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with you. Then in a louder, more urgent voice,  All units, all units, intruder alert.
Repeat. Intruder alert. Implement repulsion plan beta. Shoot to kill. This is not a drill.
The  shoot to kill decided her. She had to find the others and warn them. It didn t
sound like they were going to hurt Mike any more than he already was. At least not
until they got him back to the house. Hopefully, by that time, she could tell the others
and they could rescue him.
Moving quickly, she slid backward down the hill. As soon as she felt safe, she got
up and started to run to Christopher and James. She would start with them. They
would know what to do next.
Halfway back, she heard voices coming from her left and crouched down to listen.
The voices didn t sound familiar, but she wasn t sure. She heard the crackle of a radio
and the same commanding voice boomed out,  Tighten the perimeter, close in. Unit
two take the left flank and move in from the north.
Definitely bad guys. With no other choice, she started moving away to the right, but
that was the opposite direction from James and Christopher. It didn t matter. Maybe she
could circle back later. The important thing was not to get caught.
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Ann Hinnenkamp
In the next ten minutes, Eleanor was forced to change direction three times. After
the third time, she realized she was being herded toward the houses. She kept from
panicking by reminding herself it was the way she wanted to go anyway. She was still
in control.
At least three groups of men followed her, all closing in on the houses. But she was
in front of them, and with any luck, could reach the others before them. Christopher s
message had to get through. Keeping low to the ground, she ran from tree to tree,
shadow to shadow.
The tree line ended abruptly, providing her a good view of the estate. The distance
between the first house and the trees seemed enormous. No cover. Her black clothes
would stick out against the white snow. Anyone even glancing this way would see her.
There had to be a better way. She looked over the entire complex again. The smaller
house on the right was closest to the tree line. There was shade on that side for cover, if
she could get there before the moon changed position. As fast as she could, she circled
around until she was as close to the house as possible.
Hesitating, she worked up the nerve to leave the safety of the trees. A scream
shattered the quiet. Eleanor was so startled she almost screamed herself. It came from
the direction of the big house. It was a man s scream, but all the more frightening
because she couldn t remember ever hearing a man scream in terror. Another scream
followed. It was the impetus she needed to get her feet moving down the hill.
As she ran, she crouched low. If anyone saw her, maybe they would think she was
an animal. Yeah, right. The big bad military-looking men with guns will mistake me for a large
dog.
She could feel guns targeting her back. Imagining men squinting through their
scopes at her head caused panic to flood in and she started running full out. When she
finally reached the house, she had the urge to kiss the wall. Like a little kid who had
reached goal. Nothing bad could happen to you if you were touching goal.
She tried to open a window but it was locked. What now? Her whole plan had been
to get to the houses before the men behind her. Now that she was here, she had no idea
how to find the others, or even how to get into this stupid house.
Flattening against the wall, she started to walk around the house. The new plan was
to try every door and window to see if she could get in. It that didn t work, she d come
up with yet another plan.
At the corner of the house, she stopped. Using a technique she d learned from
countless 007 movies, she peeked around to check the next side of the house. About ten
feet away, a screen door stood open, swinging back and forth in the wind. Inching up to
it, she looked inside. The inside door was open a crack as well. She d found her way in.
Now that she had the very thing she d been looking for, she didn t know if she was
better off, or worse. Was it a trap? Had the bad guys left it open to lure them in? Did it
matter?
As quietly as she could, she eased the heavy door open enough to squeeze through.
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Dyad Dreams
She was in a back entryway. If she went straight ahead, she would go down carpeted
stairs to a basement. To the right was a kitchen. The basement looked cold and scary.
The kitchen looked warm and inviting.
The kitchen it is. Nothing bad ever happened in a kitchen, right? As frightened and
preoccupied as she was, she took a moment to marvel at the state-of-the-art appliances
and cabinets. The island in the center of the room was bigger than the entire kitchen in
her old apartment.
Do bad guys cook? she wondered. Do they swing those rifles over their backs and start
peeling potatoes? Do they have contests for the best spaghetti sauce? For the life of her, she
couldn t imagine what dinner with the minions of evil would be like. Pass the salt or I ll
gut you like I did this chicken.
She couldn t help herself. She had to know. Crossing the room, she opened the
stainless steel refrigerator, bigger than her first car, for a peek. Beer, beer and oh yes,
more beer. And not the good stuff, either. This was the brand that Bobby said made you
fart like an Evinrude motor on full throttle. No wonder these guys were torturing
people. They were bloated.
Her gaze wondered over the shelves. The bottom was lined with test tubes in neat
rows, all standing in plastic eight packs. She picked one up to study it. The liquid inside
was red and thick. The label said Dyad inhibitor 1919.
What was this? Were there really 1918 other versions? She put it in her pocket and
closed the door.
When she turned back into the room, she let out a frightened squeak. She wasn t
alone. It was one of the old people, a woman leaning heavily on a cane. Like the others,
she was stooped over, her skin hanging off her bones. Eleanor saw recognition in her
eyes.
 Oh, she rasped.  It s you. How on earth did you get here?
In spite of the throaty rasp, Eleanor recognized the voice.  Elsbeth Cummings, she
said in disbelief.  Is that you?
Elsbeth let out a disgusted snort.  Don t tell me you don t recognize me. I am the
classically beautiful Elsbeth Cummings. All the magazines say so. I only have to crook
my finger at a man and he s eating out of my hand. I have money and power and fame
and  She stopped suddenly and burst into tears. Her crying ended in a wail.  Look
what he has done to me. He promised me power. He promised me eternal youth. I did
everything he asked and see how he has used me. Her withered hands rose to her face,
touching it in horror.  I m ruined, he has ruined me! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]