The Fortune Teller(75)

As the truck drove away, she could only see through a small slit of canvas. They crossed the Volga and headed down the riverbank through the open countryside. Nettie watched the sun set. The trip felt like an eternity, although they must have been driving less than two hours. They passed through a stone entryway with castlelike towers at the corners and into an enormous inner courtyard where the truck parked.

A soldier banged on the side of the car. “Out!”

Nettie parted the canvas and climbed down to find herself surrounded by clusters of old church buildings illuminated by industrial lighting. Soldiers scurried past in a den of activity. This old monastery had been converted into some kind of military complex. She saw rows of medical trucks parked next to a makeshift armory.

The driver led her to the nearest building. Rowdy songs and lewd jokes were coming from one of the rooms.

“Delivery.” The driver stood in the doorway.

Inside a group of officers was eating dinner. Bottles of vodka littered the table. Nettie hovered behind the driver, trying not to be seen.

“Oh, look, the dessert has come,” a drunken officer said, his glassy eyes fixed on her.

The driver waved the papers. “One of Evanoff’s. She’s off-limits.”

The officer gave Nettie a cool assessment. “Pity.” He turned to the most junior officer in the room. “You take her.”

The young man got up from the table and took the papers from the driver.

“Come on.” He led Nettie down an endless hallway and unlocked the last door, then motioned her inside.

Nettie stepped into the cell-like room. The door locked shut behind her. Inside it was nearly pitch black. Only a sliver of moonlight illuminated the shadows.

After a minute her eyes adjusted and she saw children sleeping on an assortment of old mattresses. There was no food or water, only a bucket in the far corner that seemed like it was being used as a toilet.

She made her way to the corner farthest from the door and curled into a ball on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and tried not to think of her family, of her life that was forever gone.

For years she had prepared for this day, ever since her first vision. She had replayed what she saw over and over in her mind so she could withstand the reality of it when the time came. Now here she was, living it out.

A girl’s voice whispered in the dark. “You can share my mattress.”

Nettie squinted. She saw a figure sitting up two mattresses over and felt her way toward her in the dark. She found the girl and lay down beside her, relieved to be near someone who meant her no harm.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

“I cried my first month here. There’s no shame,” the girl said.

Even so, Nettie vowed tonight would be the only time she would give in to her grief. She promised herself she would do what her grandmother said. Whatever happened, she must survive.

“My name’s Liliya. What’s yours?” the girl asked.

“Nettie,” she said in a hushed voice.

“Why have they brought you here?”

Nettie hesitated, unsure how to explain and too numb to try. “I’ve no idea,” she said instead. “Where are we?”

“Makaryev Monastery, but it’s not a monastery anymore. After they kicked the nuns out, this place became an orphanage for a few years. I came here then.”

“Why did they keep you here and not send you to another orphanage?”

“The experiments” was all Liliya said. “You’ll find out soon enough. We should sleep.” Before Liliya closed her eyes, she added, “Impress them and they’ll let you live.”

Nettie tried to sleep, but her mind couldn’t rest. She was already trying to feel her way into the future. She would have to give up her secrets, to expose her gift in order to stay alive.

She had already seen Dr. Evanoff many times in her visions. He would stand before her tomorrow, giving her sweets to gain her trust. Soon he would take a keen and singular interest in her.

*

The next morning sunlight forced its way through the grime-covered windows. Nettie opened her eyes and met her fellow cellmates, all raggedy children with gazes that ranged from inquisitive to dull and apathetic. There were twelve of them. Liliya was the oldest, maybe sixteen or seventeen, and the youngest no older than five. Her tattered gown and shaved head made her look like a doll that had been stripped bare and forgotten.

The doors opened and a guard placed thirteen bowls inside, each with a piece of black bread, and thirteen cups of coffee. Liliya passed them out to the children who sat, surprisingly docile. Or perhaps they were just too weak to stand. Liliya handed Nettie her bowl.

“We get a boiled potato for dinner.”

Nettie ate the bread and drank the tarlike coffee. She wished for water, but at least it was liquid. An hour later the young officer opened the door. It was the same man who’d escorted her to the room last night. He seemed to steel himself to appear authoritative.

He motioned to Nettie. “You. The new one.”

Nettie stood to follow him, then looked back to Liliya for support.

“Impress them,” Liliya reminded her softly.

The officer led her down the hallway and up the stairs. “You’ll be meeting Dr. Evanoff today,” he told her, as if that somehow made her captivity more tolerable.

Nettie didn’t answer, but she knew this man from her visions too. His name was Lev.