Chimera by Ken Goddard Page A

caught by surprise.”
    “You’re suggesting Sergeant Tongproh, the corporal and the constable were shot by someone who came up behind them, to their left, by surprise,” Preithat said, “and Lieutenant Kulawnit —?”
    “— by the person he was interrogating,” Bulatt finished.
    “Which would mean —” Preithat started to say when a uniformed constable stepped into the mortuary, winced, and motioned for his attention.
    “What is it?” Preithat demanded.
    “You have a call, sir,” the young constable said, trying not to look at Tongproh’s body on the table.   “The captain said it was important.”
    Preithat excused himself and went outside with the constable.   As he did so, Colonel Kulawnit turned to Bulatt.
    “If I understood you correctly, you’re suggesting this might have been an ambush conducted by at least two people, at least one of whom may have been armed with a silenced pistol?   Not poachers, but professional killers?”   Kulawnit’s voice expressed his disbelief.
    “It doesn’t make sense to me, either, Khun Prathun,” Bulatt said softly.   “I’m sure your crime lab staff will be able to tell us much more, once they’ve examined the evidence; but —”
    “Excuse me, Colonel,” Preithat interrupted as he quickly re-entered the morgue room.   “That was the police commander of the Surat Thani district.   They’ve located Captain Choonhavan.”

 
    CHAPTER 12
     
     
    The Maximum Containment Facilities (MAX) at the Draganov Research Center
     
    Although it hardly seemed possible, the raging storm outside had actually gotten worse.   Nearly blinded by high-velocity ice particles, Draganov and Tsarovich staggered toward the nearby parked Sno-Cat, guided in good part by the noise of its idling engine.
    Once inside the cab, the two men continued to shiver as Draganov carefully drove the treaded vehicle slowly up a long snow-covered gravel road toward a distant dimly-lit structure barely visible in the storm that was known by everyone at the research center simply as MAX.
    “How can Borya stand to be up there in this cold?” Tsarovich whispered through chattering teeth.
    “With his vodka.” Draganov snorted. “How else?”
    As the Sno-Cat approached the top of the hill, all of the MAX lights suddenly went out.   Draganov quickly brought the Sno-Cat up to the high metal shed structure that comprised MAX, headlights reflecting off the thick metal bars of the padlocked gate and surrounding fence, set the brakes, and then swung his head around, staring out into the whirling blizzard.
    “Did Borya do that?” he demanded.
    “No, I don’t think so,” Tsarovich replied, turned around in his seat to look back down the hill, “it looks like all of the Center’s lights are out.   Must be another power failure.”
    The two men look at each other, their unease apparent.
    “Let’s go back,” Tsarovich said.   “I don’t like this.   The creatures here frighten me.”
    “No, it’s all right,” Draganov said firmly. “They are all tightly contained, and we must check on Borya.”
    The two men stepped out of the Sno-Cat with powerful torch lights in their shaking hands.   Tsarovich nervously swept the fence line with his light beam as Draganov fumbled with the heavy gate padlock.   After unlocking the door padlock, the two men cautiously entered the shed.
    Inside the MAX structure, the torch beams revealed a wide gravel walkway with nine six-foot-high, metal-barred and concrete-walled cages on the left, and three wider, triple-height cages on the right.
    The aggressive rustling sounds of disturbed creatures both large and small began to fill the shed.
    “Quick, shut off your torch and activate the emergency lights!” Tsarovich whispered urgently.
    The interior lighting of the shed changed to a very dim battery-powered glow, and the rustling sounds ceased.
    “Borya, are you here?” Draganov called out.
    After a long silence, a deep gravelly voice answered: “Yes,