He hung the torch from a hook in the ceiling, turned it so that most of the cellar was illuminated.
– Need enough light for us to see what’s going on.
He lowered his voice.
– Usually these beasts are pretty groggy when they come round after sedation, but not this one. He’s mean and keen. Probably scared, too, just like you.
Axel grabbed hold of the padlock and rattled it.
– What do you want? Tell me what you want me to do. Is there anything you want?
Norbakk reached up through the trapdoor, picked up something from the floor of the room above.
– That’s what’s so fucking awful, Glenne. You’ve got nothing I want. Not any more. You’ve got money, but I’m not interested in that. And you’ve got a cute, hot wife. Spent a whole evening getting it on with her.
Axel heard him grin.
– Met her at Smuget. She picked the winning number that night all right. She might’ve ended up here too, but she’s the wrong age. The god of chance held his protecting hand over her.
He walked over to the gate, pointed a video camera at Axel.
– Tell me what it was like, he said. – Tell me what it was like screwing Miriam, then I’ll tell you what your wife was like.
– Jesus, Axel shouted, struggling with the free end of the handcuffs.
– Tell me, then I’ll let you out. Did she get you to do the same things as me?
He held the camera up into Axel’s face.
– I always did like you, Axel, he murmured, putting his hand through the bars, squeezing his arm. – I would love to hear you describe…
With a jerk Axel had the cuff fastened around his wrist.
– Axel, now that really wasn’t very clever. Norbakk’s voice was lower. – Not very clever at all.
A growling noise came from the corner, the sound of claws against the stone floor. Norbakk tried to pull his arm free, but Axel leaned forward with all his weight.
– Okay, shouted Norbakk. – I’ll unlock the gate. Then you can let go of my fucking arm.
He fumbled with the padlock. Lost his camera on the floor. Axel heard the padlock being opened, removed. At that moment there was a rattling sound as the animal approached through the half-dark. He felt its breath hit him, the smell of its guts. He pulled himself round, dragging Norbakk’s arm with him. The rattle turned into a roar in the animal’s throat, and then it opened its jaws.
Norbakk screamed. The animal had taken hold of his arm and was jerking its head from side to side, its eyes bloodshot and bulging. Axel tried to hold on to the gate but was dragged away. With a ripping sound, Norbakk’s arm was torn off. The great jaws let go their hold, the animal lifted its head, lowered it again, raised its snout. Axel managed to half turn away. Pain ripped up through his skull, down across his face. The iron gate flew open. He was hurled backwards, and tumbled to the floor outside. As though through water he heard Norbakk’s screaming close to his ear. A hand grabbed him by the hair; he drove his elbow backwards and hit something soft that gave way. He rolled over and managed to catch hold of the ladder, climbed up one step, then another, dragged himself up on to the floor of the room above, crawled away from the opening. He felt as though half his face had been burnt away. He could see, but only through one eye. Beneath him Norbakk’s screaming ended abruptly.
Axel hobbled over to the bedroom door. Still locked.
– Miriam, are you there?
He turned and ran for the front door. The sounds he could hear coming from the cellar were unendurable.
It was dark outside. A thin white layer of snow on the ground. Light from a half-moon shining through the trees. He made his way round the side of the cabin. Which window? he thought feverishly. Which window? He stopped at the first one. Something was dangling from his wrist. The stub of an arm still held in the cuffs. It wasn’t his. He grabbed hold of it and smashed it against the window, took hold of the hasp and opened it. Didn’t notice that he cut himself as he hoisted himself inside and tumbled down on to the floor.
In the pale moonlight he saw the outline of her head against the pillow, the hair flowing around it.
– Miriam…
He took a step towards the bed. Moving through a smell he refused to breathe in. Still saying her name. As though it could drive that smell away, out of that dark room. He pulled the blanket off. Couldn’t see what the body lying there looked like. But he could no longer will away the stench and he staggered backwards and dived out through the window. Lay trembling on the ground. When he looked up, he saw the animal appearing round the corner of the cabin. He dragged himself to his feet. Stand still, Axel, don’t run. You mustn’t run now. The beast raised itself on its hind legs. Turned its head and looked sideways into his eyes.
He yelled. Everything inside him went into that yell. He howled himself empty, screaming into the bear’s face. It stayed up on its hind legs for a few seconds, about as tall as he was. Then it lowered its upper body, took a few paces backwards, raised its snout and sniffed the air. At last it turned, and with a growling noise sidled away towards the forest, where the moon was slowly disappearing behind the tallest trees.
Sitting in the car, he came to his senses again. The key was in the ignition. He started the engine and let the car trundle down on to the forest track. Hoarse noises were still escaping from his throat, coming in bursts, he didn’t know where from, or how to stop them. The car moved slowly down the track in first gear. Sergeant Norbakk’s arm still dangled across his lap.
Round a bend a figure approached into the beams of the headlights. Axel braked. He still couldn’t see out of his right eye. The figure leaned across the bonnet and stared in through the windscreen. A broad distorted face with slanting eyes and open mouth, shouting at him.
He pressed the horn down hard.
– Catch bear, the man seemed to be saying. – Oswald catch bear.
Axel put his foot down. The huge body slid off the bonnet and down into the ditch. In the rear-view mirror he saw it climb back up on to the track and continue on up the hill behind him.
68
QUARTER OF AN hour to closing time. The young man behind the counter at the Esso station in Åmoen had made a start on cashing up for the day. Everything seemed to be in order. At least half an hour since the last customer. Someone he knew, the old woman who’d been his teacher back in primary school. Couldn’t sell her a drop of petrol; all she wanted was a newspaper and some sweets. But what Signy Bruseter really wanted was a natter. As usual she asked a load of questions about what he was up to, what his plans were for the future, all that kind of stuff. And she wanted to tell someone about what had happened at the place where she worked, one of the inmates who’d run off. Signy’s nattering could drive you nuts. He imagined himself picking up the biggest pair of pliers in the place and smashing them over her head; that would get him a bit of peace. Instead he told her there was something he had to do out in the workshop, and in the end she’d gone.
He leaned up against the door to the back room and watched the TV screen hanging up on the wall in there. Jackie Chan’s face grinning down at him. He’d seen the film before and knew there was a good bit coming up soon. He tossed a hamburger into the microwave. Thought about eating it before he left but then decided to take it home. Enjoy it in peace and quiet with another film. He took it out and stuck it into a plastic bag along with the local paper and a Red Bull.
Just then a car turned on to the forecourt. Looked like a Nissan Micra in the colour they called Old Lady’s White. It rolled past the pumps and came to a halt. A guy tumbled out on the driver’s side and came staggering over towards the door, opened it and stood swaying in the entrance. It was a sight the young man behind the counter would never forget as long as he lived. A big man with half his face torn away, from the hairline down. Something that must have been an eye dangled against his cheek. His light jacket was drenched in blood. He supported himself against the newspaper rack, seemed to be trying to say something, but the sounds that came from the bloodied mouth were incomprehensible. Then he raised his arm. Something was dangling from it, attached by a handcuff. Something that looked like a hand with a bit of the lower arm.