Part 21 (1/2)

April's eyes were like the holes of open graves. ”Untie me and try that,” she said.

The harsh bark of Jaz's laugh echoed off the ice chamber's walls. ”You're good, I'll admit that. But not as good as me.”

Then she took a heavy step forward and smashed her rifle b.u.t.t against April's jaw. The blow flung her backwards. She hit the ice floor with a sickening thud, unconscious.

Jaz looked down at her. ”And don't ever threaten me again.”

Skarda glared daggers, but she just grinned at him. ”Take it easy, handsome. It was just a love tap.” She jerked her rifle at one of her men. ”Okay, pick her up and let's get to the s.h.i.+p.”

___.

The wind slashed at Skarda's exposed face and icy spray stung him like flying stone chips each time the Zodiac banged down in a trough of choppy water. Beside him, Flinders sat s.h.i.+vering uncontrollably, her face and lips drained of blood. April lay in the bottom of the inflatable, still out, the wind whipping her hair across her face. Skarda s.h.i.+fted his position, trying his best to block the spray from reaching the women.

They were in a second inflatable, sitting surrounded by armed men whose hard eyes never wavered. Up ahead, Jaz's Zodiac threaded a path through the dark water in a spreading wake, avoiding the great chunks of drift ice. In the near distance Skarda could see the gigantic silhouette of a stranded icebreaker, immense and black against the horizon and the perpetual twilight. Off to his left, through a shroud of mist, he could make out the dark hump of a submarine's conning tower.

Within minutes they reached the hull of the big s.h.i.+p. Jaz scrambled up the ladder.

A rifle barrel jabbed Skarda's back. ”Move!” a man with a German accent ordered.

___.

Two men carried April down a narrow pa.s.sageway lined with closed hatches. In front of her, Skarda moved with jerky steps, the German commando driving him on with sharp jabs of his rifle, his free hand aiming a halogen torch to guide their way. They'd crossed over an icy deck, devoid of any lights, then followed a narrow staircase to a corridor that opened onto a computer room, wet and dry labs, and a hydrographic laboratory. Skarda concluded they'd boarded an oceanographic research s.h.i.+p.

But why?

They moved into another pa.s.sageway. Jaz halted the group in front of a closed bulkhead door. Rotating the dog wheel, she yanked it open. A cacophany of angry shouts. .h.i.t Skarda's ears. Jerking up her gun barrel, she squeezed off a quick burst at the ceiling, clearly not caring if the ricocheting shots found a target. A woman cried out. The voices changed from anger to terror.

With a grin, she played a light over the crowd of frightened faces: the crew and scientists of the Polar Circle. ”Play nice, now.”

Rough hands shoved Skarda, his wrists still shackled, into the knot of captives. April followed, her wrists and legs bound. Friendly hands grabbed her before she fell face first, gently lowering her to the floor. He glanced around. The captives were packed into a triangular-shaped room dominated by gigantic twin chains wrapped around a black cylindrical barrel. The anchor windla.s.s room.

Outside in the pa.s.sageway Flinders stood hemmed in between two commandos. Terror and helpless uncertainty clenched her face.

A burly petty officer took a belligerent step toward Jaz. ”Who the h.e.l.l are you people?”

She sighed in mock exasperation. ”Why does everybody keep asking me that? If you must know, I'm the one who's going to lock you in here and sink the s.h.i.+p, big boy.”

A female scientist gasped.

The petty officer leapt forward. Jaz swung her rifle, smas.h.i.+ng the barrel against his cheekbone.

He went down in a heap.

”Like I said, everybody be nice. I'll be back in a few and we'll wrap this party up.” She turned to a stocky commando. ”Lock the door and stay here until I get back.”

He nodded. Then, with an evil grin, she grabbed Flinders by the bicep and hauled her down the pa.s.sageway.

A yelp broke from Flinder's lips. ”Where are you taking me?”

Jaz didn't answer. Leaning back, Flinders dug her feet into the steel plating, stumbling as she was dragged along.

”Where are you taking me?” she asked again. It was almost a shriek.

Whirling around in a blur of speed, Jaz snapped her forearm around Flinders' throat. She pressed her lips against her ear and ran her tongue sensually along the inner grooves. ”Just shut up and enjoy the ride, cutie.”

___.

Dragging Flinders into the captain's cabin, Jaz yanked the hatch closed and threw her on the bed.

”Leave me alone!” she screamed. She landed on her back, twisting, trying to snake away, but Jaz jumped on her, straddling her and pinning her in place with both thighs.

Shrugging her shoulders out of the bulky immersion suit, Jaz reached in a pocket and took out a hypodermic and vial, drawing yellow steroid fluid into the hypo.

Flinders struggled, thinking the hypo was for her. Her legs kicked frantically. Her hands hammered against Jaz's swollen muscles.

With an expression of exquisite pleasure, Jaz jammed the needle into her bicep, squeezing the plunger down with her thumb. When the liquid had disappeared, she flung the hypo across the cabin. It hit the bulkhead and shattered.

”G.o.d, I love it!” she said, rising up and arching her back, shuddering as the drug hit her system.

Flinders' face twisted with revulsion. ”You're sick.”

l.u.s.t tightened the blonde woman's face. She stared down at the captive squirming between her thighs. ”The problem with this stuff is, it turns you into a man.” She jerked her body forward, lowering her face until it was an inch away from Flinders'. Her tongue snaked out, probing, licking. ”See what I mean?”

Flailing her arms, Flinders kicked out in wild gyrations. ”Let me go!”

Jaz straightened her back and yanked off her s.h.i.+rt. Coa.r.s.e black hairs sprouted from her shrunken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and climbed up her sternum to her throat.

She reached out and slapped Flinders hard across the cheek. Blood welled up, trickling from her mouth.

”Oh, we're going to have a good time,” she said.

Flinders screamed.

FORTY-TWO.

IN the darkness of the windla.s.s room one of the research scientists bent behind Skarda's back, trying to spring the handcuffs with a pair of manicure scissors. Over his shoulder another man aimed a solar-powered laser pointer to give him light. Not powered by batteries, it had escaped the effects of the EMP blast.

The sound of footsteps filtered through the door.

”Put it out!” Skarda whispered.

The man doused the beam, plunging them into absolute darkness.

Then the door burst open, revealing Jaz and Flinders. The blonde woman shoved her inside.

Stumbling into the knot of captives, Flinders kept her eyes lowered to the floor, her body rigid, as if her muscles had turned to stone. Bright red blood still trickled from her mouth. Ugly welts discolored the flesh on her face.