Belly of the Beast by Blake Crouch, Douglas Walker

shook his head. “Tell us your husband’s name.”
    “Oleg. He couldn’t wash dishes, much less make babies. None of the men who worked at Plant B were any good after a while.”
    “Don’t mention Plant B.”
    “You want me to tell story or plant rutabagas?”
    “Tell the story,” said Niki. “Yuri, sit down.”
    Yuri remained standing.
    “Oleg stirred the pots of plutonium when the mixers failed,” Galina continued.
    “And Joseph,” asked Niki, “where did he work?”
    “With me at Plant B.”
    “Don’t interrupt,” Niki cautioned Yuri. “Keep talking, Galina.”
     “I was the translator. My husband extracted plutonium from the mixers, I extracted information from Joseph, and Victor Malenkov extracted sex from me.”
    Niki’s eyes flew around the room. Lana sat motionless, Yuri was reaching for Niki’s arm, Galina smiled.
    “It’s time for us to go,” said Yuri.
    Niki pulled back. “Not on your life. Two men weresleeping with my mother?”
    “Not sleeping,” said Galina, “fucking. He forced me. All the political officers—”
    “Enough,” said Yuri. “I told you not to talk about the political officers. Now we are going.” He grabbed Niki’s arm. “I should not have brought you here.”
    Niki shook loose. “Somebody named Joseph could be my father. Malenkov could be my father.”
     “You are not supposed to mention names,” said Galina.
    “My mother tried to suffocate me. My father tried to drown me. For the love of God,” said Niki, “Why couldn’t I have been born to a couple of farmers?”
    “I told Victor Malenkov that he wasn’t the father,” Galina said as if Niki hadn’t interrupted. “I said it was Joseph. Victor Malenkov was furious. He said he was going to drain my blood just like Yuri—”
    “Shut up.” Yuri pulled Niki to the door, knocking over the teapot.
    “What’s the matter with you?” asked Niki.
    “This conversation has gone way too far. Galina is obviously crazy. It’s time you go back to Colorado.”
    “This isn’t about protecting me,” said Niki. “This is about protecting yourself, but you know what? I don’t care. I don’t care if you drained Hoover Dam. All I want to do is save my son. For god’s sake, let Galina talk. We’re not in Russia; you’re not a political officer any more.”
    “All political officers took liberties,” Lana said slowly in Russian.
    Niki and Yuri turned again.
    “Every woman in this room is crazy,” said Yuri. “This is my house; I make the rules. We are leaving.”
    Niki grabbed the door frame. “You don’t scare me anymore.”
    “I’ll drag you out if I have to.”
    Niki dug in her heels. “You act charming, Mr. Yuri Kolchak, you gain my confidence, you pretend you want to help, and now you want to drag me away. You’ll have to shoot me to get rid of me now, but I guess that’s what you do. Is that what you’re afraid Galina will say?”
    “Yuri helps people,” said Galina, “except when—”
    “He swore he’d kill the baby,” said Lana in Russian.
    “She is stealing my story,” said Galina. “Joseph will come for me. We leave notes in a cave.”
    “Alpha Tunnel,” said Lana. “Product 76, leaking pipes.”
    Yuri threw up his hands. “I will have to kill all of you.”
    “Sit down,” said Niki. “My mother is talking.”
    Galina got up, climbed into her bed, and wrapped herself into the fetal position. “Lana is stealing my story,” she whispered. “Not fair, not fair.”
    Niki turned her chair to face Lana and sat close. Yuri sat too, arms crossed.
    “Joseph Hauser loved me,” Lana said softly in Russian.
    Galina sobbed quietly.
    Lana continued in a monotone, “I told Victor Malenkov that he could fuck me, but he would never have me. I told him I was pregnant with Joseph’s baby.”
    But for Galina’s weeping, the room fell silent for an eternity. Finally, Niki spoke softly in Russian. “You were married to Oleg. Malenkov forced himself on you. You made love with