Polar (Book 1): Polar Night (22 page)

Chapter 5
5

Aleksei paced the floor of
his study, impatient for Katerina to wake up. He knew it would take some time yet, but he had never been good at waiting. He felt edgy and anxious to be on the move. The walls of the study seemed to close in around him and he felt suffocated by his own home. There was a whole world waiting for him and Katerina and he wanted to say goodbye to Alaska for good. He spent enough time here and he was ready for his new life. For starters, he wanted to take Katerina to Russia.

He wondered what his homeland would be like now. He had kept up with the goings-on in Saint Petersburg in recent years thanks to the Internet and he had regularly visited the Sitka Russian library to keep up with news from his homeland before the days of the World Wide Web. He’d come to Alaska specifically because of its Russian heritage and it had been a great fit for him. But all good things came to an end.

Aleksei had left Russia originally because he was repulsed by the Soviets and their rise to power not long after he had been turned and he blamed the Revolution for Natasha's death. He’d been completely disgusted when the name of his hometown had been changed to Leningrad in 1924. He’d thought the change to Petrograd in 1914 was ridiculous, and in his mind he always called his home St. Petersburg, but that had at least been tolerable. It made sense to give the city a more Russian sounding name when the country was at war with the Germans. But naming the city for the architect of the Revolution was more than Aleksei could stomach. He had nothing but contempt for Lenin and his Soviet gang of thugs.

But the Soviets were long gone now and Russia remained. And after nearly 100 years, it was high time Aleksei went home.

His ears picked up a sound coming through the howl of the wind outside his home and he immediately stopped in his tracks. He twitched his nose, picking up the distinctive smell of an animal. A human animal.

He walked to the window and looked out, scanning the Snow Creek grounds. He didn’t see anyone, but he knew someone was there. He left his study and headed for the lobby and the front door of the hotel.

Chapter 56

Danny tried to pull the hood
of his parka tighter around his face, desperate to keep out the frigid wind. Unfortunately, it was already as tight as it would get. And it didn’t seem to be keeping the wind out at all. His ski mask was soaking wet from the blowing snow and was starting to turn to ice. As were his gloves. He was starting to realize that he had completely underestimated how cold 15 below could be. Or maybe he underestimated how long 15 yards could be. He felt like he’d never reach the Snow Creek front door. And at this point, he was so damn cold that death by vampire didn’t seem like that bad of an option. It couldn’t be worse than this cold.

He let out a breath that immediately turned to ice in the air around him. Stumbling in the deep snow, he lumbered on to the Snow Creek Asylum.

Chapter 57

Aleksei stared out into the frigid
night and saw a tall figure trudging through the snow of his unplowed drive. He knew the figure was a man, but his huge parka and face mask made him completely unrecognizable. Aleksei briefly wondered if the man was one of the townspeople in need of assistance, but instinct told him this wasn’t a friendly visitor. His nose twitched as he picked up the man’s scent. A scent he immediately recognized.

Aleksei turned on the Snow Creek outer lights and started to head out the door, before he remembered he was wearing nothing but his customary t-shirt and pants. He stopped himself, and went to the closet to get his own coat and gloves. He had no idea why Danny Fitzpatrick was here on his property, but he knew it wasn’t good news. And he didn’t need to complicate things by letting Fitzpatrick see that temperature had no impact on him. He’d always made sure to blend in and this was no time to stop that pattern.

He bundled up, and walked outside to face the man who was stumbling towards him in the snow.

“Hello?” he called out. “Who’s there?”

Danny heard Aleksei’s voice over the wind and a chill beyond anything he was experiencing in the cold went up his spine.  This was it. And he really didn’t have a plan for what he was going to do.

He plowed forward until he was nearly face to face with Aleksei.

“Mr. Nechayev? It’s Detective Danny Fitzpatrick, Fairbanks PD. I need to speak with you, please.”

Aleksei stood stiffly under the light on Snow Creek’s deck. He bit down on his lip to control his anger, drawing blood as he did so.

“This is quite a surprise, Detective.”

By now, Danny had made it to the deck and stared up at Aleksei. He briefly thought about the man’s towering height, and the fact that it made him hate Aleksei even more than he already did. Danny was over 6 feet himself, and wasn’t used to staring up at anyone. But this jackass could have played for the NBA.

“I’m sure it is,” Danny said, struggling for breath. “But here I am.”

He glanced at Aleksei, who seemed completely unfazed by the cold wind whipping around them.

“This cold doesn’t seem to be bothering you too much, but for a mere mortal like me it’s a killer. How about we go inside?”

Aleksei stood rigid, momentarily stunned at Danny’s mortal remark. No one had ever suspected the truth about Aleksei, at least not unless he wanted them to. Had this rude, low-class detective figured it out? Or was he just playing some sort of game?

Danny stomped his boots on the deck. “Can we go inside, Mr. Nechayev?”

“Of course,” Aleksei said, regaining his composure. He held the door open against the wind. “After you.”

The two walked inside, and Aleksei quickly turned on the light over the front desk. He pulled off his gloves and coat and set them gently over the back of the office chair, then watched as Danny removed his wet ski mask, and the face Aleksei already knew he hated came into view.

Danny smiled at Aleksei. “There, now you can see I’m really who I say I am. You remember me, right?”

“Of course I do. You were here about that missing woman.”

“Maria Treibel. Right. You know she’s still missing?”

“That’s unfortunate. But as I told you then, I don’t know how I can help you.”

“Yeah, right. I remember.” Danny pulled off his parka and revealed the gun attached to the holster around his waist. “The thing is, I’m not here to talk about Maria this time.”

Aleksei glanced at the gun and fought the urge to smirk. He knew Fitzpatrick’s gesture was intended to unnerve him, but he actually hoped the cop would try to use the gun on him. Try it and see what happens, Detective, he thought.

He stared at Danny, an accommodating smile on his face. “So what is it you came all this way to talk about? I do have to ask, have you ever heard of a phone?”

Danny chuckled. “What can I say? I prefer to talk in person.”

“So are you going to share what it is you want to talk about, or do you plan on keeping me in suspense?”

“Not what I want to talk about. Who.”

“Okay, who?”

“A teenage girl by the name of Katie Bailey. Disappeared a few days ago in Seattle. Her name ring any bells for you?”

“No. Why would it?”

“Because her family stayed here at your place a few days before Christmas.”

Aleksei nodded. “Of course. I remember the Bailey family now, parents with two children with them. Lovely family. They were my last guests before I closed for the season, so I couldn’t help but remember them.”

“Katie made an impression on you, I imagine?”

“I can’t say that she did, no. But what’s that you said about her disappearing in Seattle?”

“Right, she’s gone missing. Just like Maria Treibel.”

“Have you started working Seattle cases now too, Detective? It’s odd. I would think a big city like that would have enough of their own cops.”

“I’m just doing a little freelancing.”

“So what does your freelance work have to do with me? It must be quite important for you to come all this way and brave an Arctic winter. I wouldn’t have expected a Chicagoan to be so keen on Alaskan winters. It’s a whole new world up here, isn’t it?”

“How do you know I’m from Chicago?”

“I looked you up after you came up here last time. Surely you know how easy it is to find information on the Internet nowadays.”

Danny stared at Aleksei, recognizing a threat when he heard one. The Russian’s calm smile never wavered.

“Don’t you find it odd,” Danny said, “that so many people go missing after they come here to your fine establishment? Actually, not just people. Blond women. Blond girls. You like blond girls, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Detective. I will say it’s a strange coincidence that two of my guests have gone missing in recent weeks, but I think you are taking quite a leap. Two people are hardly “many,” are they?”

“There’s been a hell of a lot more than two.”

“Then you’re going to have to enlighten me on who they are. All I know about are this Maria woman you’re apparently obsessed with, and the unfortunate disappearance of the Seattle teenager.”

“How about Anna Alexander? Kristen Barrowman? Samantha Sharapova? Any of those names sound familiar? How about Betty O’Neill? Anna Maria Thiessen?
She was a military kid here in Alaska. Disappeared in 1950.”

Aleksei stared at Danny, and gripped the edge of his desk to maintain his calm façade. He knew, then. This bastard detective really did know. He cleared his throat.

“Did you say the last girl, Anna Maria something, disappeared in 1950? Interesting. I’ve always been told I look good for my age. How old do you think I am?”

“How about you answer my question? What did you do with those women?”

“Have you gone mad, Detective? I can’t imagine what you’re talking about.”

Danny took two steps forward, and kept his eyes on Aleksei’s. “I know you’ve got Katie Bailey and I want her back, okay? I admit I’m probably too late for the rest, but give me Katie.”

“As I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Listen, asshole. Let’s cut the crap, okay? I know you killed all those women I just mentioned. I know you’ve been in Alaska a hell of a long time. I’m fairly sure you went on a killing spree in Wiseman way back when you first came here. Natives called you a “white haired monster.” I don’t care about all that right now. I just want Katie.”

Aleksei moved closer to Danny, staring down at him. “You know I did all that, do you? What else do you think you know about me?”

Danny felt as if his blood had turned to ice. “I know you came from Russia. And I know you were a soldier. In World War I.”

“I was in World War I, was I? That would make me a very old man, wouldn’t it? How do you suppose I’ve managed to keep my youthful good looks all these years?”

“I don’t understand it. But I know it’s because of what you are. And it’s not human.”

“You do know quite a bit.”

Before Danny could respond, Aleksei had passed him in a whoosh of sound and was suddenly behind him, his long fingers around Danny’s neck.

“Yes, I have to hand it to you,” he whispered into Danny’s ear. “You know a great deal about me.”

Danny struggled as the fingers tightened around his neck, blocking his windpipe. He gasped for air, and found nothing.

Aleksei didn’t break a sweat as he strengthened his grip on Danny’s neck. “That’s a problem though, I’m sorry to say. You simply know too much.”

He continued to squeeze until he felt Danny slump in his arms. “It’s nothing personal, Detective. I do hope you know that, too.”

He turned off the light and left the hotel lobby, dragging Danny’s limp body behind him.

Chapter 58

Aleksei sat on the edge of the
guest room bed and waited for Katerina to wake up. He ran his finger along the curve of her face, relishing the cold marble feel of her skin. Now that he had her, he couldn’t imagine why he had waited so long to make a companion. He had been such a fool, pining for a love he would never have again. He had so much time to make up for now.

Fortunately, time was not an issue for him. And wouldn’t be for Katerina now, either. They had thousands of years ahead of them.

Katie’s eyelids fluttered, and Aleksei felt his dead heart leap in his chest. She was waking up, finally. He grabbed her small hand, and covered it within his own strong grip.

She opened her eyes, and immediately widened them in terror when she saw Aleksei’s face. She struggled to sit up, and pull her hand out of Aleksei’s grasp.

“Calm down, Katerina,” Aleksei said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Not anymore.”

Katie blinked and glanced around the room, trying to orient herself to her surroundings. She felt herself waking up and feeling increasingly strange. She felt so cold and sluggish. What had happened to her?

“It feels very weird right now, I know,” Aleksei said. “But just give yourself a minute. You’ll be fine.”

Remaining silent, Katie forced herself to sit up on the bed. Within minutes, she realized Aleksei was telling the truth. She no longer felt sluggish, and found herself struggling with almost overwhelming sensations.

“What did you do to me?” she finally asked, barely able to keep the fear out of her voice. “What’s happening?”

“I saved you,” Aleksei said. “I made you better. Can’t you tell? It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?”

Katie had to admit that it was. She looked down at herself, still wearing her work clothes from her grandfather’s restaurant, but they were now splattered with blood. Was it her blood? It must be. Except for the blood, she looked the same. But somehow, she was completely different.

“What did you do to me?” she asked again.

“I made you like me. We’re the same now. We’re one.”

Aleksei reached out and ran his fingers down Katie’s cheek and along the curve of her chin. “You’re perfect now,” he said.

He gently touched Katie’s lips with the tips of his fingers. “You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. No sickness, no death. You can move like lightning now, you’ll see. And wait until you find out how strong you are.”

“How?”

“Because you’re like me. A vampire.”

Surprisingly, Katie didn’t even flinch at Aleksei’s words. It was as if she already knew before he told her. Her curiosity and fear had already started to be replaced by acceptance.

“But…”

Aleksei interrupted her. “No buts,” he said. “It’s done now. I’ll teach you everything you need to know, don’t worry.”

“What about my family?” Katie asked.

“What about them?”

“Did you hurt them? Do they know what’s happened to me?”

“No and no. Why do you care?”

Katie stared at him, surprised to find that she really didn’t. She should be missing her family and calling out for her mother. But she didn’t. And she wasn’t.

“No,” she finally said. “I guess I don’t.”

“That’s because you’re not Katie anymore. Katie Bailey’s gone. You’re Yekaterina. That’s Russian for Katherine. But I’m going to call you Katerina. Or maybe Katya, if the mood strikes.”

“Why Russian?”

“Because that’s my home. And that’s where we’re going.”

“Really?”

Aleksei nodded. “Yes, and soon. We don’t have a lot of time to waste. I wanted to spend the winter with you here in Alaska, one last winter for me, but my plans have changed. We need to leave very soon.”

“What will we do there?”

“Whatever you want to do. I’ll show you the country, it’s beautiful. And we’ll just start there.”

Aleksei leaned in closer to Katerina. “I told you I saved you, right? I did. Saved you from a boring, trivial life in Seattle.” He dropped his voice to a seductive whisper. “There’s a whole big beautiful world out there, Katerina. And we’re going to see it all.”

She continued to stare at him, taking it in, and feeling stimulated in ways she couldn’t begin to understand. In spite of her excitement, she felt overcome by waves of hunger. She was craving something and feeling as if she’d go mad if she didn’t have it. But she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

“I’m starving,” she finally said.

Aleksei smiled. “Of course you are. And I know what you need; I’ve got it ready for you. Just give me a minute.”

He stood up from the bed and walked across the room to the closet, where he had stored a small red cooler. He opened it and carried it back to the bed, where he retrieved a plastic bag full of blood. He held it up to Katerina.

“Did you ever donate blood before, Katerina?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know what these bags are. Courtesy of the Alaskan blood bank. Of course, we don’t need any needles.”

Aleksei opened the bag, and Katerina felt a rabid rush of hunger. She leaped up, and grabbed the bag from his hands. She brought the bag to her lips and clamped down on it, drinking its contents in gulps. Within seconds, the bag was empty and Katerina turned back to Aleksei, her mouth covered in blood. She smiled at him.

He felt a wave of love wash over him and handed her another bag of blood. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

Katerina finished a third bag of blood and leaped off the bed with a speed that surprised her. She twirled around the room with the grace of a ballerina and stopped at the closet door.

“Do you have better clothes for me?” she asked, looking down at her restaurant uniform. “If we’re going to travel the world, I need something better than this.”

Aleksei smiled again. “I don’t yet,” he said. “But we’ll get some, don’t worry. We’ll get whatever you want. I’ve got a few things you can change into before we leave though.”

Katerina danced back over to Aleksei and stood on her tiptoes so she could slide her arms around his neck. “So are you hot for me?” she asked.

Aleksei fought his arousal. “That’s not the type of question a polite young woman asks,” he said.

“Who says I’m polite?” She ran a hand down his chest and moved towards his groin. “I think you are,” she said.

Aleksei stared down at her minx-like expression, amazed that there was no longer any sign at all of the sweet teenage girl who had been so terrified of him. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. He forced himself to step away.

“We don’t have time for that right now,” he said. “And I still have so much to teach you first.”

Katerina ran her tongue over her teeth. “I don’t think you have to worry about teaching me too much.”

“I don’t mean about that. I mean about what you are.”

Katerina laughed, and suddenly sprouted fangs from her gums. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “What the hell?”

Aleksei walked to her and removed her hand from her face. “See, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. You have a lot to learn.” He let his own fangs out, and smiled. “But like I said, I can teach you.”

Katie grinned back, displaying her fangs. “Can I bite you with these?”

“You can bite lots of things.”

She grabbed Aleksei’s arm and pulled it to her mouth, sinking her fangs in his skin before he had a chance to pull away. He again had to fight his arousal as he watched her sucking his blood.

Katerina lifted her head, letting Aleksei’s blood drip from her teeth. “That’s awesome,” she said.

Aleksei didn’t feel like fighting his arousal any more. “It is,” he said, his voice husky. “But you haven’t seen anything yet.”

He pushed her down on the bed, knocking the cooler of blood onto the floor. He tore off the uniform she would never wear again, and quickly removed his shirt, tossing it onto the floor next to the fallen cooler.

Katerina arched her back to meet him as his lips crushed into hers, the taste of blood mingling in both of the mouths. He moved his lips down her neck, giving gentle bites as he did. Katerina moaned, and worked her hands towards his belt. For a short time, Aleksei was sure no on
e else in the world existed. He forgot all about the dying woman in his root cellar and the Alaskan police detective he had locked into a room in his asylum.