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Blind?
No she couldn’t be, but how else could Moeller and Harper see
her without her seeing them? She
stood stock still, her body poised for action, waiting for her enemies to
come at her, every sense straining.
“Wait!”
It was Harper’s voice.
“There is something wrong.
Look at her eyes.”
“What are you talking about?” Moeller
asked. Then there was a moment
of complete silence while Moeller took two steps toward
her. “Damn
it! Don’t tell me she
can’t see.”
By Larra’s calculation Moeller should
have been no more than an arm’s length from her, but to her he was
invisible, as was the rest of the world.
She was surrounded by villains and totally blind.
“You bloody fool,” Moeller
raged. “You were to take
her prisoner, not destroy her sight.
What use is she to me now?
You stupid bastard; I should have you shot.”
There was no answer from Harper and Larra
imagined that he was probably too cowed to
reply.
“Damn,” Moeller said, “This is
going to make working with her much more
difficult.” There was a
moment of silence in which Larra could hear the sound of several other men
moving into the room.
“However,” Moeller continued, thoughtfully, “perhaps
having so dangerous a captive unable to see might make her easier to
control.”
“Yes,” Harper
agreed. “She managed to
get out of the crate even though I tied her hand and
foot.”
“Shut up,” Moeller
ordered. “I am far from
pleased with your efforts. But
perhaps blinding her might work to my
advantage.”
Larra turned her sightless eyes toward the sound
of Moeller’s voice. She
choked back her rage, but nevertheless, her words were tinged with bitterness
and irony. “Just what is
your advantage? Will it make
it that much easier to rape and torture
me? Or did you just plan to sell
me back to my friends after wining and dining me?”
Paying a ransom would provide little difficulty
for the world famous archeologist and
explorer. Unfortunately, it was
not what Moeller wanted.
“Ransom? I want something
far more important from you than money,
“You mean to want to take me to some cell
that is a bit more secure than my first prison.”
“Do not resist,
Larra laughed
bitterly. “I find it hard
to believe that you could harm me any more than you already
have. What is
next? Do you plan to take my
hearing as well?”
“I’m considering taking your tongue,
but unfortunately I need that.”
Moeller’s next sentence was addressed to the
guards. “Take her, and use
force if she resists.”
Larra made no attempt to offer any
resistance. It would have been
completely fruitless in any case.
She did not know exactly how many men surrounded her, but her keen
hearing detected at least a dozen and she had no doubt there were more than
enough to snow her under.
She felt her arms gripped by a man on either side
and then they were cruelly twisted behind her, forcing her to arch her back
in order to prevent her shoulders from being
dislocated.
“Enough, you stupid bastards,” Moeller
raged. “If any harm is done
to her it will be done by me.
Damage her again and I will have you shot.”
Larra gasped in relief as the grip on her arms
relaxed. She thought briefly
of retaliating against the two thugs who held her, but decided that such
action would gain her nothing.
Instead she stood quietly waiting for Moeller’s next
command.
“Take her to her quarters, and make sure
that she is properly taken care of.
I want no more accidents concerning her.”
Larra responded to the pressure on her arms as
the two men holding her turned her in the desired
direction. She stumbled and would
have fallen had it not been for the men supporting
her. One of her escorts chuckled
quietly. “What’s the
matter, bitch? Can’t see
where you’re going?” His
partner joined in the laughter, evidently highly amused at this brilliant
display of wit.
Larra noted that both men were careful to keep
their voices low. Evidently Moeller
was still within earshot, but she made no effort to call their stupidity
to Moeller’s attention. The
last thing she would do was turn to for help to the man who had kidnapped
and blinded her.
She was taken down a corridor and then down several
flights of narrow steps. She
was forced to feel her way down these with one man going in front of her
and another behind, Larra guessed that she was being taken into the hold
of the ship.
Wherever it was
she expected it would not be easy to escape, however, there was something
she could hope for. Her companions
were due to arrive in just a few days.
If anyone could find where she had been taken he female companions
would. She just had to hope that
they found her before Moeller decided that she was more of a liability than
an asset. Whatever his plans
for her she had no doubt that he would dispose of her almost immediately
if he felt threatened.
Her escort halted
her. “Here we are
bitch. Make yourself
comfortable.” There was
the sound of a key in a
lock. There was a click as it
was turned and then the squeak of hinges as a door was swung
back. Pressure on her arms forced
her forward.
“Where is the little bitch that is supposed
to look after her?” the guard to her right
asked. “She is supposed
to be here.”
There was a coarse laugh from the other
guard. “Probably sucking
off the cook.”
“Since we have to wait for her perhaps
we should entertain our guest.”
As the other guard joined in the laughter Larra felt a hand cup her
breast. “Christ, her tits
are like those of a Greek goddess.”
“Ugghh!” The
grunt of pain burst from the guard’s mouth as Larra’s fingers closed
over his testicles. That was
the last sound he made as Larra wheeled and drove the heel of her hand into
his midsection, driving all of the air from his lungs and dropping him to
the floor. This close to her
guards she had little trouble locating her
opponent. She was not quite so
fortunate with the second guard.
Her intended strike to his throat caught his jaw
instead.
“Aaggh,
you bitch,” cursed the
guard. Larra froze, her remaining
senses straining. She might be
blind, but she had trained in total darkness during her years with her Japanese
sensei. Even blind she was a
deadly opponent as the remaining guard learned to his
sorrow.
The slight creak of leather as the guard shifted
his weight told Larra of the anticipated
attack. She stepped back and
detected the grunt as the guard’s violent swing
missed. Her counterattack
didn’t. The toe of her boot
made solid contact with his groin.
His scream of pain told her that he would probably cause her no more
trouble, but she remained ready, her senses straining for the slightest sound
of an attack. There wasn’t
one; only the moaning of the two men she had
injured. Then a familiar voice
broke the silence.
“Well, I see that I underestimated your
abilities. Even blind you are
a formidable opponent.”
Moeller’s voice was calm and seemed more amused than anything
else. Larra estimated that he
was standing about ten feet away; too far for her to launch an attack in
her sightless condition.
There was a low
chuckle. “It was foolish
of you to attack my guards,
“It was not my intention to escape,”
Larra replied, angrily. “I
merely defended myself against the advances of your thugs, and I will do
so again, given the opportunity.”
There was a moment of silence and then Moeller
spoke again. “Take these
two and place them in the brig.”
“Yes sir,” another voice
replied. There was a dragging
sound and Larra visualized the two men being hauled
out. Then Moeller addressed her
again.
“I must apologize,
“That is small comfort considering that
you have separated me from my friends and family and have taken my
sight.”
“The loss of your sight is most
unfortunate. But it is something
that I cannot change. For now
you will not suffer unduly provided you give me with the information I
want. It is something that we
will speak more of tomorrow. In
the meantime, Helga will see to your needs.”
Larra did not
reply. Further discussion seemed
pointless. She was completely
within Moeller’s power and he could do with her what he
wished. She could only wait and
hope that somehow her friends would find her, but she was disturbed by
Moeller’s callous murder of two of his
guards. There was little doubt
he would do the same thing to her if he thought the situation merited
it.
There was the sound of footsteps as Moeller departed
and the sound of the door being locked, but Larra sensed she was not
alone. There was the odour of
cheap perfume in the air mixed with another scent; one that she easily
recognized. It appeared that
her escort had been right about the girl who was supposed to help
her. There was the distinct scent
of sex. She turned in the direction
of the mixed aromas.
“Helga?” she asked.
“Gott in
himmel! How did you do
that” How did you know I
was here?” The girl spoke
German, but with a strong accent.
It was clear that it was not her first tongue and Larra detected a
hint of a Slavic accent.
“I might ask you why you did not speak to
me as soon as Moeller left. Am
I so frightening? I cannot even
see where you are.”
“It was the way you attacked Karl and
Gustav. I was afraid you might
do the same to me.”
Larra managed a grim
smile. “Not unless you attempt
to rape me.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” the girl
replied. Lara heard her moving
across the floor toward her.
“I’ll help you undress.”
“I think I can manage that,” Larra
replied. “Just show me where
to lay my clothes. Is there a
possibility of a bath?”
“Not in
here. I can give you a sponge
bath. But if you want a real
bath you will have to wait until we reach the
castle.”
“Castle?” Larra
asked. “What
castle?
”You will see, madam” Helga
replied. “But it is best
if I do not say anything more. In
the meantime I will try to clean you
up.”
A few seconds later there was the sound of water
being poured into a bowl and then footsteps moving toward
her. “If you will sit, madam,
this will be easier.” Larra
reflected that it was the first time in her life she had ever been called
‘madam,’ but made no comment as Helga took her arm and led her
toward the bed.
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