The Lure by Bill Napier

Author:Bill Napier [Napier, Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alien Invasion, First Contact
ISBN: 9780747267270
Google: yWn1AAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00FCR3M8S
Barnesnoble: B00FCR3M8S
Goodreads: 281468
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2002-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

27

Siege

A scrawny hand, all skinny grey talons and sharp nails, was stretching over the castle, and black clouds were rolling down the hills on the horizon like an advancing army. But even at half a mile, in the dull light, there was no mistaking Shtyrkov’s oblate form. He was moving at a fast waddle, as if trying to escape from the approaching claw.

Svetlana, looking out over the parapet, watched his approach curiously, but with a touch of alarm. He cut across the grass, puffing and wheezy, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead of him, and toddled briskly under her before disappearing from sight round the corner. She went into the building and stood at the top of the marble stairs. In a moment he appeared at the foot, breathless. He looked up at the stairs helplessly. Anxiety showed in his eyes.

‘Stay down there,’ Svetlana called to him. ‘I’ll get the others.’

A few minutes later she had herded the scientists into the computer room. Gibson entered carrying a tray of coffee and biscuits. Petrie was unshaven and his eyes were red-rimmed. He was carrying a bundle of papers as if reluctant to let go of them.

‘Where’s Hanning?’ Gibson wanted to know.

‘I can’t find him,’ Svetlana complained.

Gibson poured coffees. He looked at Shtyrkov, who had collapsed into one of the blue armchairs. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘I go for a walk, to think. I meet soldiers in the woods. They turn me back. Ladies and gentlemen, they will not allow us to leave the castle. They intend us to die here.’

Gibson said, quietly, ‘That’s a bit dramatic, Vashislav.’

‘But I tell you, they turn me back!’

‘Maybe there’s some military exercise going on in the woods,’ Petrie suggested.

‘Not an exercise.’ Shtyrkov shook his head vigorously. ‘An operation. To keep us here. We are prisoners in the castle.’

‘Prisoners?’ Freya giggled nervously. She was stirring coffee with brisk little movements, the spoon jangling in the china cup.

Petrie stood up. ‘We can test this.’

‘Spoken in the best scientific tradition,’ said Gibson. ‘Take a walk in the woods. I’ll give you five minutes and then stroll out the front gate.’

‘I tell you we’re prisoners,’ Shtyrkov said. ‘We will die here.’

* * *

Into the woods.

The black clouds are now overhead and the light is fading by the minute. Petrie tries to look like a man out for a stroll, tries not to peer into dark corners.

Stop, stretch, glance behind. All very casual. The castle is still visible in outline through the trees, a dark silhouette against a white misty patch of sky. The air is damp. Rain will come at any minute. The witch’s fingers are at ground level now, little tracers of mist creeping through the trees on either side of him. In Petrie’s imagination they are purposeful, enclosing him in a pincer movement.

And there are shapes, lurking in the shadows.

Tricks of the light: be rational. He turns up the collar of his fleece jacket and walks further into the forest, his mouth dry.

Somewhere ahead, a dog barks. It’s a big dog, heavy on the low frequencies, and it’s more of a howl than a bark.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.