Return to Dyatlov Pass

~ Chapter Six ~

It was a somber group that set off for the Dyatlov Pass the next morning. Even Lana and Igor were silent, focused on the terrain ahead. When Nat suggested the Russian bring up the rear this time, the man had shrugged and fallen back without a word of complaint. She couldn’t tell if he was bothered by it or not.

As though to match their mood, the temperature had fallen considerably. Soon the effort of negotiating the challenging climb in skis warmed her, but Nat worried about what would happen when they stopped and the sweat froze, chilling her further. At least her expensive gear wicked the moisture away from her skin, but the idea of being encased in several thin layers of ice didn’t thrill her.

Only Vasily appeared to be unaffected by the events of the night before, but whether that was because he’d slept through it all or hadn’t bothered to leave his tent, she wasn’t sure. He had watched them as they silently ate their miserable breakfast, refusing their food to chew on some kind of dry, leathery meat, as always, and then had taken the head of the trail once he saw they were ready to go.

“My wife isn’t crazy.”

“Huh?” Nat had been so focused on the path that she hadn’t noticed Joe had dropped back to speak to her.

“I said, my wife isn’t crazy. If she says something was outside our tent last night, something was outside our tent.”

“Joe, no one is doubting Anubha. I believe she heard something, and I believe you saw something. I just don’t think it was Steven.”

“Who else would it be?”

Nat was saddened to see the amiable hunter hadn’t regained his equilibrium. He was still angry, still on the offensive. “I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you. But I don’t believe it was anyone in the group. No one here would do something like that.”

“There’s no other explanation. Either you think Anubha is crazy, or someone was outside our tent last night.”

“You said you saw its silhouette? That it stood tall, like a man?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe it was a bear. Vasily said there are bears around here.”

“A bear that doesn’t leave tracks? Besides, bears hibernate.”

“Steven would have left tracks too,” Nat said.

“Maybe not. Maybe the fucker got rid of them somehow. You heard his story about Bigfoot’s shoes.”

They lapsed into silence, the only sound the swish of Nat’s skis, her labored breathing, and the crunch of Joe’s walking stick breaking through the snow. It would have been tempting to write off Anubha’s experience as a nightmare, but Joe had seen something outside their tent. Nat wished she had an explanation for him, but, failing that, she still couldn’t believe it was Steven. Aside from the fact he’d been inside his tent when Joe attacked him, it wasn’t in the man’s nature to pull something like this.

“Maybe someone else did it as a joke, like Anubha said, and now they’re too scared to admit it.”

“Who, Lana? Vasily? Igor was fast asleep until I went for that creep.”

“But Steven was as well, wasn’t he?”

Joe sneered. “He was faking it.”

“How would he have gotten back into his tent, never mind into his sleeping bag, before you came out and got him?”

“I had to find my knife. It gave him a head start.”

“Yeah, about that. I understand you were upset, but we can’t go around threatening each other with knives. If you have a problem with someone, please talk to Andrew or me about it, and we’ll resolve it. We can’t have anyone murdered on our watch.”

“I’m sorry; I lost my temper. That guy gets under my skin.”

“I know; he gets under mine as well. But I really don’t think he’s to blame this time.”

“Don’t tell me you believe in yetis too.”

From now on we know that snowmen exist.

“It has to be someone from our group playing a prank. I don’t know who, and I doubt we’ll ever find out. Who would admit it now?”

“Anubha said it didn’t sound human.”

Dread ran icy fingers along Nat’s spine, but she shook them off, doing her best to keep her imagination from running away with her. “Maybe it was an animal, an animal too light to leave tracks.” She gestured at Joe’s feet. The snow was packed firmly enough that his snowshoes rarely broke the surface. “Is it possible the shadow you saw was a trick of the light?”

“It was a man. No way it was an animal.”

She wished it had been Steven. That at least was a benign explanation. “Vasily was the only one who didn’t come out of his tent last night.”

“Vasily? What reason would he have for doing something like this?”

“I don’t know. I get the feeling he doesn’t think we should be here. Maybe he’s trying to scare us.”

“But if the expedition ends early, his pay would be cut short too, won’t it? He wouldn’t sacrifice that. Now that he’s here, I think he’s resigned to see it through.”

Was he? Nat wasn’t so sure. She didn’t like the way the Mansi had been conveniently absent whenever shit was going down. Perhaps he was trying to stay out of it, but his obvious disapproval grated on her. She wouldn’t have put it past him to sabotage the expedition.

What a mess. Who was she supposed to trust? At least she had Andrew.

At that moment, Igor yelled from behind them, startling her so much she nearly lost her balance. “Help! Help, I need help.”

Nat turned to see her dearest friend lying facedown in the snow.

The Mansi frowned. “This no good. I must go back, get help.”

Even though she didn’t trust him, the idea of Vasily leaving them alone on the pass terrified her. “No, if you leave, we all do. We can’t stay here without you. It’s not safe.”

“I’m okay. I’ll be fine. It was just low blood sugar.” Andrew’s head was propped on Lana’s lap, in front of an impromptu campfire Igor and Steven had started. Since he’d regained consciousness, he’d been sucking back electrolyte packets like nobody’s business, and Nat had to admit he did look a lot better.

“You don’t know that, Andrew. You could have had a heart attack,” Lana said. “You need to see a doctor. This is too dangerous.”

“If it were a heart attack, he wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.” Steven took off his glove to lay his hand on Andrew’s chest. After a moment, he shook his head. “It feels normal. Slow, steady. It wasn’t a heart attack. Probably a combination of low blood sugar, stress, and exhaustion.”

“Are you willing to stake his life on that? Because I’m not.” Lana held her hand to Andrew’s forehead, narrowing her eyes, as if daring Steven to take him away from her. “Doesn’t anyone have any medical training?”

“Only what I’ve learned in the bush, but I agree with Steven, for what it’s worth. I don’t think it was a heart attack,” Anubha said.

Nat watched them debate the health of her friend, unable to speak, though inside she was screaming. If something happened to him, if he died because of her, because of this stupid expedition, she’d never forgive herself.

“I don’t think we should take the chance. Lana’s right; it’s too risky.” Joe put his arm around his wife, looking down at Andrew. It drove Nat crazy to see how people were staring at him, as though he were some strange species of bug under a microscope.

“I’m fine, honest. I think I needed rest, is all. How much farther is it to the site?” Andrew asked.

Steven reached for his GPS, but the Mansi beat him to it. “About an hour, maybe two. But it’s all uphill.”

“Maybe we could make some kind of litter and carry him.” Steven looked at the other men for affirmation. “He doesn’t seem that heavy.”

“You don’t have to carry me. This is silly. I got dizzy and passed out. That’s it. It’s not like my leg is broken or anything. I need to take it a little easier, is all.” Andrew finished another electrolyte packet, handing the empty container to Lana. “Christ, this is embarrassing.”

“Nat, this is really your call. What do you want to do?”

Steven’s question startled her from her inertia. “I think we should turn back.”

“No, Nat. We can’t. Please don’t call it quits because of me. Please.” Andrew’s eyes pleaded with her, but she refused to let him sway her. “You haven’t even interviewed anyone yet.”

“I’m sorry, Andy, but I’m not going to risk your life for some stupid podcast. It’s not worth it.”

“Going down the pass could be more dangerous, though. Vasily’s right—it’s probably best if he goes for help while the rest of us stay put. If there is something wrong with Andrew’s heart and he collapses out here…” Steven didn’t finish his thought, but he didn’t need to. The idea of it was enough to make Nat feel like screaming again.

“Jesus Christ, there’s nothing wrong with my heart. I got a physical before we left. Clean bill of health. I just overdid it today.”

“What did you feel like before you passed out?” Anubha asked.

“Dizzy. I couldn’t catch my breath, and I couldn’t focus. My vision went black, and there were little dots in front of my eyes.”

“Any chest pain, or pain through the arms? Any pressure right here?” She tapped her fingers against her breastbone.

“None. I felt dizzy for a moment, and then boom! I was out.”

“It doesn’t sound like a heart attack. Sometimes the altitude can get a bit much for people, because the air is thinner. But you’re from California, not the Plains. It should be easier for you.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have made it this far if I were from the Plains. My usual exercise is running my mouth. Tell them, Nat.”

If Andrew was back to cracking jokes, he probably wasn’t on death’s door. Nat forced a smile, but it felt weak. Her own heart rate hadn’t returned to normal yet. “He does go to the gym, but mostly for window shopping.”

Lana laughed, but Steven had a blank expression that indicated her wit had gone over his head. No surprise there. “Even if we decide to send Vasily back to the village, it’s getting too late. I suggest a few of us go on ahead and set up camp at the site. Once everything’s in place, I’ll return to help with Andrew,” he said.

“I feel a million times better. I think I’ll be fine getting to the site under my own power.” To prove it, Andrew sat up, but Nat didn’t miss the wince he tried to hide. Shit. She’d prepared for nicks, cuts, and bruises, but hadn’t anticipated a life-threatening illness. The dread she’d felt since arriving in Russia pressed heavier on her shoulders.

“That is too much work, Steven. Me and the others can handle Andrew,” Igor said, and unless she was mistaken, he sounded offended. No wonder—Andy wasn’t a large man. The Russian could probably carry him up the mountain by himself if he had to.

Steven shrugged. “Suit yourself, but whoever’s going to set up camp needs to get going. It’ll be dark before we know it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Anubha said. “It would be good to get some traps in place before nightfall.”

As the three prepared to leave, Nat was overwhelmed with melancholy, as if she’d never see them again. Steven and Vasily were necessary evils, but she actually liked the Inuit tracker. She hugged Anubha tightly, her mind straying to the Dyatlov group, and how they’d met their doom separately. Had splitting up caused their demise? If they’d stayed together, would they have survived? It was impossible to say.

“Be careful,” she said.

“Always. Don’t worry. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Anubha patted her on the back, kissed her husband goodbye, and strapped on her snowshoes. Nat watched the trio ascend until they vanished from view, praying her misgivings were the product of an overactive imagination, nothing more.

“We should start soon. We do not want to fall too far behind the others.” Igor knelt next to Andrew. “Do you feel well enough to ski? If not, I can carry you.”

Nat hoped her producer would be honest. Now was not the time for false bravado.

“I’m still a little weak, but I’d like to try. I am feeling a lot better than I was earlier.”

Reaching out to the Russian, Andrew allowed Igor to lift him into a standing position. Nat held her breath while she waited to see if her friend would regain his equilibrium or collapse. After a moment, he grinned, though his voice was shaky.

“All right. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

Lana tugged on Nat’s sleeve. “Can I speak with you privately for a moment?”

Nat nodded. “We’ll be right there,” she told the others before allowing the Olympian to lead her away from the fire. The harsh reality of the dropping temperature hit her as soon as she left the warmth of the flames. Getting to camp would soon be a matter of life and death, not only for Andrew, but for all of them. “What is it?”

“I’m worried about your friend. I don’t mean to scare you, but I don’t think this is a matter of him being tired or out of shape. I’m afraid he might have altitude sickness.”

“What? But Kholat Syakhl’s peak isn’t eight thousand feet. It’s too low.”

“This isn’t only about the altitude. It’s how fast we’ve been traveling and the fact he’s out of condition. Out of condition for this kind of climbing, I mean. He’s still out of breath while he’s resting, and that’s not normal, even on Everest. If he pushes himself to keep ascending now, it might kill him.”

Looking closely at her friend, Nat could see how he gasped for air, though he tried hard to hide it. The idiot was going to get himself killed. “What do we do?”

“I’m assuming there is no canned oxygen available?”

Nat, while never the most organized person at the best of times—she often teased Andrew about being the “brains of the operation”—wanted to shrink into her parka in shame. Her cheeks burned. “It never occurred to me we’d need it for this little of an incline. I feel so stupid.”

Lana patted her arm. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. No one could have seen this coming. Without oxygen, the best thing to do would be to rest here for a couple of days, long enough to let his body adjust to the altitude. You might be able to get away with one, but I wouldn’t push it. Altitude sickness can be fatal.”

As the reality of what Lana said sunk in, Nat felt a chill that had nothing to do with the arctic air. “We can’t stay here by ourselves. What if his condition gets worse? It would be suicide.”

“I agree. I’m glad you’re taking this seriously. I’d hate to see something happen to Andrew. He’s a great guy.”

Nat shoved aside the idea of anything happening to her friend, unable to contemplate the possibility without completely losing it. “Yes, he is. So, will you stay with us?”

“I would in a heartbeat, but I think it would be better if you had some muscle here, just in case, and there’s no way Joe will agree to be separated from his wife, especially after what happened last night. So that leaves Igor.”

But would the Russian go for it? That was the question. While he wasn’t as competitive as Steven, Nat couldn’t see him thrilled at the prospect of being stuck here with the two lame ducks.

“I’m fine with that, if he’s willing.”

Lana smiled. “I’m sure he will be. Let’s go ask him.”

As Nat suspected, Igor was not an enthusiastic volunteer. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t have to. His reluctance was written all over his face. Andrew put up a brief protest until he realized there was no way he could convince them he was fine to continue the ascent. With a sigh, he lowered himself to the ground in front of the fire. Nat could have sworn he looked relieved.

“Since you’re staying here, you get your pick of the meals,” Joe said, holding out the foil packages like an oversized deck of cards. “Take a few, in case you have to stay for a couple of days. I have an extra folding pot, so I’ll leave that with you as well.”

“Thanks, Joe.” She left Igor in charge of the menu selection, and the Russian’s discriminating tastes resulted in pad Thai, beef stroganoff, and some weird breakfast wrap thing.

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right? I don’t feel good about leaving you here.” Nat was touched by Joe’s concern, though she also knew he would never abandon his wife.

“We’ll be fine. We have Igor. We’ll set up camp, make some dinner, and turn in early. I’m sure Andy will feel better tomorrow.”

“Well, let me help you with the tents. It’s the least I can do.”

“You’d better get moving. It’s sunny now, but the afternoon will go by quickly,” Igor said.

“I insist. Come on, Lana, give us a hand.”

Though she felt guilty, Nat was relieved when the tents were set up and their emergency pit stop resembled an official camp. It made her feel safer, and with her lack of experience, she hadn’t relished stumbling around in the dark on her own.

“Take care of yourself, guys.” Joe shook Igor and Andrew’s hands and gave her a quick hug. “We’ll probably see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Nat said.

She wished it didn’t sound so ominous.