eleven - The Dacha

  Chapter Twelve - The Visit

  Chapter Thirteen - The Flight

  Chapter Fourteen - First Night

  Chapter Fifteen - Invasive Species

  Chapter Sixteen - Vechnozelenaya Technology Building 4

  Chapter Seventeen - The Facility

  Chapter Eighteen - The Delivery

  Chapter Nineteen - The Mother Goddess

  Chapter Twenty - Captured by Colin Crossfield

  Chapter Twenty-One - Into the Hills

  Chapter Twenty-Two - Lieutenant Roskovski

  Chapter Twenty-Three - The Mole

  Chapter Twenty-Four - Outside Magadan Cave

  Chapter Twenty-Five - The Magadan Lair

  Chapter Twenty-Six - The Assembly

  Chapter Twenty-Seven - Escape from the Magadan Lair

  Chapter Twenty-Eight - A Call from Columbus

  Chapter Twenty-Nine - Gift of the Mother Goddess

  Chapter Thirty - Escape from Siberia

  Chapter Thirty-One - 4th of July

  THE SIBERIAN INCIDENT 2

  © 2020 Andrew Gille

  To the real Sandy Magdalena.

  Copyright © 2020 by Mystic Lion Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Mystic Lion Publishing

  PO Box 32

  Wausau, WI 54402

  Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

  Gille, Andrew

  The Siberian Incident 2 / Andrew Gille.

  1. —Sci/Fi —Horror.

  Edition 1

  CHAPTER ONE

  Fairbanks

  MADDOCK BRUBECK STEPPED into the terminal at Fairbanks International Airport. He was immediately struck by the wood grain ceiling of the modern facility. It was winter, and outside it was dark. The warm glow of the hanging lights made the airport seem much more homey and comfortable than the O’Hare airport he had departed hours ago.

  He had little time to admire the architecture of the airport as he now searched for his nephew Scott. Scott was a smart-looking kid. His short-cropped blonde hair was appropriate to his job as a CPA at an accounting firm in Columbus, Ohio. Maddock had no idea what firm he worked for, but he knew he did fine for himself.

  Amidst the parkas and business suits of the people departing his plane, he saw Scott standing near the baggage carousel. He hadn’t seen the kid since his brother Mason’s funeral three years ago, and he was now leaner and looked more like a man than a boy. Scott was about 27 years old now and had lost the soft features of the boy he had once been, and his jaw and features were now chiseled and lean.

  Since the funeral, Scott had kept in touch with Maddock. Scott had been very close to Mason, and Maddock figured that the kid was looking to keep a grandfather figure in his life. Maddock played along, Scott was a nice enough kid and, for an accountant, he was interesting to talk to. In retirement, Maddock enjoyed the diversion and point of view of a younger person, and they both had some of the same interests. Hunting, skiing, and motorcycles were activities they both enjoyed. However, Maddock had tried to slip the fact that he was nothing like Mason into each of their conversations to avoid disappointing the kid.

  “Maddock!’ Scott exclaimed as he reached to shake his hand while clapping him on the back.

  “You bring me to Fairbanks, Alaska, in February?” Maddock laughed.

  “Glad I was able to convince you. Proves that you love hunting more than anyone else I know. Apparently, no one wants to come up here in February.”

  “So, I wasn’t your first choice.”

  “Of course not, you think I didn’t invite some women up here before you?”

  “I thought most guys hunted to get away from the women in their lives. There are women you know who like hunting?”

  “You’d be surprised. Just not in Alaska in February,” Scott said as Maddock reached down to grab his baggage as it rolled along on the carousel.

  Throughout college, Scott had a very serious girlfriend. Maddock remembered Mason telling him about how he was getting his CPA and getting married right after college. Their conversations over Facebook Messenger and text messages focused on the hobbies they shared, Maddock realized that he actually knew very little about Scott’s life. Obviously, the wedding hadn’t happened, and Maddock was a bit embarrassed that only now had he realized this.

  “You’re a single man? I thought you were getting your CPA and getting married right after college?” Maddock questioned.

  “Oh, Rachel? Yeah, we were engaged, that didn’t work out. I got my CPA, but the fiancée disappeared.”

  “Disappeared?” Maddock questioned.

  “Well, not like ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ disappeared,” Scott explained, “We both realized that our goals weren’t aligned, she’s married to some doctor in California now.”

  “Not interested in Columbus, Ohio?”

  “I travel a lot for work, so even I don’t hang out in Columbus that much. I was a bit of a different person in college, and I thought my life would work out differently. I think we both thought I would be different. I’m sure she’s a lot happier now than she would have been. We’ll have a lot of time to talk. I can tell you the whole story this week.”

  “Yeah, I get it. I have a lot of Rachels in my life. I guess I was married to the US Army. She wasn’t a very nice wife actually,” Maddock said.

  Scott laughed as he led Maddock out of the terminal on toward the car that waited to take them to the general aviation ramp. They wouldn’t be connecting with an airline on the next flight. Instead, a private aircraft was going to take them to their destination in Pokok, a remote village in Northwest, Alaska. How Scott had arranged all of this on an accountant’s salary was a curiosity to Maddock. Maddock had paid for nothing so far, the plane ticket, the hunting licenses, the guides, Scott was providing everything.

  Somehow he’d also acquired two very highly sought after muskox tags. There was usually a 5% chance of getting a muskox tag, and Scott had won two of them. So on top of having all the money to fund this trip, he was also extremely lucky.

  Maddock couldn’t help to think that either Scott was already a senior partner in the firm, or he was embezzling. Scott certainly didn’t seem like the kind to steal from his employer or his clients. However, in Maddock’s life, he’d been surprised by a lot of people who didn’t seem like the kind to do what it was eventually found out they were doing. Nothing seemed out of place about this trip, however. Maddock hadn’t been asked to do anything personally suspicious. Scott hadn’t asked him to keep things quiet or to do anything that made him uncomfortable. Additionally, everything seemed to be done in Scott’s real name. So from what Maddock could tell, everything Scott was doing was legitimate.

&nb
sp; A red Dodge Caravan minivan pulled up to the terminal with ‘Fairbanks Flight Service,’ written on the door. A helpful dark-haired guy wearing the kind of parka you’d expect in Fairbanks was driving. He grabbed their bags and put them in the back of the van as Scott and Maddock entered into the already warm vehicle and buckled their seat belts.

  As they left the terminal, Maddock noticed the green shimmer of the northern lights above the airport. Alaska was beautiful in winter, the last time he’d been here, it was July, it was hot, and the mosquitoes and tourists were both swarming the state. He’d had difficulty sleeping because of the perpetual daylight. Also, the commander of his mission to kill a team of terrorists attempting to sabotage the Alaskan pipeline had been a real pain in the ass. This time, Maddock was going to enjoy the muskox hunt, the darkness, the quiet of winter, and a much better companion in his brother’s grandson.

  As they passed an electronic sign for Fairbanks Flight Service, the time read 7:17 PM, and the temperature was -9.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Pokok

  THE PILOT OF the Cessna Golden Eagle, they’d be flying to the remote native village of Pokok, gave off a strange vibe. Maddock suspected that he was a former military pilot. He still wore his hair in a tapered style that Maddock guessed would have passed regulation in the Air Force.

  He was one of these guys who wanted to give off a mysterious air. He was quiet and serious, and he answered Maddock’s questions as briefly as he possibly could.

  “How you doing? Maddock Brubeck,” Maddock said, extending his hand, the man firmly shook.

  “Red Garrett,” the man replied with his name and said nothing else.

  “Good to meet you Red, how’d you get into flying?” Maddock asked.

  “Air Force,” the pilot answered bluntly.

  “Really? Where were you stationed?”

  “Ellsworth.”

  “South Dakota wasn’t cold enough for you?”

  “Right,” the pilot said, “I gotta go check a front coming in, I’ll see you in the plane.”

  Maddock stood with his bag at his feet as the pilot turned and walked into some office with a bunch of computers that said: “Pilots Only.” Scott entered the small building that housed the FBO and walked up to Maddock.

  “Sounds like our bags are already loaded on the plane taking us to Pokok,” Scott said. Maddock could feel the sub-zero air from outside on Scott’s parka.

  “Yeah, I just met our pilot, not a chatty guy. Not like most of the bush pilot’s I’ve met,” Maddock remarked.

  Scott shrugged, “There’s a front that might be coming in, maybe he’s concerned.”

  “I don’t know, we should have lots of time to get to know each other, how long did you say it was from here?”

  “About three hours.”

  “Well, maybe you can get him to open up,”

  Maddock and Scott loaded up their bags and got into the Golden Eagle. Maddock sat in a forward-facing seat, and Scott sat right behind the pilot. There was no chance to find out anything more about their pilot. There were no headsets in the back of the plane, and the pilot immediately donned his headset and began the procedures to start the Cessna’s twin engines.

  The plane was pressurized and quiet even after the engines had started, and Maddock was able to have a comfortable conversation with Scott despite the lack of headsets and the engine noise. The plane taxied out toward the runway but stopped to get sprayed with a coating of deicing solution. The antifreeze like gel was applied by a man riding in a bucket. All of the labor being done reminded Maddock of the cost. He was again puzzled as to how Scott was able to afford this once in a lifetime trip.

  “Hey, I really have to thank you for taking me on this trip. I mean, all of this has to be costing a fortune, and I just want you to know I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, Uncle Maddock, there’s really no one else I’d rather be on this trip with. I was kidding about the girls, you’re my number one choice,” Scott said.

  “I can imagine that you’d rather be here with my brother, but that’s okay, I hope that we can both have a good hunt.”

  “You know,” Scott said tentatively, “I’m not sure about that. Hunting with my grandpa was nice, and I have good memories of it, but I don’t know how great an experience a trip like this would have been. He could be a little…”

  “A bit of a jerk?” Maddock remarked.

  “Well, he was my grandpa. You can say that I can’t.”

  “Yeah, it’s okay, Mason could be an asshole. Didn’t he go hunting in Russia with Colin? I’ve only met Eliane’s kid a few times, but I can’t imagine how those two egomaniacs survived each other,” Maddock laughed.

  “I’ve heard that story, and it is ah,” Scott paused.

  “I know they didn’t really talk to each other after that. I could have told Colin that you don’t want to drag Mason out of Kalamazoo for too long.”

  “I don’t think it was completely Grandpa’s fault. I know that you barely know Colin, and I’m not sure how often you read tech and celebrity news, but Colin Crossfield is a gigantic asshole.”

  “I’m aware, I’ve met him enough to know that. He’s not only a jerk, but he’s also weird. Most of these billionaires are, I suppose.”

  The plane spun on its axis, and the engines began to roar, Maddock was pushed back in his seat as the Cessna started to its takeoff. The noise became too loud to talk, and the ride down the runway was rough. Suddenly, as the plane gained altitude, the vibrations of the landing gear ceased. The sound of the hydraulic mechanism of the gear stowing it into the fuselage and the “thud” as they locked into place ended the cacophony. Unable to talk to Scott, Maddock stared out the window as the cloud layers floated by, caking the windows with frost. The aircraft’s deicing system cracked ice off the wings sending it flying away in pieces.

  Suddenly, they were on top of the clouds with bright sunshine streaming into the plane, Maddock donned his sunglasses and watched Scott do the same thing. Below them now, wisps of white clouds flowed past like an ocean of foam.

  The pilot approached his target altitude and leveled off. It was once again quiet enough for a conversation.

  “I think I see the Chatanika Lodge,” Maddock remarked, attempting to begin a conversation with Scott.

  Scott didn’t answer, he appeared to be in a deep, peaceful sleep. The only thing that Maddock could think was that no man stealing from his employer could sleep like that. Maddock looked out the window and down through the holes in the clouds at the rugged landscape below.

  Soon the sun sank below the horizon in the west, and the red lights of the cockpit overtook the few isolated lights on the ground. Some appeared to be campfires, but they were so far from any civilization that they could have only been the most hearty of homesteaders. Then the ground became almost black, and there was more light from the stars in the sky than the ground below. The droning hum of the propellers and aircraft engines attempted to lull him into sleep, but his thoughts turned to his past missions. The sound of the C-130 before the alarm sounded, and the bay door opened. The exhilarating feeling of leaping out into the sky and the laser focus brought on by the danger of the task at hand. Since his retirement, he’d tried to regain that feeling with motorcycles, week-long trips into the Colorado and Michigan wilderness. He even took up MMA for a while in the early 2000s fighting kids half his age and helping them with takedowns and other moves he’d learned as a high school wrestler. Nothing had equaled what he’d seen and done in places like Panama, Libya, and Iraq. He wanted this hunting trip to bring that back, but he knew it would not. This is why he’d put his name out there. This is why he’d applied with Gravenhour.

  The guy who had contacted him called from a number that came up on his phone as “Unknown.” When Maddock answered, he wasn’t sure if the guy was legitimate. However, after speaking to him for a few minutes, he realized that he was indeed from Gravenhour. Of course, the guy asked about his age. Apparently, there weren’t a
lot of 62-year-olds who were signing up to work for the company. The guy from Gravenhour mentioned the pullout from the Middle East and how their reputation had been damaged by an incident involving contractors who had murdered Iraqi civilians. This, he said, had made recruitment difficult lately. He didn’t promise anything, but he did say that there might be an opportunity for what he called “placement.” That opportunity would begin almost immediately after this hunt.

  He had done everything he could to try to get out of the hunt with Scott. He knew his mind would not be in it, and he felt that it was unfair to the kid to have him pay for all of this and for Maddock to be disengaged from the experience. You should really take one of your friends, you should consider someone else in the family, you should take a girlfriend, Scott was undaunted. He insisted that Maddock come on the trip with him and that Maddock was the only person he wanted to have this experience. Maddock was sure that he was somehow being used as a surrogate for Mason, but if that made the kid feel good, then what harm was there. He just wished it could come after the job Gravenhour had for him in East Asia next week.

  Maddock’s train of thought was broken as the aircraft began its descent into the tiny Pokok airport. Maddock had a good view out of the cockpit window, and it seemed like the runway was nothing more than a strip of ice lit by a rectangular arrangement of twinkling lights. The blue runway lights led to a small hut to the right of the runway, and the field even had a visual approach slope indicator, two sets of lights arranged vertically. If they were all white, the plane was too high. If they were all red, the plane’s descent was too low. However, their pilot, for whatever social graces he lacked, held the aircraft perfectly, and the lights were red over white during the entire descent.

  The wheels of the plane smacked down onto the icy runway in what some passengers would think was a hard landing. Maddock knew that this was the textbook way to land on ice so that the wheels get more traction. The plane’s gear slamming into the frigid runway woke Scott up.