The Sandman

170

Joona Linna is lying still, feeling the glucose running through his veins and the warm air from the heater above his bed, but he’s not feeling any warmer.

Waves of cold are rolling through his body, and every so often his vision switches off and everything goes black and turns to flaring darkness.

An impulse to grab his gun, put the barrel in his mouth and shoot himself flickers through his thoughts.

Jurek Walter has escaped.

And Joona knows he’ll never be able to see his daughter or wife again. They’ve been taken from him for good, in the same way Disa was torn from his hands. Jurek’s twin brother worked out that Summa and Lumi were still alive. Joona knows it’s only a matter of time before Jurek realises as well.

Joona tries to sit up, but doesn’t have the energy.

It’s impossible.

He can’t escape the feeling that he’s sinking deeper and deeper through the mosaic of ice with every passing second.

He can’t stop feeling frozen.

Suddenly the door opens and Saga Bauer walks in. She’s wearing a black jacket and dark jeans.

‘Jurek Walter’s dead,’ she says. ‘It’s over. We found him in the Söderleden Tunnel.’

She stands at the foot of the bed and looks at Joona Linna. He’s closed his eyes again. It feels like her heart’s about to stop. He looks terribly ill. His face is almost white, his lips pale grey.

‘I’m heading out to see Reidar Frost now,’ Saga goes on. ‘He needs to know that Felicia’s alive. The doctors say she’s going to make it. You saved her life.’

He hears what she says, and turns his face aside, keeping his eyes closed to hold back the tears, and suddenly he understands the pattern.

Jurek is closing a circle of revenge and blood.

Joona repeats the thought to himself, moistens his mouth, takes some deep breathes, then says quietly:

‘Jurek’s on his way to Reidar.’

‘Jurek Walter’s dead,’ Saga repeats. ‘It’s over now—’

‘Jurek’s going to take Mikael again... he doesn’t know that Felicia is free... he mustn’t find out that she—’

‘I’m about to go out and see Reidar, to tell him you saved his daughter,’ she says again.

‘Jurek’s only let Mikael out on loan, he’s going to take him back.’

‘What are you talking about?’

Joona looks at her and the expression in his grey eyes is so cold it makes her shiver.

‘The victims aren’t the ones who were locked up or ended up in graves,’ he says. ‘The victims are the ones who were left behind, the ones who were waiting... until they couldn’t bear to wait any more.’

She puts a calming hand on his.

‘I have to go...’

‘Make sure you’re armed,’ he says.

‘I’m only going to tell Reidar that—’

‘Do as I say,’ he interrupts.