The Bodyguard Read Online Free PDF

of the little cave and said meow. She obviously missed her mother. We fools had broken the law twice, first by hunting out of season and then by killing a female with a cub; they were always protected,” said Uncle Jari, his voice wavering every time he retold me the story. Not that he cared about the laws that much; he was just upset that he had been party to the death of the lynx.
    “I knew Kauppinen would kill the cub if he ever saw her, and she would never survive alone in the forest without any hunting skills. Poor thing. She was timid but quick and slipped back into the cave, but I finally pulled her out, although it almost cost me my nose. I put her into my backpack, made sure she had some air to breathe, and hoped that she wouldn’t meow and kick too hard. I wondered what she’d eat.”
    “And in the morning I woke up to her hunting for my toes,” I added every time, providing the ending to the familiar tale. “Ever since then Frida and I were best friends.”
    I stirred from my reverie when the image of Anita caressing a lynx fur coat popped into my head. What else could I have done but quit? I had to do it for Frida’s sake.
    I carried my pack and groceries inside, felt for a light switch, and found it next to the door. The cabin looked strange in the electric light. And that wasn’t the only thing that was new: I spotted a fridge, a microwave, a coffee maker, and even a TV. I walked back to close the gate and decided to take a swim.
    Lake Rikkavesi was icy cold; it cut right through me. It also heightened my senses, and I listened and smelled the darkness like I had as a child, when I was envious of Frida’s ability to see in the dark. Later, when I’d tried on night-vision goggles at the security academy in Queens, I felt like a true feline.
    I really should become more acclimated to the dark; after all, Moscow was a testament to the fact that I was slipping. Back in the cabin, I missed the homey feel of an oil lamp and wished that Hakkarainen had left at least one of them behind. I had to admit that electricity was good for something, though. I wouldn’t have to recharge my laptop in the car, and I could set up motion sensors around the cabin. A pro would notice them right away, but it would work for petty thieves. Working swiftly by the light spilling out of the cabin’s windows, I set up the sensors.
    We hadn’t needed motion sensors when Frida was around. She had even detected a sneaky thief, who had come by quiet rowboat to steal Uncle Jari’s motorboat. Frida was tame and no more dangerous than a household cat, but she did wake up Uncle Jari. He ran to the pier brandishing his shotgun, which scared away the would-be thief, a neighbor’s teenage boy. He never learned that the weapon wasn’t loaded.
    I microwaved a couple of the savory pies, had a beer, and then went straight to bed. I had bought a high-tech, extremely light silk sheet that folded up to the size of a napkin. It was meant to be used inside a sleeping bag, and I carried it everywhere. I wrapped it around me and crawled between the mattress and the blankets. They smelled strange. Apparently, Maija had washed them with something scented.
    Frida’s paws had always caused the floors to creak. Ever since she was a cub, she had wanted to sleep in my bed. Uncle Jari explained that it was because my body temperature was higher than hers. In the beginning Frida was much smaller than I was, but by the time spring rolled around, we were the same size. Even in the middle of winter I didn’t need more than a single blanket; I had Frida to keep me warm. As I recalled this memory, I could feel her soft fur in my toes, the breath that smelled of rotting meat. Frida had been my sister. I fell asleep next to her that night as I had so many times before.
    I woke up to a terrible racket. I grabbed my pistol from the chair I had used as a nightstand. It was a bit after seven and already light outside. I peered through the window and saw a familiar