“That’s the thing. Aside from its immense stature, that’s how I knew, without a doubt, that this wasn’t some dumb animal. The creature wore a type of homemade shoe that looked like bits of plant and bark strapped to its feet. It made a kind of drag mark on the ground that could have been anything. It certainly wasn’t as distinctive as a footprint.”
The group fell silent, pondering the notion of a Sasquatch wearing shoes. It was an incredible story, but Nat didn’t think the mountaineer was lying. Either he’d seen what he said, or he believed he’d seen it.
“Just because you saw this thing in the United States does not mean it’s here, in Russia,” Igor said.
“Are you aware of the note the searchers found in Dyatlov’s tent?” Steven asked.
Nat was, and she felt chilled in a way that had nothing to do with the cold.
“It said, From now on we know that snowmen exist.”
~ Chapter Five ~
That evening, Nat found it impossible to sleep. It wasn’t the cold. Andrew had done his research well, and even when the temperature plunged to -13°F, it was nice and cozy inside their two-person tent.
After Steven had told his story, a sense of dread had followed her around that couldn’t be shaken by exhaustion, exercise, or the two hot meals expertly prepared by Joe and Anubha.
“Nat?” She wasn’t surprised when Andrew whispered her name, but she still jumped.
“Yeah?”
“What did you think of that story?”
“I thought it was pretty fucking creepy. Especially that part about the shoes.”
Andrew was silent for so long she thought he’d fallen asleep, but then he spoke. “Yeah. The shoes. You’re thinking about Dyatlov, aren’t you?”
Obviously she was thinking of Dyatlov. By tomorrow afternoon, they would reach the man’s campsite. “One of the reasons no one believed the yeti theory—”
“In addition to the fact it’s ridiculous.”
“—is that there weren’t any tracks. But maybe there were tracks. They just weren’t recognizable.”
“You realize how crazy this is.”
But was it? They’d investigated far crazier. What about the bridge that drove animals to commit suicide? They’d never been able to find a rational explanation for that, either. Their entire podcast was based on the fact that sometimes there was no rational explanation.
“If there is something like that out here, it’s not even supernatural. It’s a creature that hasn’t been discovered yet. Aren’t scientists discovering new species every day?” Nat’s heart picked up speed. What if they returned with proof—actual proof—that yetis existed? She wouldn’t be as reticent as their mountaineering friend, that was for sure.
“Yeah, but that’s like bugs and stuff, not carnivores. Trust me, if something like that existed, someone would have seen it by now.”
“There have been lots of sightings.”
“And not one of them verified.”
“What about Steven’s?” Nat asked.
“What about Steven’s? We haven’t seen it. We only have his word for it.”
Her producer had a point. Still…
“I believe him.”
“I kind of do as well. Which is why I can’t sleep.”
“Andy?”
“Mmm-hmm?”
“Do you think we’re going to be okay? I mean, what happened to the Dyatlov group won’t happen to us, will it?”
“Definitely not. That was sixty years ago. Even if there were creatures living up here back then, I’m sure they’ve moved on by now. And the Cold War is over.” Andrew had always leaned toward the government-conspiracy side of things.
“That note has always freaked me out, though.”
“Me too. I wonder why he didn’t mention—”
“The photograph? Yeah, I wondered that as well. Maybe he doesn’t know about it?” Though that was unlikely. Steven appeared to be an expert on the subject.
One of the skiers’ cameras had been left behind in a tent. When the film was developed, a single photo of a large, humanoid figure, dark against the tree line, had been discovered.
It was enough to give one nightmares. Some believed it was one of the other skiers in a snowsuit—the figure was too shadowy to make out any details, even with enhancement—but there was something otherworldly, something not quite right about it.
“I’m going to fucking kill you!”
“What the hell—”
Getting out of her sleeping bag wasn’t easy. It encased her like a cocoon, and she realized for the first time how vulnerable it made her. There would be no such thing as a fast escape.
The sound of zippers and nylon rustling filled the night. Apparently, everyone had the same idea.
“Andy, help.”
Her producer took hold of her upper body around the shoulders and pulled until Nat could finally kick her legs free. Yanking on their boots, they burst outside in their thermals to find the rest of the group watching Joe. The formerly mild-mannered Canadian brandished a filleting knife with a wicked blade, his eyes black with hatred.
“What’s going on?” Andrew asked, and Nat realized everyone except the Mansi was standing in the snow, in freezing temperatures, in their thermals.
That was how easy it was to get everyone to leave their tents in their underwear, even when it was fifteen degrees below zero. Someone needed to create a diversion, and that was all it took. She shuddered at the thought. At least they hadn’t sliced open their tent, but that was a small comfort.
“I’m going to kill that fucker, that’s what’s going on,” Joe yelled, lunging toward Igor, who raised his hands in surrender. Igor? What had Igor done?
But then Lana lifted her lantern and Nat saw who was behind Igor. Steven. It figured.
“No one’s killing anyone. Let’s try to calm down. Can somebody tell me what happened, please?” Andrew’s voice was steady, which Nat found admirable, because Joe looked like he wasn’t too choosy about how he used his knife at the moment.
“I don’t know. We heard yelling and came outside to find Joe about to murder Steven.” Lana’s hand trembled, making the light dance. She was the only one wearing her coat.
“The fucker deserves it. No one messes with my wife.”
Anubha appeared from the darkness to lay a hand on Joe’s arm. “I’m sure it was a joke. It’s not worth it, Joe. Let’s go back to bed.”
“No, I’ve had it. We’ve put up with enough abuse as it is, and I didn’t sign up to be in this godforsaken place with a fucking psycho.” He shook her off and took a menacing step toward Steven. Igor stood his ground, but it was obvious to Nat how quickly this could go wrong. Joe was lithe and agile. If he wanted to dart around the big Russian to get at Steven, he would. The mountaineer would be gutted before the rest of them registered what had happened.
“Someone please tell me what happened. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong. Igor?” Nat appealed to the Russian as Steven’s tent mate, since Joe was clearly incapable of rational discussion.
Not taking his eyes from Joe, Igor shrugged. “I have no idea. One minute, we are sleeping; the next minute, Joe attacks our tent.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed. “That fucker wasn’t sleeping.”
For once, the mountaineer looked nervous, keeping the Russian between him and the Canadian. “I have no idea what he’s talking about. I swear to God, Nat. I was sound asleep before he pulled me out here.”
“Joe, please tell us what’s wrong. Why are you so upset with Steven?” The Canadian was still breathing hard, plumes of smoke swathing his face in a silvery fog, but the arm that brandished the knife had lowered. Clinging to her belief that the trapper was a reasonable man, Nat focused her energy on him. “I promise you, if he upset you or Anubha, he’ll be on the next plane home tomorrow. But I need you to tell me what happened.”