To Live and Die Free

During a riot in the prison camp in Khabarovsk Krai, two hardened criminals flee the places of confinement. They are experienced, merciless, cynical, and smart—and they have nothing left to lose: their hands are bloodied up to the elbows. Villages along the banks of the Amur freeze with terror: this escape promises nothing good for them. The territory where the search could take place is enormous; catching criminals in the taiga is very difficult. Snowdrifts and a blizzard make things worse. The police all but admit their helplessness. However, one winter outpost houses a prisoner who was recently released—someone with unfinished business with the escaped men. He’s local: a hereditary taiga hunter and trapper, a tracker. And he perfectly understands what bait can catch the runaways. But on top of everything, an Amur tiger—man-eater—appears in the region…