The bukavac scream might also be a problem. We’d never heard it before but, if the stories were true, it could potentially drop us in our tracks.
“We have the snowmobile helmets,” Theo pointed out. “They’re designed with ear protection already.”
“Perfect!” I said excitedly. “We won’t be able to hear each other, but I think we can deal with that.” I couldn’t seem to regulate my tone. I was still jazzed from using my magic earlier. I laughed in spite of myself and ignored Theo’s confused look. “What do you think, with six legs, is it going to crawl along the ground like a bug, or–”
Just then the doorbell rang.
I jumped up and ran to the front entry. I could see Julian’s giant form through the distorted glass window in the door and a slightly shorter, slimmer shape next to him. I opened the door and smiled brightly. “Hi guys!”
Julian smiled back at me and I looked at the man standing next to him. He was staring at me and I felt my heart rate speed up. He was outrageously handsome, with a firm chin covered in dark stubble. His brown hair fell over his forehead in a messy tumble down to straight brows. I felt suddenly flushed. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled at me admiringly.
“Come on in,” I said and backed up. They each carried a duffel bag across their shoulders and they bent to take their shoes off simultaneously.
When Julian stood back up, he said, “Hey, Very. This is Owen Belisarius. I assume Theo told you the story?” I nodded, mute.
“Hi, Very,” Owen said. “That’s an interesting name.”
“It’s short for Verena,” I answered. “That’s Theo,” I said, gesturing into the kitchen. “Come on in. There are a few more empty bedrooms, so take your pick. Are you hungry?”
“I’m not,” Julian answered.
“Me either,” said Owen.
They both followed me into the kitchen and I snagged the rest of my sandwich. My giddy feeling from earlier vanished and I felt self-conscious in my stretchy yoga pants and sweatshirt, my hair in a messy bun.
Theo gripped Julian’s forearm and then nodded at Owen. “Welcome to Russia. You’re just in time. We’re planning our assault on the bukavac in the lake.”
“Uncle Alex told me about your vision. Owen’s all caught up too.” Julian said. “What weapons do we have?”
Theo ran through our arsenal and his idea about the helmets. I listened with half an ear and concentrated on my sandwich until Theo said my name. I looked at him blankly.
“I was telling Julian and Owen about what happened this morning. Do you think the whistle is something you could use on the bukavac?
“I have no idea,” I answered. “I’ve only used it offensively involuntarily so far. I could try it, but I think we need a couple of back up plans too.”
The guys agreed and I started paying attention more closely. It sounded like one person would remain in the parking lot to chase off the couple in Theo’s vision and make sure no other cars pulled in and interrupted the fight.
“I’ll do it,” Owen volunteered. I was surprised. I expected him to be an alpha guy who would want to be on the front line. He saw my surprised look and smiled at me again. “I know I’m the weakest link right now. I’ve never trained with your unit, I’ve never seen a supernatural creature before, and my guns aren’t here yet. I’ll take the rear position this time.”
I was in trouble. Handsome and enlightened. I felt flushed all over again.
“Good plan,” said Theo. “We have a couple of hours before we need to drive to the lake. Do you guys want the tour?”
All three of them left the kitchen and I quickly rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. Then I went out into the garage to make sure we had four helmets.
IT was dusk when we pulled into the parking lot at Lake Chebarkul. The carnival atmosphere from just two days earlier was gone. I guessed the novelty had worn off for the locals. There were still signs warning of thin ice, and I could see the hole was still barricaded in the distance. The police must have worried some ice fisherman would just tumble in otherwise.
All four of us walked out onto the ice. Theo’s vision showed the bukavac emerging at full dark, with the moon overhead, so we had some time to get set up. The dark shadow of the open water looked smaller than the last time I’d seen it; the ice was slowly inching back into place.
“How deep is it?” Owen asked.
“The sign said about 40 feet,” Theo answered. He cleared his throat. “So, let’s rehash. The bukavac has six legs, a big mouth full of sharp teeth, a long tail, and curved horns on its head. It can also scream really, really loudly.”
Theo nodded at me and I took over. “Julian, Theo, and I will hide at the edge of the lake under the tarps we brought and be very still. Owen will sit in the SUV and be the bait. When the bukavac is off the ice and heading for Owen, the three people under the tarps will jump up. Theo and I will stand between the bukavac and the ice, so it can’t get back into the hole. Julian will stand between it and the woods over there, so it can’t go that way and escape. We’ll close in and keep it in the middle.
“We don’t know yet how it’s going to move or how it’s going to fight. We need to starting reading those journals...” I trailed off and then caught myself. “But let’s assume it’s going to be like a crocodile monster, with thick skin. According to Uncle Alex’s memory, the legs are the weakest part of it. If we can break them or chop them off, it should be easier to kill.”
It was getting darker by the minute. We turned to look as another car pulled into
