asked me to come back to Adjágas with him. That was all. I told my husband to send Christina as soon as she arrived.”
“Are we in Jompá’s home right now?”
She nodded. “He is at his brother’s.”
“Okay. Listen to me very carefully. All of you are in danger because of me.”
“We could hide you until—”
“You can’t hide me. These men can smell a lie from a mile away. And once that happens they will hurt you. All of you.”
“So what are we supposed to do?”
“Tell them the truth, all of it—that they found me in the snow, that you gave me medical attention, and that when I heard the helicopter, I fled.”
“But Christina asked me to take care of you, to keep you safe.”
“I am very grateful for all that you have done,” he said, lacing up his boots, then putting on his coat and zipping it up.
“I’m sorry,” Sini replied. “I wish there was more that we could do. I know Jompá and his brother will feel the same.”
“You need to go be with them. Please tell them that I said thank you. You saved my life.”
“Where will you go? It’s freezing out there.”
“I’ll figure something out. Where are my skis?”
“Just outside,” she said, “along with your poles.”
Removing the bladder from his rucksack, he handed it to her. “Can you fill this for me please while I put them on?”
Sini did as he requested. Then, putting on her own coat, she stepped outside and handed it to him.
He thanked her and asked one last question. “Which way is Friddja? That’s the way they’ll be coming from.”
She raised her arm and pointed. “That way,” she said. “Through the trees. You can’t miss the path.” She then watched as he skied off in the opposite direction.
It was completely black and only took a matter of seconds before he was swallowed up by the darkness.
In her heart, Sini wanted to believe that he would make it, but in her head she knew that wasn’t going to happen. A man in his condition, alone in the bitterly cold wilderness, hunted by mercenaries with a helicopter, didn’t stand a chance.
The woman, though, didn’t know Scot Harvath.
CHAPTER 49
* * *
* * *
As smoke rose from the chimneys and stove pipes of Friddja’s snow-covered houses, the arctic helicopter touched down on the edge of the village, spooking a herd of reindeer kept in a pen nearby.
Squeezing the back of Christina’s neck, Teplov pushed her out the door and ordered her to identify the dwelling where she was supposed to meet Harvath. She resisted until the pain became unbearable. Only then did she point it out.
After two snowmobiles had raced down the helicopter’s loading ramp to secure the perimeter, Teplov ordered his men to move in and encircle the house.
Just as in Nivsky, residents had gathered at windows and even more had poured outside to see what all the commotion was about. Sini’s husband, Mokci, made the mistake of opening his door just as one of Teplov’s goons had stepped up to kick it open.
For his trouble, Mokci caught a rifle butt in the mouth and was shoved back inside. He fell to the floor as the assault team spilled in searching for Harvath.
Standing outside, Teplov took satisfaction in the villagers’ shocked and indignant reactions. He, along with several more men, watched and waited for someone to make the mistake of picking up a rifle, but none of them did. Mission accomplished.
Moments later, the assault team leader stepped back outside and signaled the all clear. Harvath was not inside.
Trying to keep his anger under control, Teplov marched Christina up to the house and pushed her through the door.
When she saw Mokci sitting in a chair, blood gushing from his face, her professional instincts kicked in and she rushed to help him. Teplov didn’t stop her.
She found a clean towel and had him hold it to his mouth and apply pressure. In the meantime, she asked and was granted permission to retrieve a piece of ice from outside. When she came back in, she wrapped it in another clean towel and had Mokci hold that against his wound.
He was almost an identical male version of his wife—small, but sturdy with a kind, weathered face, dark hair, and brown eyes.
“What is wrong with you people?” Christina demanded as she turned to face Teplov. “That was completely unnecessary.”
“Shut up,” the mercenary ordered, as he grabbed the Sámi man’s face and examined it by twisting it from one side to the other.