# Doctor Dna333

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aning. Johannesburg was a modem, well-tended city, for

I its scrial problems. The water supply in the city was

dequate by any modem standard and sanitation didn't ap-

ar to lacking. The bantustans might B)se health prob-

ems, but hardly insurmountable ones, given the control the

lice demonstrated at every opportunity.

can 't say. But Bron is sure that some horrible plague

ill soon destroy the major cities of South Africa.

In spite of the dry wind sucking away the moisture on my

ace, I shivered. Out here in the wilds of Africa, surrounded

y tEasts left over from the earliest eras of natural history,

ron Fatrr plotted to release a modem-day plague. And a

tter spot to perfect those plagues didn 't exist in the world.

e game preserve was patrolled regularly to keep out

achers. ne vast areas remained uncharted and, if one of

•s genetically engineered diseases did get out of hand, there

ouldntt tr any real damage. No one but a few hyenas and

ild&est would notice.

This continent had tren the cradle for humankind. It was

ow Ezing turned into the incubation spt for mankind 's

rave.

"Where is Doctor Fatrr now?"'

SSOut there someplace," Alleen said dispiritedly. "His

is hidden away so that snoops won it disturb him.

' 'That sounds like a good idea," I said. 'SHe shouldn't be

'sturbed in the middle of a vital experiment. When do I get

e chance to see his lab?"

' 'What?' She came out of her reverie. I had no idea where

er mind had wandered, but it had left Africa entirely.

erhaps she thought of her dead father, her once-bright hope

r mamage to Farrr, the bustling city of Amsterdam.

herever Aileen Kindt had she regretted returning to

e here and now of the African veldt.

"Sitting around bores me. I like to be working. I want to

t on with helping Doctor Fat*r. "

"He left no insüuctions other than you'd tr arriving to-

y. I 'm sorry, Herr Carter . .

"Please, call me Nick. "

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Her smile was weak. "And I am Alleen. Now. Nick, Bron

left no word on when or how you were to join him. Just

trcome acquainted with the staff around here. Take Chinua

with you and cruise about in the Land Rover. Get a feel for

the animals, the terrain. Outside of that, I can offer no more

advice. Again the shrug hinting at worlds of tx)redom she

carried with her all the time.

"Would you accompany me on the trip?"

Nick. I prefer to remain near

"Hardly, Herr Carter

the radio in case he calls. "

She left the room, a defeated woman. It seemed a pity to

waste such beauty on the barren glory of the African veldt.

Alleen belonged at a jet-set party or a royal ball. She held

herself as if money and pride had run through her family for

generations and now she coped with the loss of both. It

wouldn 't surprise me to find that Fatrr had proposed mar-

riage to tap into a very considerable family inheritance, then

had to corr with the problem of a lovely young woman

hanging around waiting for her wedding day.

Faber had a power over women I didn •t understand. Erica

der Klerk worshiped the ground he walked on. Alleen re-

mained on. obviously long past the point where she knew that

he'd never marry her. Even worse, she'd probably come to

the conclusion that he'd been after her money.

The only hint this wasn't the case came in his refusal to

allow her into the larger South African cities. He planned to

unleash a plague of Biblical magnitude, of that there seemed

little question, and he wanted Alleen safely distant. Or was

his motive in this more pragmatic? Did he simply want her

isolated so that she couldn't betray his plans before he was

ready to spring it on an unsuspecting world?

Too many questions plagued me. I needed answers.

Chinua and I roared around scaring lions and monkeys all

afternoon. I memorized the lay of the land, such as it was. A

river nearby, a tributary of the Orange River, held more than

its fair share of crocodiles and hippopotamuses. I didn 't want

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tangle with either for entirely different reasons. ne crocs

pr*ared to somnolent and perpetually hungry. The hip-

s could step on me and do little more than wonder what the

mall lump had tren under the back fcx)t.

g 'It's so dusty around here," I remarked to Chinua.

it ever rain?"

' 'Not much. Less than twenty inches a year. nis year, it

as rained less than ten. '

' 'That qualifies the veldt as a desert. 't I observed.

His answer: a shrug.

I leaned back and let Chinua drive the Land Rover across

ery bump and pothole in South Africa. It was safe enough

ith a hard metal a-uck around me but I didn 't want to

nsider the potenual for danger out on the plains, on foot,

ithout weapns. Fatrr worked unmolested in such a place.

exchange for a few animals saved from diseases he might

ave caused in the first place, the South African government

ad given him free rein. What would the govemment minis-

rs say if they found out they aided and atrtted the research

at had brought their country to its knees and frightened

em all into submission?

Again, I cursed under my breath. There was no clear-cut,

solutely damning evidence against So he treated his

ancée badly? What if he was a fortune hunter? Those

ren't nearly the heinous crimes mctor DNA plotted.

"We must return soon, " said Chinua. "Dinner is always

sunset. " ne cool wind whipping across the veldt told me

at night approached. The day had been warm but the dark

mised chilling cold. ne daily shift in temperature

med more like Colorado. Again the stereotype I 'd had of

frica smashed headlong into reality.

'Turn back." I ordered. "Unless we're near mctor

Err's lab. I'd like to see it as soon as rx»ssible."

"Never t*en to it," came the surprising answer.

"But how do you get supplies in? Aren't you the one

sponsible?"

work in the kraal and Fatrr takes care of the latx)ratory


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personally. He does not allow me to see it."

I frowned. This struck me as bizarre behavior on Fatrr's

part.

Alleen had never seen the lab, nor had the native serving as

major-domo for the compound. It was almost as if this were a

leper colony, a place where Fatrr kept unwanted visitors

until they tired and left.

As we pulled into the cornrk)und, the odor ofcooking meat

greeted me. I inhaled deeply, savoring the aroma.

"Braaivleis, Chinua said lacomcally. Seeing my puz-

zled expression, he added, ' 'Roasted meat, like American

barbecue. 's

The man hurried off to oversee supper while I wondered

him. No African native compared roast meat with

barbecue. Jhe idea forming in my head atx)ut this being a

miniature prison for FatEr's unwanted visitors solidifed into

certainty. Whoever Chinua was, he wasn •t "only" a Nige-

rian moved south.

We sat around a fire in the middle of the compound. I had

visions of the American West and cowboys on a roundup.

Only the lions roaring in the distance srx)iled the image.

"Did you enjoy your trip today. Nick?" asked Alleen,

sitting near me.She huddled in upon herself in such a fashion,

she shut out most of the world, as if denying its existence.

"Interesting. I'd never seen so many animals I think of as

zoo creatures roaming free. But the veldt's not a place I'd

want to be. " In the distance screeched a baboon. A lion's

roar answered. The twilight provided prime hunting for the

predators. Was Fal*r a predator? hoped to make him my

prey, if he turned out to the man I sought.

"The novelty wears off in a few days. "

"I h0F to be in Doctor Fatrr•s laboratory by then," I

said.

s SHe radioed after you left with Chinua, " she said, almost

as if this were an afterthought.

"What did he have to say?"

"He'll tx back at the end of the week. You're to remain

here until he arrives. '0


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A lerEr colony, a holding area for those Fatrr wanted out

ofcommission, that's where I was. That •s where we all were,

Alleen, Chinua, the others, myself. It wouldn't work. I

didn't have the time to wait. Somehow, I'd have to find that

lat»ratory and get the evidence I needed to prove or disprove

that Fat:rr was Doctor DNA.

S •Good night. Nick," Alleen said, rising.

' 'You go to bed this early?" I asked. surprised. ' 'It's

hardly eight o'clock."

"There's little else to do. " She vanished into the inky

night. I retired to my own room soon after. Hidden in my

suitcase was a small, radio for reporting in to

Hawk. I thought about using it, then decided I had nothing to

report.

That was a lucky break for me. Moving through the night

came a ghostlike figure. My room didn't have an electric

light. I hadn •t bothered to light the tiny propane lantern on the

bedside table. Wilhelmina slipped easily into my hand as the

door to my room opened with tiny, barely audible squeaks,

Ihe door closed and the dark figure moved slowly toward

me.

"Nick, came Aileen's soft voice. S 'Are you awake?"

I sighed and put away Wilhelmina. Hugo followed, going

under the bed.

"I'm here. " I knew what she wanted. I wasn't going to

turn her down. A warm body slid beside me on the bed. Her

filmy peignoir vanished as if it had been nothing more than

mist surrounding her supple, luscious txxiy. My guess about

her figure had correct. She was tmutifully

tioned. I knew. My hands told me what my eyes didn't see.

"Make love to me. Please. I need a man so badly. I'm so

I silenced her with a kiss. We rolled over on the t*d. She

ended up on top. Her fingers ripped orm my shirt. Buttons

went flying around the room, banging onto the floor. Her

cool, moist lips kissed my chest as she worked on my belt and

trousers. All the time she undressed me, I caressed her

magnificent breasts.

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nose mounds of succulent flesh pulsed with life. I

couldn 't Fatrr was so stupid that he alienated such a

lovely, loving woman. His loss was my gain.

I was hard by the time she got my pants pulled free of my

ankles. I remained under her, on my back. Straddling my

waist, the dark-haired woman moved so that her crotch was

above mine. I felt the heat EK)iling from her interior. She

lowered herself until moist nether lips lewdly kissed my

manhood.

"Oh, it's been so long. I've been going out of my mind,

Nick. "

I put my hands on her hips and pulled her down. As her

body sank, I shoved upward. We came together in a wet rush.

Alleen rotated her hips. stimng my shaft around inside her

like a srx)on in a mixing I ran my hands over her hips,

then up under her breasts to guide her in the motion I wanted

most.

She ignored my promptings. Her carnal desires were too

great for subtle pressures. She rose and fell, my erection

entering and leaving her hot berth. Alleen speeded up, her

hips moving in a sensuous circle even as she worked up and

down.

Her passions reached the breaking point long mine

did. But that was all right. She had a lot of energy. Her

lovemaking took on a frenzied air, as if she had t*en a virgin

all her life and had suddenly discovered the wonders of sex.

She seemed insatiable. For what seemed a blissful eternity,

we moved, the divine friction burning away at our genitals.

When I no longer withstood her soft aggressions and

wilted, she med to keep on. Finally admitting defeat, she

collapsed full length on my chest.

"It's been a long time for you, hasn't it?" I asked.

"Years. Centuries. I lost count. If only Bron didn't leave

me to go out and play with his damn test "

"He's a fool," I said.

"No, Bron's not a fool," she said. "He's driven. He has

to accomplish something—and I can •t help him achieve it. I

wish I could. For him I'd do anything.


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It got tedious listening to Fatrr's women tell me all about

how much they lusted after him. But up to this point wasn "t

bad, not bad at all. Alleen left me in the middle of the night,

the edge taken off her frustrated desires.

I felt cold and cynical but knew I could use those frustra-

tions to my tmefit. I 'd have to do so to complete my mission.

So how did I differ from Bron Fatrr? I didn 't want to think

about the philosophical turnings of that question. I fought to

prevent death and destruction and human suffering.

That had to answer enough for me.


CHAPTER SEVEN

The next day, things in the kraal were tense. The way

Alleen treated me, I might as well have had every disease her

future husband had concocted in his laboratory. Chinua

stared at me with a strange mixture of curiosity and aloof.

ness, as if he wondered about me in the same way the public

wonders what goes through a condemned man's head sec-

onds before the switch is pulled.

I stopped Chinua and asked.

' 'It is nothing, " he replied. "I have no animosity toward

you."

"Somethingss happened. What?" I felt the way he drew

back slightly. Body language speaks louder than words. I'd

become an outcast. Finding out why meant the difference

between life and death.

"You know what has happened." he' said. ' •How you

spend the night is your own business. When you spend it with

Fatrr's wife-to-be, that is his business. s'

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"And how did Fatrr find that out so damned fast? A jungle

frum communication?"

"Gossip always spreads quickly in Africa." he said. The

man turned and walked off without another word. He hadn •t

been hostile. If anything, after discounting the cool way he

treated me, he had actually warned me of the danger. Chinua

wasn 't the one informing Fatrr of Alleen•s and my indiscre-

tion; if anything, Chinua had toid me it was another of those

in the compound. Who didn 't really matter. I was in hot water

over last night.

Sitting on the stoep and staring out over the veldt, I tried to

formulate new plans. Action forced itself on me, yet all I

could do was sit and wait. Going over my options didn't

improve my outlook. Ministers were dying from Doctor

DNA's diatx.)lical diseases. lhe shipments of the extorted

strategic materials continued unabated, going from Cape

Town to some unknown port, probably in Namibia. The

SWAPO guemllas were tied into the unloading and reship-

ping, but to what extent? I didn 't know. This was something

I 'd pieced together from Sam Uwanabe•s comments.

And Bron Farrr.

He was an even bigger enigma. Uwanat* mentioned him

favorably as aiding the SWAPO wounded. He sold marijuana

to street gangs in Johannesburg. His Cape Town office told of

extensive overseas shipping. He had the facilities and the

privacy to do any sort of DNA research he wanted—and

without anyone being the wiser. He had some attraction for

women I didn't understand. And I •d made love to both his

nurse in Johannesburg and his fiancée here.

Fatxr's communications network 0K*rated at the of

light, if he had really found out about Alleen and me. But

none of this proved he was Doctor DNA, the man with the

magical box that directed the disease-laden tsetse fly to its

human target.

As I gazed out over the veldt. hardly seeing any of it, a dust

cloud rose in the west. It grew until I heard the rumble of

heavy trucks. A small caravan plowed through the dry roads


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toward the kraal. I had the gut-level feeling that the confron-

tation between Fatrr and me was approaching quickly. I

went into my sleeping quarters and hastily donned both

Wilhelmina and Hugo. "Be prepared" isn't only the Boy

Scouts' motto. It's kept me alive over the years.

By the time I went back out on the porch, the lead truck had

ground to a halt. Bron Fatrr bailed out of the passenger side.

Natives climbed down from the back of the truck more

slowly. I noted they all carried spears. None had a firearm of

any sort. almost ran to the main part of the compound

and slammed through the door. I waited a few minutes, then

went over.

"Is it Üue?" blared at Alleen. The dark-haired

woman cried so much that the dust on her cheeks had turned

to mud. The way he intimidated her didn 't sit well with me.

"Hello, Doctor Fat*r," I said as pleasantly as I could.

"Glad to see you. to get to working on your project

soon. "

• 'You, " he said, spinning and facing me. I thought light-

ning bolts would sear from his eyes.

"Yes?" I said mildly.

"You forced yourself on my fiancée. You raped her!"

"Hardly, Ihtor. I want a job. I wouldn't do th——" He

took two quick steps toward me and swung. Various possible

actions flashed through my mind. I evaluated and discarded

most of them. If I let him hit me, he 'd do it again. If I decked

him, he'd go for the pistol holstered at his side.

My hand blocked his blow, turning it aside harmlessly. He

tried another punch. I blocked it, too. When I made no move

to strike back, Fatrr retreated. My eyes fixed on his in a

staring match. I felt the man tensing, ready to draw his pistol.

My right arm twitched slightly in anticipation of such a

move. Before his hand could touch the butt of his gun, Hugo

would drink his blood. But I didn't have to pull my stiletto.

Faber relaxed and backed off.

*'You bastard," he said in a murderously low tone.

hire you to help me and you rape my fiancée. "

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"No, Bron, it wasn't like that. I

"Shut up, " he snapped. He shoved the woman down into

a chair. I noted that he did it with one eye on me, as if seeing

how far he could push me. When I didn't move he went to

Alleen. grabbed her hair, and pulled her face up to look into

his. "You bitch. Tell me the truth. He forced himself on you,

didn't he? Didn't he? "

"Who gave you this bag of lies?" I demanded, my voice

rising to pull his attention from Alleen. "Someone has told

you things that just aren't true, Doctor My tone

softened a little. I remained alert to a possible attack from

him. I didn't miss the way the Bantus who'd come into the

compound on the truck edged into the room, either. Four

were me, two He had a small army

inside the room, even if they were armed only with svears and

knives.

*Who told me that you •ve been with my woman doesn't

matter. It's true. J know it. "

"Surely, a man of your stature can be forgiving. After

I said, "aren't you affectionately known as Ihctor

DNA to the natives?"

thought so, he said. "You 're no paramedic. You ire a

spy. You •ve been sent by them!"

"Why do you say that, Fatxr?" had the proof I needed

now. He hadn't denied it nor had he seemed too surprised

when I called him Doctor DNA. My job still had a lot of

details to filled in. Where was his damned lab? If I

destroyed it, would this destroy all his mutated diseases?

"A spy," he said firmly. "An American spy. CIA, proba-

Fly. I thought you might be, You •re trying to stop me from

unifying all of South Africa. I can rule, but those fools in

Cape Town and Pretoria stand in my way. Not for long.

They're weakening. Soon they will abdicate and allow me to

rule!

' 'Rule? You sound like a king. King Bron the First, is that

the way it's going to t*?"

"All of Africa will mine one day. I have the power. I

will use it. "


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I'd touched on his megalomania and set off a diatritr. I

hadn't thouoht his ambitions would stop with South Africa.

With pwer such as that wielded by anyone able to direct

virulent disease, nowhere in the world was safe. Even inside

the Arctic Circle mosquitcrs hatch. It wasn't that much of a

jump from tsetse fly to mosquito—I had no idea what Fatrr

worked on in his hidden laboratory. His tsetse fly might

survive even in the arctic cold; it certainly thrived in tropical

"Not even those Cuban stooges can halt my progress, " he

continued raving. s •ney might u-y. They'll fail because I

control the most potent weapon in the world. Nothing can

stop disease. And I'm the master of all diseases!"

"Bron, please." cried Alleen. He shoved her away.

I acted. As soon as he realized what he'd said, my death

would ordered. Whether or not he really thought I was a

CIA agent. he Sd have to get rid of me. It wouldn 't do having a

paramedic going around South Africa mouthing off atX)ut a

man able to control the course of diseases.

The Bantus between me and the door stood with spears

lowered. knew getting past them was impossible. The four

behind me were more at ease. They thought they had safety in

numtrrs. I proved them wrong. A long, looping kick broke

one's kneecap. He collapsed into a pile on the floor. moaning

and writhing in pain. I took the next one's spear away from

him with a sudden twist. The butt end smashed into his

doubling him up. A quick slash of the spear point took out the

third. By this time the fourth moved. I dodged past his spear

and rammed the shaft of my spear into his throat. Cartilage

broke and pink froth spewed from his gaping mouth. His eyes

rolled up and I knew I 'd killed him. I turned, threw the spear

at then dived out the window.

I hit the dust and rolled, coming to my feet. lhe trucks

were ringed by a dozen more Bantus, all leaning on their

spears and passing around a joint. The dulled their

senses but not enough to allow me to get into one of the trucks

and drive. The sounds of confusion inside the room t*hind

me died down; pursuit was imminent.


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I lit out running as fast as I could. Coming to a low ravine, I

into it and slowed my pace to an easy jog. At this

pace I could do twenty miles without stopping. I wondered if

that would necessary t*fore I eluded Farrr.

lhe roaring noise of the mick engines turning over rum-

bled down the ravine. As long as I stayed in the deep cut, they

couldn't spot me and their trucks would useless. But the

going got rough quickly. Roots triprEd me and the debris

proved treacherous. A spot that looked solid turned out to

cover a sinkhole and a smali brown rock wiggled away,

hissing and complaining in a loud snake protest.

I kept going. I had to. If Fater caught me now, the lions

would feed well tonight. And even if he didn 't catch me, they

might. This was the middle of the Kruger Game Preserve,

miles from another human outpost. In the wild, the animals

ruled supreme, all hunting for their meals. I wasn't a

pushover target, but stopping to fend off the King of Beasts

only set me up for Fatrr and his Bantu wamors.

I kept pounding away. slipping (Ecasionally but making

good time. When I found the tributary to the Orange River. I

slowed and caught my breath. The n ver hadn •t changed since

my earlier visit. Crocodiles swam idly, barely making ripples

in the scummy, sluggish flow. Hippos and an occasional

rhinoceros frolicked in the shallows, covering themselves in

mud. From further away I heard the trumpeting of a bull

elephant—and the coughing of a u•uck engine.

There were few places to hide. This was a flood plain,

washed clean every time it rained. Going back into the ravine

hardly seemed a good idea. Why backtrack? I was sure that

Bantus trailed me on foot. I'd run into them. Going out across

the veldt looked even less promising as a way to continued

survival. Fatpr•s eyesight was good; one clear shot from a

high-powered rifle would take me out of the game. That left

the river. with its muddy, murky water.

When the truck rattled into view, I dived. Hitting the water

at a shallow angle, I didn •t cause too many new ripples to

form. I swam along, blind from the mud, hoping I headed

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directly away from any hungry crcr's fang-laden mouth.

When my outstretched hand touched a slimy reed, I surfaced.

A small clump of waterplants near the shoreline provided a

small amount of cover. Peering out, I slK>tted atop a

truck, a heavy rifle in his hands.

While I might have been mistaken, I think he griprkd a

.610 Nitro Express rifle—an elephant gun. The passage of

the bullet near my head would kill me; he didn 't even need to

hit me with that cannon. The heavy-calitrr bullet kills from

hydraulic shock and air is as much a fluid according to

physics as is the blood in an elephant's arteries.

I winced as a leech decided to sample my leg. Ihen another

and another. Hugo came into my right hand. I stabtpd out,

spearing two of the offending bloodsuckers. A rush in the

water alerted me to incoming crocodiles scenting the fresh

blood. I found myself caught t*tween a rcx.•k and a hard

place. If I stayed in the water, I'd make a hungry crcx very

happy. On the other hand, if I left my sanctuary Fatrr would

spot me.

Taking my chances with the crocodile seemed less risky to

me. I saw a thick. loglike reptilian head peering up out of the

water, membrane slipping over the *Old yellow eyes. Then

the beast submerged. It made its death run.

I timed my leap perfectly. As it went for my legs, I surged

up and out of the water and onto its back. Being in the

shallows saved me, It twisted its seventeen-foot length with

more agility than I 'd thought possible for such a large I

hung on for dear life. I locked my legs around its leathery

body and managed to get my left hand around its snout. I

wanted to find out firsthand if the old tales about the muscles

on a croc's jaws were right or not.

If they were, it'd take very little pressure to hold the jaws

shut. If the tales were wrong, I would find out the hard way.

U•usted my instinct about the story being ü•ue. It was. My

left hand easily held the crocodile's jaws shut while I main-

tained my position on the twisting, thrashing txast with my

right hand and legs.

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'Careful now, " said softly to my unwilling steed. ' 'No

sudden moves. "

I heard Bantus muttering nearby on the shore. They didn 't

come to investigate the churning in the water. If I'd suc-

cumbed to a watery death. fine. If I hadn't, they didn't want

to tangle with me. FatEr•s truck rumbled on, away from

where I clung to my precarious l*rch. .crcx eventually

got off the muddy strip and into the water again. This time he

unwillingly carried a passenger. me.

I maneuvered my living upriver, staying as close to

the shore as possible. When I thought I 'd outpaced the Bantus

and left Faber way tehind, I reached across the croc's back

with my right hand , jabt:rd Hugo in far enough to draw blood

and a reaction. As the beast to the left, I kicked free

and went right. Mud sucked at my feet as I found the

shallows—and right trhind came the croc, looking for re-

venge and an easy meal.

He was damn near as fast on land as I was, and I had a big

incentive to move at top speed. I got up into a stand of trees

and shinnied aloft. •nie croc glared at me with those baleful

yellow eyes right out of hell. then flipped his ponderously

powerful tail and returrrd to the riverin search ofeasier prey

I clung to that tree for almost an hour before my strength

returned and I got all the blood leeches scraped off my legs

and body.

After Checking and cleaning Wilhelmina, I was ready for

my assault on Fatxr 's compound. No one ever accused me of

being predictable. That 's what has kept me alive so long. J

did an infiltration sneak back along the ravine I 'd used to get

away from his kraal to find a hidden position less than fifty

yards from the main building.

I saw Fatpr and Alleen arguing, but nothing like they had

before. It sounded as if she'd actually forgiven him all sins.

Alleen was a sensible enough woman. Why did she fawn all

over Fat*r? Surely, she didn •t entertain the same mad h0ERS

he did about conquering the world. I'd talked with her

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enough to know that her dreams were more modest. A home,

a family, happiness—and tranquility.

I melted back into shadow when one of Faber's Bantu

guards glided by. The man moved well. I'd had very little

warning of his approach. And whatever it was that alerted

him of my presence couldn •t have tEen very significant. He

stopcrd and held up his head, as if listening. My first thought

was that he scented me; in the jungle any European or

American would have a different odor.

Whatever his clue, I didn't allow him to use it. My knife

found his throat t*fore he uttered a single cry. I dragged the

dead man into the copse with me. Staying here didn 't seem

too wise anymore. I cleaned Hugo's blade in the dusty earth,

then made my way toward the compound buildings. I made

the sneak with my usual expertise—and it wasn't good

enough.

I 'd alerted the hunting-wise Bantus, and two of them

pinpointed my location and homed in on me. Struggling on

my belly along the airspace under the building, I knew only

seconds remained a fullscale outcry was raised.

Pushing up the floor boarding at*'ve me, I wiggled into the

room. A tiny gasp sounded and a light flickered. I 'd come up

inside Alleen 's bedroom.

' 'Nick!" she said. then lowered her voice. "He told me

you'd died. An accident in the river."

"Faber's out to kill me, Alleen. You know that. His

Bantus are after me right now. They 're trained hunters. Their

senses are too acute for me to elude them for long. t'

A banging on the door startled the dark-haired woman. She

sat up fully in bed, her pale yellow peignoir falling OFEn to

expose those tempting, firm breasts.

"Who is it?" she demanded, her voice on the point of

breaking with strain.

'Look for fugitive, " came the heavily accented voice of

one of the Bantus. "He's inside. "

"I'm trying to sleep. Go away and leave me alone."

I dropped the flooring and rolled under her bed. Suitcases

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and other boxes comrEted for room here, but I pushed my

way through them to burrow into the middle. Alleen 's weight

caused the tx:d to sag down unul the springs rubtrd into my

body. When I heard the door crash open, I drew my Luger. A

few bullets wouldn't solve my problem but it might buy

precious seconds to figure out some new plan.

' 'Get out!" screeched Aileen.

"Search the room, " came a cold command. Naked feet

with soles harder than any leather pounded toward the tkd.

From my vantage point, I saw only from the ankles on down.

Four of them. Shooting now only signed my death warrant. I

held off. For a few seconds.

Fate worked in my favor. A loud voice "What

are you doing in my fiancée's room?" Fat*r had noted the

disturbance and had come to investigate. "Get out. How dare

you intrude when she's dressed like that! "

I had to smile. Alleen ranked high on the trauty scale, no

matter what culture. Fatrr was livid over anyone seeing his

would& bride more naked than dressed. And, his

upbnnging in the Union made it all the worse when the eyes

doing the ogling trlonged to male natives.

"Doctor Faber, Doctor Faber!" came Chinua's voice.

Angolans!"

' 'Damn, " heard Fatrr grumble, then louder, "Out, all of

you get the hell out of here!" Footsteps vanished amid the

roar of voices and intermittent rifle fire. I wiggled free from

under the bed, Wilhelmina in hand.

"Nick, you're safe," cried Alleen. "I womed that he

would

. ohs what are we going to do?"

"Are the Angolans attacking? Inside South Africa?" It

hardly seemed possible. yet South African troops had boldly

raided deep into Angola last year, This might be a retaliatory

raid, but it didn't seem likely. The middle of an eight

thousand square mile game preserve is hardly vital temtory.

Whatever the attacking Angolans wanted, it was here and it

was FatEr•s.

"Bron warned that they might. He . . . he's been doing


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some experiments inside Angola. He said the Cuban-trained

troops there didn't like it. "

o 'I can imagine. What sort of Did he say?" I

guessed pretty quickly what those tests might have been. I

envisioned hundreds of guemllas dying from creepy diseases

that rotted the flesh from their burnt out their internal

thermometers with impssibly high tern}xratures, caused

their innards to leak blood until the poor victim choked and

drowned in his own juices. Yeah, I guessed why the Ango-

lans were here.

g 'He never said. But their government ordered him from

the country."

I went to the window and out. The Angolans

infiltrated well. At least a hundred of them surrounded the

compound. had fewer than twenty Bantus, and they

weren't armed with anything more modern than a steel-

tipped srrar. Guemllas don •t much care atx)ut excuses when

they attack. That Alleen and I were inside when they attacked

would be enough reason to kill us, along with Faber and bis

native allies. I checked Wilhelmina. A shell rested snugly in

the chamber.

"Watch them crawl, " I heard Fat*r yell. "Watch them

die! ' The laugh that echoed across the compound chilled me.

There wasn't a trace of sanity in it. Bron had gone off

the deep end if he figured he could personally kill a hundred

armed, Cuban-trained Angolan guemllas.

Yet that's exactly what he did.

First came the electronic humming. Then sounded the whir

of wings. A tsetse fly as large as my hand buzzed past the

window. I came within a split-second of sending a bullet into

it; it was too large to miss. But the tsetse fly intently drove

into the darkness, singleminded in its determination to infect

the guemllas with whatever disease Faber had given it to

carry.

Screams from the bush surrounding the compound trcame

more frequent. The rifle fire came sporadically, then ceased.

The only sounds from outside the kraal were agonized


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moans. Some of the guerrillas turrrd their rifles on one

another—mercy killing. I watched as a camouflage-suited

guerrilla stumbled onto the porch not ten feet from me. His

face, normally black, had turned ashen. He ripr*d at his flesh

as if it had trcome infested with a billion fire ants. Only

terror and pain registered in his expression.

Walking dead. He was dead but his heart still pumped.

Dangerous bacteria chewed away at his guts and lungs and

brain, but he still lived and felt the agony of the disease.

I shot him through the head. Never have I seen a man's

face turn so knowing that swift death had taken him.

"God, Nick, what did Bron do to them? ney .

they ire

all infected with something."

"One of his diseases. Even faster acting than the others

I've seen. It takes almost ten minutes for his genetically

mutated yellow fever to kill. Whatever this is kills in less than

a minute. "

"Bron is doing this?" she said in a strangled voice.

"Look. " I forced her to the window and held her head so

she couldn't turn away. Fat*r gleefully twisted the dials on

his electronic unit. One of the Bantus held a long prote—the

magnetic homing device that rxyinted out the victims for the

tsetse flies. A particularly large tsetse fly hummed around in

the air in front of the man. Fatrr grabbed the device form the

native's hand, then turned and pointed it at an Angolan

weakly attempting to crawl away. Like an arrow the tsetse fly

flew straight to the man. The image of a vulture-finding

camon flashed through my mind as the fly landed in the

middle of the man 's back. I watched helplessly as genetically

altered mandibles ripped through the thick shirt and bare

flesh.

*Ihe fly lanced out with its protx)scis. The man arched

backward. his arms reaching up as if to implore an uncaring

god for mercy. Ihen the man's flesh seemed to churn and

ripple before it began flaking off in giant, grisly hunks.

Alleen made weak retching noises. put my arm around

her and tried to stop the quaking I felt. Tending to her needs

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came hard. Seeing such horrible misuse of science sickened

me more than I cared to admit.

"Let•s get the hell out of here. We might able to get a

tmck and find the park ranger. "

"No, Nick," she sniffled. 4 'I can't leave. I can't leave

him. Bron neede me."

"Needs you?" I yelled, both surprised and shocked. s The

man 's a butcher. You saw what he did out there. He's the one

who mutated those flies. He 's the one who's a lifetime

working on new and more virulent diseases. How can you say

he needs you?"

SSI've got to a-y and stop him. It's the only way." The

tremor had left her body. She firmed up and backed away. 1

saw that no amount of arguing would sway her, and there

wasn't time enough for me to even try. When the bloodlust

died down and Fatpr began thinking again, he'd remember

the dead Bantu guard found before the Angolans arrived.

He 'd rememt*r chasing out his men from Alleen 's txdroom.

He'd me.

"Stay here," she said. "I won't be long."

I didn 't get a chance to argue with her. She picked up a thin

robe, flung it around her shoulders and marched out into the

middle of the carnage like some Valkyrie descending from

Valhalla to pick up the valiant dead. She walked, straight to

head held high, her step firm and confident.

I crouched down and pressed my ear against the wall. I

heard what went on between them.

"Bron, you 're resm)nsible for all this, aren't you?"

"Alleen!" he cried. Another whoop of joy, then a loud,

almost demented laugh. s 'Yes, this is my doing! Isn't it

wonderful? I stopped an entire company of Angolans. In

minutes I stopped them. They are all dead, dead, dead!"

"You did it with your diseases, didn't you?" Her voice

trembled a little now. I fingered my Luger, wondering if I

could get a clear shot at the man. Peering up over the window

ledge, I saw it wasn 't possible. Alleen stood tEtween me and

my target.

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"Of course I did, " he said, calming. "l 've gotten twenty-

five million in tribute from the South African government

already. The Angolans will soon recognize me as their

leader. And then, then I shall King of South Africa! '

"King?"

S 'And you 'II my queen'. He turned and stared out over

the dark veldt. "It won 'tend here. rest of Afnca will fall.

Or perhaps I 'II let it rot. With the mineral wealth of southern

Africa to finance me, perhaps I'll skip over to the United

States or Yes. You shall Queen of

Europe, my dear. Queen Aileen!"

don't want to be queen, the dark-haired woman said.

just want you.

didn•t hear. He rattled on.

"Word will spread because of what's happened here to-

night. The Angolans will tell their Cuban masters. The Krem-

lin will learn of me. Then I shall crush Mother Russia. The

French tried and failed. The Germans died attempting to

conquer that country. I, Bron will succeed! Me and

my little allies."

'*Bron."

He went to the electronic box and turned a dial. Loud

humming filled the still night. He picked up the magnetic

aiming device and held it lovingly in his arms, as if it were a

baby.

"All I need to do is point. The flies do the rest. I select

which vector they shall carry. then they go forth at my

bidding and infect!"

I lined up Wilhelmina for a shot. *Ihe distance wasn't too

great but the angle was wrong and I never had a clear view.

But I had to try taking Faber out now. It might be the last

chance anyone would ever have,

My finger tightened. A shot rang out. I hesitated. The

Luger hadn't fired; someone else had shot Fatrr. The man

crumbled, then began rolling on the ground. Whoever had

shot him hadn 't scored clean. I rose, thinking I might finish

the job already begun, but Alleen got in the line of fire. I


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actually thought about shooting her, getting her out of the

way, then emptying the clip into Fater. ne rush of Bantus

around their fallen leader put all those thoughts to an end. r

sank back under cover and watched.

Fatrr stuggled to a sitting the wand in his hand.

He IY)inted it out into the night, probably in the direction of

the unseen sniErr. A homd buzzing filled the air as a dozen of

the mutated tsetse flies roared to the attack. Even if it was a

communist I he made it safely back to Angola.

No one deserved to die the way Fater promised.

"I'll rule them all! " he ranted. ne Bantus picked him up

and carried him into the into what had been my

I let out the breath I hadn't known I was holding,

then slid to the back against the wall.

Alleen came in. She was as pale as a ghost and her hands

trembled visibly. I didn't have to ask her what she now

thought her precious Doctor Bron Fatrr, saviour of all

humanity.


CHAPTER EIGHT

she said in a choked voice. I •d won-

"He'll kill us

dered how long it would take Aileen to realize that no

longer had both oars in the water. "I saw it in his eyes.

he Ss

not the man I loved. that's not Bron. This one

"You 're not telling me anything I don 't already know," I

said. ' 'He tried to kill me earlier when I was on a ship making

its way down the western coast. He sent one of his Bantus

with that gadget Of his. I caught the tsetse fly."'

"But why would he want to kill you? I mean. " she said,

her eyes dropping and a hint of blush coming to her wan

cheeks. "before last night?"

"He's obviously got good communication throughout

southern Africa. My cover was blown almost immediately

after I got to Ratnt. "

"Cover?"

I sighed. The entire story was going to have to told

sooner or later. It had to be edited, though.

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' 'I work for the U.S. government."

"A spy!" she said. awe tingeing her voice.

"Something like that. I'm more in the enforcement line

than in intelligence gathering. That translated to a fancy

way of saying Killmaster.

"And you came to stop Bron.

"I came to stop someone called Doctor DNA. It turned out

he and Bron FatEr are one and the same."

"Nick!" she cried, gripping my arm. niere wasn't any

need for the warning. I 'd already seen the Bantus returning to

her quarters. ney hadn't finished their search. ms time I

didn 't think I could count on the Angolans to provide a handy

diversion. All the guerrillas lay rotting out under the bright

silver light ofa freshly-risen moon. It cast an eerie pallor over

the battleground. The corpses seemed to churn and move

with pseudo-life. I knew it was the voracious African insects

moving into the compound, despite genetically en-

gineered inderdict against them.

In this country, food took priority over even the most

frightful of dangers. If you didn't risk everything for a

mouthful of food, there wasn •t any other chance of surviving.

"There are three of them, Nick, " she said, staring out the

window. Alleen had frozen to the spot. The time had long

passed when I should have made a run for it. But the big

problem remained: run where?

The park rangers headquarters lay a full forty miles down

the road and, from what Chinua had said, none of the rangers

might there. They patrolled over a quarter of the eight

thousand square mile preserve. In Jeeps, that took a long

time. The chance of me making it to my radio ranked even

lower on the scale of things to happen. lay in my old

quarters, probably just inches away from the radio that could

bring in help from outside. Those were minor considerations,

however. My mission remained incomplete. Fat:rr lived and

his lat»ratory out in the veldt hadrCt been discovered yet.

And, as much as I hate to say it, I felt a respmsibility for

Alleen. She'd gotten herself into this, but if I could save her

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I'd have to do it. I silently prayed that it didn't come down to

a choice between saving her and finishing the mission.

That choice left her high, wide—and dead.

I spun and rolled so that I ended up under her bed again.

This time I pulled down the sheet in such a fashion that the

trio of Bantus entering the wouldn't see me im-

mediately. Wilhelmina was cocked and ready to take lives.

The door burst inward as the lead native kicked it I

waited. Alleen acted as I 'd thought she would. Backing

away, a homfied expression on her face, she drew their

attention. The other two crowded in behind the first. My

finger tightened three times. *Ihree bullets found their marks.

The first native hardly knew he 'd been hit before the last slug

ripped through the air, on its way into the heart of the last.

I came out, shook Aheen hard, and harshly ordered, "Get

dressed. We're getting out of here. They might not notice a

couple of shots t*ing fired, but when doesn 't see you

beside him, he'll send more of his natives. Now, get

dressed. " I had to shake her again.

In other circumstances watching the lovely, dark-haired

woman dress would have been pleasant. Now the clock

dictated too much. She moved with maddening slowness.

What seemed hours later, she stood completely outfitted for a

long stay in the bush. The safari jacket she'd worn when I

first saw her hung like a tent. She slurnFEd and had that

beaten, defeated posture that caused her to shrink in upon

herself.

"Do you have a gun? A rifle? Shotgun? Anything?"

The tiny shake of her head sent her hair slithering down

into her eyes. She brushed it back, hardly noticing she 'd done

so.

"If we steal a truck, can you get me to lab? The

one out in the veldt?"

. I don't know where it is. Bron never took me

there. "

I cursed, then forced myself to remain calm.

' 'You know what direction it is. Surely he didn 't try to hide

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that. Which way did he always drive in when he left her?"

Alleen pointed in a vague westerly direction. I ncxided. Fat*r

had come from that direction before this gruesome bloodbath

had started. I remembered sitting and seeing the dust clouds

kicked up by his trucks as they approached.

"Can we get away alive, Nick?"

"We can," I said firmly. "Trust me. I'm good at this."

For some reason that seemed to soothe her. I saw the

tenseness relieved in her facial muscles and the set of her

body became more confident. In a lot of situations, it pays to

self-assured. I hoped that I could deliver now that I'd

promised her things would go great. I wasn't half as sure as

I'd sounded.

"The trucks. Some are leaving."

I looked out the window. Alleen was right. I wondered if

those three Bantus lying dead on the floor had been sent to

take the woman to Fatxr=--or kill her. I watched as the natives

helped Fatxr out of the building and into the back of a tuck.

It roared off, kicking up a cloud of dust. Two other trucks

remained.

It was now or never.

"Come on, Aileen. Run for all you 're worth! " I jerked so

hard on her arm I thought I'd dislocated her shoulder. She

squawked in protest but I didn't let her think about what we

did,

The decisions had flashed through my mind in less than a

second. I could wait here and check to see If Fatrr had found

my radio in my quarters. If he had—and had destroyed

it—we'd be relatively safe for the moment. He obviously

intended to abandon this compound. If the radio worked,

reinforcements were only hours away.

I discarded that course of action almost instantly in favor of

running for the trailing truck. They were returning to Faber's

lab. I had a chance to destroy it and Fatrr. If they got too far

into the veldt, it might take weeks of searching to find them,

even knowing the general direction they'd taken.

The trucks had camed a full complement of natives when

they'd arrived. The Angolans had taken their toll, as I had.


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'Ihe last truck pulled out, empty in back. Alleen pounded

alongside me, her lungs gasping for air in the thick dust. That

worked for us more than against us by cloaking our desperate

bid to gain the tailgate.

I jurn'*d, caught hold of the tailgate chain and pulled

myself in. ne truck up. I turned and found Alleen 's

hand the instant a burst Of speed would have left her in

the center of the road. Heaving, I got her into the truck.

"Stay low, " 1 said. rattling of the üuck covered any

sounds we might make. All we had to worry was the

driver glancing into the rear-view mirror and spotting us. As

long as we huddled against the front end of the compartment,

there was little chance of t*ing discovered. I held Alleen 's

hand tightly. She managed a weak smile.

In my head I went over the battle plan when we arrived at

the hidden latx»ratory. Everything had to work perfectly the

first time. I would never get a second chance. Faber still had a

dozen natives with him. He might have that many more at the

lab. While Erica der Klerk in Johannesburg had said Fabe

needed a new assistant, she 'd first said he had already hired

one. The newly position might have come from

Faber's suspicions me. He might have wanted me to

stay where he could keep an eye on me—with Alleen,

Chinua, and any others who might poke around too much.

So, I faced twenty-five Bantus, Fatrr, and an assis-

tant.

Wilhelmina •s clip still held three rounds. I had another clip

in my pocket. Hugo rested coolly against my right forearm.

My gas tx)mb, Pierre, snuggled close to my groin. And I had

one ally of questionable use: Alleen.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked.

"Fine. Nick. "

' 'You're lying.

"Why did he have to do this to me?" she said. But there

weren't any tears. She was all cried out. loved him. I .

I guess I still love him, no matter what. But how could he do

this to me?"

"He •s been bitten by the worst bug of all—power. He used

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to be a good man, the man you loved. Then he tasted power

and addicted. It's haprrned to stronger men. " I lied

through my teeth. The ones like Bron Fatrr were never good

men. *Ihey always lusted after control over Aileen

had tren duped by him. lhe death of her father, the presence

of that magical control he seemed to have over

women, smcx)th talking and a cool manner—all had turned

her confusion into love. He had used her. Eventually Alleen

would realize this. If she lived long enough.

Right now I just wanted to ease her emotional pain.

*How long does it take to get to the latk)ratory?" I asked,

hoping the question would bring out information she didn't

know she lx»ssessed.

'He's never back sooner than three days."

I considered. Possibly eight or ten hours drive. lhe truck

hit a rx)thole that must have gone all the way to the earth's

core and tossed us together. We clung to one another like

frightened children. The prospect of time this close

to Aileen, under other circumstances, might have been de-

lightful. As it was, we were caked with dust and developing

bruises in places I didn't even realize could bruise.

' 'Bron said he wanted to make the world better for all

mankind. His research made disease obsolete. "

I said nothing, Let her talk it out. After a while, the

dark-haired woman ran down and contented herself with

resting her head against my chest. It presented a poor pillow

but neither of us complained.

The trip lasted a bone-jarring seven hours. By the time I

heard the horns of the uucks ahead honking, I was tired,

hungry, thirsty and almost comatose. Alleen presented a

figure hardly

SSOut. Now," I ordered. "We've got to stay clear of the

latx)ratory. They might have sentries on duty after the Ango-

Ian mess at the other compound. "

We dropped off. My legs buckled under me. They were

stiff and bruised and barely straightened. I helped Alleen to

her feet. Like a pair of aging cripples, we hobbled off for

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cover, lost in the dust cloud kicked up by the

trucks. We blended in well with the terrain. Our clothes were

completely covered in the brown grit and our faces

like dirt masks with eye. nose, and mouth holes.

"There it is," I said after the trucks had and the

dust settled. A series of low buildings near a heavily wooded

area housed the latx)ratory of Bron Doctor DNA.

I wiped off Wilhelmina 's toggles and checked the slides to

make sure they were free of grit, then prepared to make my

assault.

I advanced on the just before dawn.

'*Stay here," I told Alleen. From here on out, she'd only

get in the way. The last thing in the world I wanted was

someone stumbling along and alerting Fatrr•s guards. I'd

watched carefully and had the three sentry firmly in

mind. The Bantus hadn't been trained pror*rly. They left

gaps ih the defense.

After a brief recon, I decided that no one had attacked this

lab before and they didn 't expect anyone to do so now. With a

little luck, I 'd make it in, destroy the test tubes laden with

disease, bacteria and virus, get rid of the tsetse flies—and

remove Bron Fatxr. It seemed like a lot but I 'd already gone

through hell getting here.

I might even get a few answers to questions bothering me.

How had sm)tted me so fast on The Easy Ride? The

Bantu put aboard the ship at Walvis Bay had txen directed

straight for me. ney'd known I was an agent—but how?

What made it even stranger was the lack of recognition on

Faber's part when I'd applied for the job at his Johannesburg

Medical Research Center. If he 'd known of me on the ship,

why hadn't he known me then? Or had he only told an

agent working against him was aboard The Easy Ride?

If so, that partially answered the question. He'd thought

the Bantu had succeeded. There hadrCt been any failures up

to that IX)int, so why expect one against a man masquerading

as a sailor?

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But how had he found out I'd tEen assigned in the first

place?

If the rest of the mission went well, this might explain

itself. Enough pieces to the puzzle often gave a bigger picture

than anything imagirrd in more hectic times.

S 'Ih I have to stay here, Nick?" she asked.

' 'It 's going to get dangerous. If I make it, everything 'II be

fine. If I don 't, try to get back to the compound. ' ' I explained

about my radio and how to use it. I didn't bother telling her

who would be on the receiving end of the message or what

they'd do with her information. ' 'Ihey'll take care of FatEr

and make things work just fine for you. 's

'II kill him, won't they?"

"Not if I get to him first. Look, Alleen, I've been over

this. Fatrr•s a dangerous man, very dangerous. He •s killed

seven government ministers I know of with his genetically

altered diseases. He's going to wreck the balance of

and force us into war. The Soviets don't like

blackmailed any more than the U.S. does. And it's only a

matter of time trfore the South Africans figure out he 's one

of their own and crack down on him.

"l know." she said in a soft voice. "Still

"Wait here. I don •t know how long this will take. Possibly

an hour. I intend to make it less, if I can. " I kissed her on the

forehead and took off into the bush.

Then I changed from Nick Carter, concerned man, into

Nick Carter, Killmaster.

ICs taken me years to my infiltration techniques.

I •ve studied with the best and learned from the best. From

previous experience, I knew the Bantus had acute senses.

•mey lived or died on their daily hunting skills; they were

forrnidable opponents. But for all their empincal expertise,

they didn't match the combinauon of the technical and

theoretical I possessed.

I made my way through their defense perimeter without

being detected. At the nearest building, I rose and peered

inside. I 'd hit it lucky. An empty office. A quick wiggle got


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me through the window and into the room. I snaked

across the floor to the desk and began going through it for the

information I sought.

I •m no scientist but I do have enough education to know

the real thing when I see it. The folders in the drawers told of

Faber's expenments with the insects. He had discounted the

mosquito tmause of his inability to genetically change its

size. lhe tsetse fly proved a txtter subject for him. From one

dcxument, I noted that he 'd developed one strain larger than a

canary. I whistled long and low at that. It 'd take a baseball bat

to knock one of them out of the air.

Other information flowed when I pried a file cabinet.

The details of the disease experiments were excerpted, I

the important pages out of the not&oks and crammed

them into my pockets. AXE scientists would be interested.

The rest I humed through and failed to find anything that set

off the alarm in my head indicating importance.

Worst of all. I failed to find a detailed outline of

plans. How did he select the ministers to die? What extortion

demands had he made of them? Who were the connections

for the metals shipments in Namibia? I found this odd be-

cause everything else had been so carefully written down.

I began spilling the patRrs onto the floor. When I had a

nice pile, I flicked my cigarette lighter and ignited the corner

farthest from the door. In a few seconds, I had a hearty fire

roaring up toward the roof. Waiting a few seconds longer to

make sure the blaze fed properly almost cost me my life.

One of the Bantu guards outside raised an alarm.

I sped out the door—into the arms of one ot the natives.

He was as surprised as I was. I recovered first. Hugo

slipped out and sank into the man's chest, the stiletto point

angling up past the ribs and into the heart. He died without

another sound, But the confrontation had taken precious

seconds. The fire alarm brought others running from all over.

They saw me.

'Kill him ! " It was obvious they all wanted me very dead.

whined past my head as I ducked and moved away.

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They rushed. I turned, Hugo slashing one man's belly open.

He cried out in pain and surprise and then turned and fell into

the arms of the warriors behind him. This gave me enough

time to make a frontal assault on the next building. I horrd it

was the lab containing the living diseases and insects. One

good fire would destroy all of it, just as the other fire I'd

started burned Fatrr's records into ash.

"What's going on here?" demanded a man in the door-

way. I barreled into him and knocked him over. But he

moved well. Recovering, coming to his feet, he faced me.

"So, you're assistant," I said.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What's happening

here

The man I faced had bushy brown hair, graying slightly at

the tempies, and the txginnings of a spare tire around the

middle. He had camed the yellow-fever-laden tsetse fly that

had killed Dieter Karlik. Ihis had to be Fatrr's assistant.

' 'Your death, 's I said, lunging. My knife slashed along the

man's ritxage. I missed a clean kill and produced only a

fountain of blood. If anything, a cut is virtually painless

because of the clean severing of the nerves. In a while,

though. the loss of blood would catch up with the man.

I didn't have time. The Bantus milled atK)ut, leaderless.

Some wanted to put out the fire. Others wanted to find me. As

a result of their indecision, neither got done. That wouldn •t

last long, though.

' 'You're Caner, " the man grated from t*tween clenched

teeth. I attacked and missed him entirely this time. He danced

back. one hand holding the wound and the other groping for

something on a shelf. I stepped back, gauged the distance

between us and started forward for the kill when he pulled

down a wand.

*'Die, Carter. See how the tsetse flies enjoy your flesh! "

He pointed one of the guidance sticks directly at me. It had

to be a newer model than the others I 'd seen. This required no

camera case-sized power pack. Self-containied, it was hardly

the thickness of my middle finger and about two feet long.

I acted instinctively. Hugo flashed out, turning over twice


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in midair trfore burying itself to the hilt in the man 's throat.

The wand fell to the floor and clattered away. I went for it

instead of my knife. ne buzzing in the air alerted me to the

aerial danger confronting me.

lhe tsetse flies were immense. These weren't the canary-

sized ones I'd read atx)ut in Farrr's papers, but they came

close. I recovered the wand and stared at it. I had no idea how

to turn it off. I started to smash it when the sound of the

natives outside made me change my course of action.

I m)inted the wand at the doorway. The tsetse fly in the lead

raked mandibles across the first Bantu 's throat. I watched in

horror as the flesh seemed to boil away from the man 's bones

in a gray cascade. Killing is something I'm forced to do for

my country, but my weapons are more cleaner.

Knife, gun, bare hands, those are what I know

This type of killing sickened me.

Ihe flies poured from hidden compartments and swarmed

out into the group of now-terrified natives. I didn't worry

about them any more. They'd be off and into the bushes,

running for their lives, If I had any sense, lid join them.

Instead, I poked around. seeking out

He wasn 't in this lab. That left the third building, the one

most carefully hidden from aerial surveillance. Going out a

window, I made my way to the last lab building, keyed up

and ready to finish my mission. What I 'd done to the Bantus

shouldn •t have been done to any living creature, yet they'd

used that wand on others, too. In a way, they reaped what

ey'd sown. Still, the real genius behind the genetically

Itered insects and diseases remained at large.

Bron Fatxr had to die.

A bullet whined past the side of my head. I dodged. rolled,

d came up t*hind one of the trucks. Another bullet flat-

ned a tire. I crawled under the üuck and studied the build-

ng. Two windows, one door on my side. At least one

indow per side all around, I guessed. Another door on the

ar side. I had no idea of the odds against me now. At least

ne man with a rifle. I figured it was

Knowing I couldn •t keep up a one-man siege very long, I


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attacked. Straight on, feinting to one side, moving to the

other, running, ducking. constantly moving. ne bee's flight

of angry bullets never found n•r. Panting, I crouched against

the wall, the window just over my head. Wilhelmina rested

comfortably in my hand.

'"Let's compromise, Carter, • • came voice from

. "I can kill you. But you're a brave man. You've

inside

shown great courage. Now show great wisdom. Join me. I

can make you into a prince, a ruler, the wealthiest man on the

continent! "

i sidled along the wall, heading for the second window.

Fatrr was closer to the one I left and had a chance to get

him.

' 'Money? Do you want money, Carter? It's yours! Power?

Ask! I'll give it to you.

I called out; "You wouldn't understand what I want.

Faber. "

"Women? You 're quite a ladies" man. All the women you

want. Carter. nat •s an easy one for me. Join me and you can

have anything you want."

"Anything but self-respect.

' •you're a fool!"

I twisted and vaulted into the room, coming to a crouch,

Wilhelmina pointed. I hadn't counted on entering into a

separate room. I 'd mistakenly thought this building had been

laid out like the others-—one giant room inside. My gun

covered one Of the Bantus, not The scientist was in the

next room.

"Don't even breathe," I said softly. The native raised his

hands. But the widening of his eyes betrayed the fact that we

weren 't alone in the room. I sprang sideways, slamming hard

into the wall. My Luger swept around and fired. The native

sneaking up on me jerked, a bullet lodged in his brain.

The haft of a spear smashed into the back of my head. I

fell, half-stunned, paralyzed and only weakly kicking,

Through blurred vision saw the steel-tipped spear rise. both

of the man 's hands on the shaft. This was going to be a quick,

clean death.

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And I was going to béthe one dying. My muscles refu

to move. I struggled and was rewarded only with the look o

triumph on the Bantu 's face.

•me triumph changed into pain. The came forw

but it missed by body. It sank an inch deep in the hardw

flooring. The nauve toppled over me. By this time, limited

muscle contK)l had returned. I pushed the man off and saw a

knife protruding from his back. I off the last of th

stunning blow and focused my eyes.

Chinua stood at the far side of the room, his face split into

wide smile.

"I did better with him than I did with Fatrr. My knif

throwing has always tEen to my marksmanship with

a rifle. "

"Chinua? Why?" I asked. Wilhelmina appeared in m

hand, as if by magic, even as I uttered the last question.

"No need for that, Carter. We're EX)th on the same side.

Chinua explained as he came to me. "Nasty bump. You •ve

got a mild concussion. After I finish with Faber, you'll have

to have that examined. 9'

"What's your with him?"

s 'I said we're on the same side. Not the same team,

perhaps, but we go after the same thing. I am Nigerian. "

"And I am a member of a select group emm:ywered by the

m)lice our conti-

Organization of African States to

nent. "

"You're a spy. "

He laughed quietly. "Yes, I am that. We spotted one

another too quickly. We are both in the business too long. It

shows. became suspicious of me and kept me with

Alleen and others he distrusted. Not until you arrived did

events move swiftly enough for me to act. "

' 'That was a difficult shot. It was dark. "

should not have missed " Real wistfulness came

to the man's voice. ' 'It made the job much harder. I have had

no chance at him until this moment. "

"Then let's do it together. 'i

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Ginua smiled again. I didn 't know about any undercover

agents for the OAS, but it didn 't come as a shcxk. Africa has

produced some wild-eyed dictators with the potential for

shaming Hitler when it comes to outrage. The more moderate

states in the OAS might have decided that mere political

pressure didn 't alter the course of those dictators, so they Vd

gone to more covert practices.

Africa was becoming just like the civilized nations of the

world. I wasn't sure if this was an improvement or not.

' 'In there," said Qinua. I stopped, took a steadying

breath, then kicked the door

Neither Chinua nor I had a clean shot at He hunched

down near the window. A table loaded with glassware

blocked him from a quick bullet out of Wilhelmina 's barrel or

Chinua's flashing knife. Bron jerked his rifle around

and fired three quick shots in our direction. Glass went flying

everywhere. I ducked and went right while Chinua moved

left. I liked his style. He reacted in the proper way without

tring told.

Maybe he was nght. Maybe we were a lot alike. Maytr

we •d been in this business too long.

Fatrr let out a screech like a banshee, then stood and

pumped a half dozen rounds into the Ixnch on the opposite

side of the room. I froze inside. Chinua had gone trhind that

bench, The high-powered rifle easily shot through the wood.

Chinua half-rose clutching his chest. Blood spurted out,

indicating that an artery had nicked. Not even shock

would close it off before he bled to death.

"Drop it, Fatrr!i' I cried. I braced my Luger against a

table. ne man filled my gunsights.

He turned and dropped the rifle, saying in an oddly small

voice, "I'm out of bullets."

I saw red. AXE would have liked Fatxr alive to pick his

brains but everything the scientist had done came crashing in

on me then. He 'd killed Chinua, probably one of the cleanest

deaths in his crime spree. The suffering and the fear this lone


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man had caused couldn't reckoned. Disease, horrible,

awful disease that gnawed and tore at a man 's guts. The

he pushed to teen-agers in Johannesburg. ne demoniacal

glee he 'd exhibited when he 'd wirrd out the Angolan gueml-

las with his army of tsetse flies.

I stood and my finger tightened on the trigger. What ran

through my brain was that I should get a medal for killing

scum like Bron Fat*r. A body hurled toward me from my

blind side. A Ftite hand into my gunhand. The

Luger fired. The heavy slug blew splinters off the window

frame to the of head. I found myself su•uggling

with a wildcat.

I tossed her away. Alleen lay in a heap on the floor,

sobbing, "I love him, I still love him. God protect me."

Outside an engirr roared. I ran to the window and saw a

truck barreling down the road until the cloaking dust blcxked

it from view. I'd after him soon enough. I went to Chinua

to see if I could do anything for him.

He lay in a pool of his own blood. His hand felt cold and

barely twitched. His eyes and focused.

S'D-don 't be too harsh with her," he said in a whisrxr. "It

is not her fault."

'*She knows what a beast he is, " I snapped.

' 'She cannot help it. No woman can. "

"What do you mean?"

Chinua coughed. Blood dripped from the corners of his

mouth. He winced but fought for a few extra seconds of life.

"Fat*r's first Aphrodisiac for Bantus. He

has altered pheromones. Women find him irresistible

cause of his mutated pheromones. "

That's the last he said. I laid Chinua's head down gently

and stared at Alleen, who still sobbed. nings spun out of

control around me. She had stopped me from killing Fatrr

t*cause the man smelled good. Sure, I knew there was more

to it than that. Pheromones are tied strongly with sexual

desire and Fat*r apparently controlled his through genetic


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engineering. It explained Erica der Klerk; it explained Alleen

Kindt; it explained why the Bantus followed initially.

"The bastard smells good/" r raged. ' S That stinks!"

I left Alleen in the ruined latx)ratory and headed for the

truck. This time Bron Fat*r would die.


CHAPTER NINE

When things fall apart, they go to hell all the way. I'

mshed out, the bloodlust still in me. If I'd found a workin

mlCk, I would've overtaken Fater within minutes and use

my bare hands to strangle the life from his miserable carcass

If, if, if.

None of the remaining trucks was orrationar. One had a

flat tire. Another had taken several rifle bJllets through the

engine ne one parked in front of the office had

exploded from the fire I'd set, and a fourth, parked some

distance away, refused to start. A quick look under the hood

failed to reveal why.

Faber had gotten away and left me in the dust. He had

driven off and I had no idea where he might be heading.

Disgusted, I went back into the lab to search it more

thoroughly. My luck wasn 't holding up well; now was the

time to change it and find a working radio to call Hawk and

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No radio. No live disease virus or bacteria. ne tsetse

fly-breeding area in the second t»ilding vanished as soon as

sparks from die office fire jumpd over and tmtched the

thatch rcx)f. I ranted and rampaged like a bull in a china shop

trying to uncover the slightest of c}ues in the remaining lab.

Alleen still sniffed occasionally. She sat huddled on the

floor, her back against a wall as if me to strike her

at any instant. For a moment I thought she deserved it, but I

found I was as mad at myself as at her. Maybe even more so.

For a few minutes before she 'd entered the picture, I 'd had a

chance to take out failed. no one could

have done better.

But I'm not just anyone. I'm Nick Carter, Killmaster.

w SW-want me to help? I-if you tell me what you're

I-looking for, I 'II help. ' ' She stammered when I glared at her.

My mood softened. I recognized my own failings. She was

a civilian. There was no cause for me to blame her if I had

failed in my mission.

I sat txside her. my back against the wall as well. I took

her trembling hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

' 'I'm sorry, Alleen. Sory for getting you into this. What

Chinua said changes things a lot. Faber's got more tricks up

his sleeve than I realized. "

. I never knew about the pheo—whatever," she

said. "What was Chinua talking

"Insects attract their mates through the use of airtN)rne

hormones. Pheromones. Fak*r probably worked with them at

some time while developing his giant-sized bugs. He proba-

bly also realized the power he could wield over the Bantus if

he mutated human pheromones into aphrodisiacs. "

"Humans have them, too?"

"All animals have them. Why do women use perfume,

men aftershave and cologne? It's our way of replacing the

natural pheromones we wash off. "

"And this is what attracted me to Bron? r don 't believe it. '

' 'It helped. lhe man's smooth. Any extra chemical help


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only added to his appeal. Erica der Klerk and he

fanatical attraction to him?"

"Yes," she said sullenly. "The slut's probably been to

bed with him more than I have. "

"She's never gorr to bed with him. Something at»ut th

pheromones he uses brings out her fantasies. Who can say

what's triggered in her head? This is a brand-ne

field. "

' 'A Frfume company would pay a lot for his secret, " s

said, as if slowly realizing the possibilities.

"l 'd pay a lot to alone with him for five seconds.

seconds. " It wouldn't take me longer than that to kill him.

"Nick, I'm sorry. Even after you explained all this to me

I'm sorry." She cried again. I put my arrn around her and

comforted her the trst I could. I needed her calm so she

rememtrr the little things the man had said to her.

"Where do you think he 's headed now?" I asked softly.

"l don't know. I.

• just .

don't . .

I saw it wouldn 't do any good pursuing the matter. She was

too shaken to give coherent answers. We went outside wherei

I got to work changing the bullet-punctured tire on the truck

nearest the lab. For two men it's hard work. For one it was

almost impossible. Alleen tried to help but she got in the wa

more than she aided. Finally, I got the massive tire replaced

and the engine turned over.

But where to go?

I turned off the engine and decided that tracking Fatxr in

the dust out on the veldt tx)rdered on the I had no

idea which direction he'd taken. Since I'd t*en marooned

here for almost three hours, the headstart he had was insur-

mountable.

' 'Nick," called Aileen, coming from the lab. "l've

searched the place looking for a radio. I . .

. I thought he

might have one hidden. nere 's nothing. I 'm so sorry. " She

burst into tears agaim

' Come on, let's get away from here. First, get some

blankets and food and put them in the back of the tuck. ' ' She

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did as I told her, trying to get a hold of herself while she

packed the truck. I torched the latxratory. We drove a half

mile into the veldt and l'»ked back. ne flames lashed high

above the sheltering trees. I that the dry grass of the

veldt wouldn't catch fire. Such an infemo would sweep

across a quarter of South Africa. Still, the flames purified the

festering breeding ground for the mutated tsetse flies.

Risking conflagration for such a worthwhile end seemed

justified to me.

' 'You rest in the back. I m drive us back to the

Maytr my radio's still there and workable. Mayt*

headed there, himself. " I doubted that. When he'd aban-

doned the kraal it was for gocxi. Whichever way he ran now,

it wouldn't be to an old haunt.

At least, not to an old haunt I knew anything

I turned to look at Alleen to make sure she was safely in

back of the truck. She had finally calmed down, but she

hadn it budged from the front seat. She seemed to sit there lost

in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, gently.

"Namibia," she sighed.

"Why Namibia?" I asked, suddenly alert. ne strange-

ness of her answer took me by storm.

' 'I don't know," she said, unaware of the change in my

attitude. "Itjustsort ofcame into my head, that's all. Why?"

' 'What Namibia?" I repeated.

She turned and stared at me.

"Was it something said? Something he did? Had

you overheard a conversation where Namibia was men-

tioned?"

s 'I might have. I don't know. I've never been there.

Except .

"Yes?"

' 'Mayt* it was something Bron said. He had shipping

interests in Namibia. Walvis Bay and Windhcrk. "

"Windh(kk?"

' *Another in Namibia, I suppse. I don't know."


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' mat's the capital. And it's not a It's some mile

inland. Faber shipped through his Cape Town office. I thi

be shipFd the strategic metals he extorted into Namibia

where the SWAPO guemllas unloaded them. He moved the

metals to another port and shipped to smelters.

"SWAPO, " she said, as if rememt*ring a name that h

tormented her memory for long hours. "He did mentio

SWAPO. And Windhoek. ney were mentioned together.

overheard him talking long-distance to Town. He was

going to meet someone in SWAPO in

"Did he have another latMatory in Namibia?"

"What? I don't know. Why should he? He had the one

here. " She glarred out the window ofthe truck. The fire still

burned the flames had dropped telow tree level now.

Only a pillar of thick, oily smoke twisted upward to mar the

clear air over the veldt.

rwt the kind of man to put all his eggs in one

basket. I 'm txtting he had his little research empire scattered

throughout all of southern Africa. This was his breeding

ground for the tsetse flies. I found no evidence of his disease

research here, not the physical presence. " I instinctively

checked my The papers detailing the plasmid gene

splicing were still safely tucked away. "I think he carried on

that research somewhere else. ' '

' 'In Namibia!"

"Yeah," I said, warming to the topic. "Namibia is a

country in a state of intemal conflict. Not quite civil war, but

close. He made a deal with the SWAP() guemllas opposing

the South-Afnca-supported DTA. His money---coupled with

the potential for threatening the government with disease—

kept the officials off his neck. He shipped the metals into

Namibia, got payment there and kept his nearby.

In Windhoek."

"Would he put his lab in the capital?" Alleen asked.

' 'Mayt* not in the capital, but Namibia is like South

Africa. There's a lot of open country. t'

I didn 't continue my line of reasoning out loud. The Bantu

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who'd tried to kill me had already been in Walvis Bay. If

Fates headquarters was nearby, it explained much. A na-

tive didn't have the freedom to travel in Namibia any more

than he did in South Africa. Crossing the t*tween the

two countries was next to impossible without a ton of

work. The almost-starving •native on board The Easy Ride

hadn't come from too far off. Not more than a few miles.

I 'd never been in the country tktween Windhoek and

Walvis Bay, but it seemed the best place to start.

' 'Come on, Alleen, " I said, taking her by the hand and

dragging her out into the bright sunlight. • 'Let's make sure

this old bus has enough gas to get us across Africa. We're

going to Namibia. ' '

Some things are easier said than done. While we had

enough gasoline scavenged from the other u•ucks, I had no

real idea where to go. I had no maps and driving straight as an

arrow into the west rx)sed even more problems. Another

got in the way. Still, the entire trip amounted to only

eight hundred miles or so. A hard day's drive on good

pavement and no cops worrying at»ut speed limits, but two

or even three over the veldt.

We made good time, though. I maintained a pretty con-

stant forty, sometimes pushing it up to sixty. lhe mick

complained bitterly at this speed so I dropped back now and

then to keep it happy. Once out of the Kruger Game Preserve

we hit road, but I hesitated aiX)ut staying on the paved track.

South Africa was a M)lice state. We didn 't have the papers to

traveling, nor did I have a good feel for the kind of

explanation it would take to get us out of jail if word of the

massacre out in the veldt reached the authorities.

So, I had to choose. decided to hell with the police, stay

on the road.

And almost immediately, we ran into a police roadblock.

' 'What do we do now, Nick? Shoot our way through?"

don't have that kind of firepower," I said grimly.

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of rifles and some ammo for them, but I preferred my own

Luger for real fighting. "Besides, it's us against at least ten

of them. "

The B)lice swarmed around the roadblock as if we terrified

them. The battered uuck hardly psed the threat of an ar

mored camer and the sight of us inside the cab

should have made them laugh , not duck for cover. Something

was up. This wasn't just a random check on travel papers.

"Out! Get (Ait with your hands up," came the comma

issued over a bullhorn. All the policemen hunkered dow

tehind their Jeeps, rifles trained on us.

you have any idea what's going on?" I asked Alleen.

shrugged and said, ' 'l 'm from the Netherlands. This is

all new to me. Ask me dikes or "

"We'd tktter do as they say." I figured as long as they

hadn't opened fire first. they might amenable to a little

I 'd swung 01*n the protesting Üuck door when

single shot rang out. Ihcking, I thought one of the police ha

gotten uptight and put a round through the truck as a warning.

Then I saw the policeman stiffen and fall forward over the

barricade in the road. Seldom have I seen a man deader.

Confusion rippled through the ranks. They turned and

peered into the bmsh on either side of the road. Then all hell

broke loose. A fusilade of rifle and light machine-gun fire

raked the police Whoever fired on the cops, had the

and the firepower to make it stick.

'*Stay down. And keep the engine running, ' I told Alleen.

Dodging, moving swiftly, I got out of the u•uck and ran to the

barricade. Only three of the original ten police still fought.

All were wounded. In the distance I heard sirens. Someone

had radioed for backup. That the reinforcements were so

close told me this wasn 't a simple roadblock. I scooped up a

fallen rifle and worked my way back to the buck.

'What're we going to do, Nick?" asked Alleen. Her voice

came in a dull monotone as if the sh(Xks she 'd received in the

past few days had worn her out emotionally.

'You 're going to drive around the barricade and down the

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road like the devil was after you. " And she did.

She almost threw out of the cab with her sudden swings

around the bamcade in the road. I didn 't complain. I had my

hands full firing the rifle. I saw nothing in the brush so I

simply sprayed bullets at random. I thought I heard a cry of

anguish but it might have been the squeal of tires. Whatever it

was, it had to pure luck. The guemllas attacking the police

had never shown themselves.

"Nick!"

I twisted and sat down in the cab, looking forward to see

what the problem was. Men with machine guns bkxked the

mad. I had no doubt at all that they'd use tlrrn on us if we

didn't obey. It had to part of the band ambushing the

plice.

"Keep driving. Run them down. "

I leaned out the window and exhausted the clip in the rifle.

When it Ixcame apparent we weren 't going to stop, one of the

guerrillas leaped up onto the running board. I used the empty

rifle to smash him in the gut. He went tumbling off.

That was the signal for the others to fire. ne

windshield exploded in a hail of glass splinters. Alleen

squealed and tried to d«xlge all of them. I leaned over and kept

the truck steady on the road. It was a losing battle. The bullets

riddled the front end of the truck and eventually one found a

tire. ne explosion from behind as the tire went sent us into a

long, dangerous skid that threatened to overturn us. I let

Alleen handle the ü•uck and bailed out.

She cried for me not to leave her. I had work to do.

ITte tnack ended up against a giant Assegai tree. I hid in the

low undergrowth and waited for the guemllas to come

exploring.

One passed less than two feet from me. Hugo slit his

throat. I now had a bit more firepower. I took the dead

guemlla's Uzi and two spare clips. Another came. I waited.

Another and another. They were dressed in camouflage suits

and blended in well with their surroundings. However, no

matter how well they melted into the forest, they moved


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clumsily. I had the impression they were a rookie unit out

their first field maneuver. ney made a lot of noise crunchin

through the trees and several ccxked and reccrked the

weam)ns nervously wasting precious ammo and making

racket a deaf man could hear.

S out! " commanded one of the men as he tmk a positio

near the m.lck. "Out or we

Alleen tumbled from the truck, battered and a ne

set of bruises. Her once creamy flesh looked like a splotchy

pulpy fruit rind. But she still lived and, with any luc

at all, she'd continue to do so.

give up," she said in that tired, voice.

The guemllas were All but one came in to peer

their captive. ne one standing farthest from the gmup shoo

fris head, as if in disgust at such amateurish t*havior. I too

him out first. The carrying strap for the Uzi dropped aroun

his neck. A quick twist tightened the web strap and a knee i

the middle of his back kept him where I wanted him. He die

silendy.

That left eight amateurs who'd run like hell when thin

went wrong.

They were harrassing Alleen, making the usual threats o

raping or killing her unless she gave the information the

wanted. Her listlessness puzzled them. She spoke in a fla

voice and told them anything they wanted to know. The

hadn 't exrrrience yet to know if she told the ü•uth or lie

to get rid of them.

"You lie," prcxlaimed one, obviously destined to be a

leader from his in taking the initiative. noth

ing came from the man 'd already killed on the Irrimeter

this one decided to take over entirely. He handed his machine

gun to a flunky and dropped his pants. Such interrogation o

female prisoners obviously aroused him. Alleen looked

down at the erection and went a little whiter. "You will get

what you deserve, " he announced proudly.

He took one step toward Alleen. I squeezed off a single

round from my captured Uzi. He got what he deserved. He

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