PART EIGHT: CLONED AND DANGEROUS

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    I was floating in dreams, remembering a time before I was Varina.  When I was just a number: 1025G, cradled in a clear plastic incubator.  Foggy voices swirled overhead, breezing through bright lights and beeping noises. I didn’t understand many words and had little knowledge of anything, except deep fear.
     Whenever the bald man hovered over me, I whimpered.  I couldn’t move or do anymore than lie there, helpless, while he touched and examined.
     “The subject exhibits an aversion to physical contact,” I heard the man say with a harsh laugh.  “She’s trying to hide under her blanket.”
     “You’re too rough with her,” a woman spoke in a gentle tone that made me feel safe.
     “And you are too soft, my dear Jessica,” the man replied.  “A good scientist never becomes emotionally involved. 1025G is a poor example of our efforts.  Nearly three months old and no signs of enhanced abilities.”
     “Be patient.  She’s just a baby.”
     “1025G is an experiment.  Never forget it.”
     Jessica may have forgotten that long-ago conversation with Dr. Victor, but my three-month old brain filed each word away with the capacity of a super computer. Dr. Victor had been wrong about my lack of enhanced ability. My memory was so incredible that it still amazed  and frightened -- me.
     Memories drifted away, replaced with an uneasy stirring.  Something was wrong.  It took enormous effort to open my eyes, as if I was returning from a long trip to a distant country.  Where had I been?
     And more important  where was I now?
     I jerked up in a bed that wasn’t my own and dug my fingers into a yellow pillow I’d never seen before. The last time I’d awakened in a strange place, it had been a nightmare of darkness and pain.  Chains had shackled my arms and legs.  I’d been trapped in a dismal tomb of death where escape seemed impossible. 
     But this room held no darkness, only sunshine and beauty. Yellow daisies, lavender lilacs and pink roses sprinkled springtime across bright wallpaper. The decor was feminine with white carpet and white-gold furniture. There was a carved oak mirrored dresser, a matching set of drawers, and a blooming floral centerpiece on a corner table. Opposite the bed, silky cream curtains swept across glass French doors that opened onto a balcony.  Beyond the balcony was a sparkling blue horizon of ocean.
     I sucked in a deep breath, and tried to figure out what I was doing here. This room was suited for a princess, not a prisoner. Yet I’d been drugged and kidnapped  by the Victors. Geneva had betrayed me.  The laughter and confidences we’d shared had been a lie. And that hurt.
     Well I wouldn't let her hurt me again.  Trust was for fools, and I’d learned my lesson.  An enemy’s smile only held deceit.  I’d find a way out of here and never look back.
     Pushing back the covers, I sank into silky carpet and found my legs wobbly.  The floor tilted, and I reached out for a bedpost to steady myself.  The room rocked and swayed.  That’s when I realized I wasn’t into an ordinary room. I was on a boat.  Surrounded by sea, far from home in a floating prison.  Panic closed in, followed by a desperate urge to flee. I ran to the door and grabbed the knob.  I tugged and twisted, but it didn’t budge.
     My breath came out in quick puffs. I jerked on the knob and kicked the door. No shackles or chains, but I was a prisoner all the same; surrounded by gates of water. Even if I escaped this room, off the boat, how would I reach land?  Maybe I could find something to float on.  It was worth a try. Since the door was locked, I’d have to figure another way out.  My gaze drifted through the glass balcony doors.
     Crossing the room, I found these doors unlocked.  I stepped onto the balcony, passing a tiled table and wicker chairs. I leaned against the rail and peered over the side … down, down, down to ocean waves.  In the distance I glimpsed a wedge of dark land.
     And I thought of jumping.  Could I survive a plunge from this high up? Maybe. But then I’d have to swim miles to shore, and frankly, I wasn’t that great in the water.  Doggy paddle skills wouldn't get me very far. Too bad I hadn’t been cloned with Standee’s swimming skill.
     With a heavy sigh, I turned from the balcony.
     How could Geneva do this to me? I thought miserably.  I’d trusted her … really thought she was a changed person.  I brought her into my home and treated her like family.  Yet she sold me out to her husband.  They'd had it all planned all along.
     But why? I wondered. Why go to such elaborate means to kidnap me and not the other clones?  Had they guessed my secret?
     I bit my lip, puzzling over this. Geneva had been there when the Enhance-25X formula was destroyed.  She had no reason to suspect it wasn’t completely lost. I hadn’t even confided in my friends.  I’d only recently realized the complex code still existed. The disk may have been lost in a lake, yet the facts were forever alive in my memory.
     But the Victors couldn’t possibly know this, so they must have targeted me for another reason. In the past, Dr. Victor wanted to study my blood, cells, and abilities.  Sometimes I still had nightmares with scalpels and needles attacking me.  But Dr. Victor was experimenting with animals now, creating the poor beasts only to sell for deadly sport.  It was cruel and unethical, but was it illegal?  I didn’t think so. So why had he risked prison by kidnapping me?
    I wasn’t waiting around to find out. 
    Staring over the rail, I wondered how far it was to the water.  One hundred, two hundred feet?  A very long drop. Did I have the courage to jump?  Or should I stay here with the twisted doctor and his back stabbing wife?  Easy choice. I’d rather take my chances with the ocean.
     The gray-blue waves mesmerized me.  I wondered if sharks circled below the surface waiting for an easy victim. My hands curled tight on the rail and I imagined myself falling through the air, splashing, and sinking underwater.  If I thought about it too long, I’d chicken out. So I blew out the deep breath I’d been holding, and lifted one foot, poised to swing up and over
     Then a jarring sound stopped me.  What was that?
     Whirling around, I stared at the bedroom door.
     The knob was turning….
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

     Chase replayed the message over and over, listening carefully for hidden clues.  The room around him dimmed as his focus closed in on subtle sounds: rushing wind, distant traffic and a mournful bleat from a horn.
     Over the sounds were desperate recorded words, “Stop him!” It was Geneva, her voice raspy and fearful. “Before it’s too late.  If only I’d known what he planned to do, I never would have helped. Hurry!  To the Pandora … oh!  Someone’s coming-“
     The message abruptly ended.
     “Why would Geneva call us for help?” Eric said, facing Allison and Chase with a puzzled expression.  
     “It’s a trap,” Chase warned.  “The Victors aren't satisfied with one clone.  They want the rest of us, too.”   
     “Geneva sounded genuinely scared,” Allison pointed out. “I think she’s turning against her husband. Maybe she’s on our side after all.”
     “She only has one side,” Chase said.  “Her own.”
     Eric furrowed his brow.  “What’s the Pandora? That’s sounds so familiar.”
     “It should,” Allison said. “Professor Fergus told us about the experiment that created us.  On a yacht named the Pandora.”
     “That’s it!”  Eric snapped his fingers.  “But it can't be the same yacht…can it?”
     “Doubtful.”  Allison turned to Chase. “You’re the only one old enough to remember.  Didn’t that yacht catch fire and sink?”
     Chase nodded, glancing away to hide his emotions.  Hearing the name “Pandora” was like having a ghost walk up beside him and punch him in the gut.  A ghost from the past.
    Allison, Eric, Varina and Sandee were just babies when they left the yacht in a fiery blaze of gunfire, but he'd been six  old enough to remember that fateful day.  Security and innocence had vanished in one word: termination.  With his small hand clutched in Dr. Hart’s soft grasp, they'd fled the yacht in the dark of night.  But discovery led to gunshots and fiery destruction.  Jessica Hart and the Professor had risked their lives and sacrificed years of research to save him and the four cloned babies. But over a decade later all safety shattered for Chase when a bomb meant for him killed his foster parents instead.
     And hope was lost.
     But lately things had been better.  Because of Varina. Sometimes with her, he felt stirrings of hope.  She was a true friend … and more.  
     The Victors must have taken her to the Pandora. Like the first Pandora, this yacht was a floating laboratory.  Only instead of creating human clones, Dr. Victor designed unique animals for death games.
     We’re coming, Varina, he thought.  Hold tight a bit longer.
     As Chase, Eric and Allison drove to Lawson Beach, there was little discussion.  Chase wondered if Varina could hear his thoughts if he concentrated really hard, like she’d been able to when he'd been hurt in a cave.  He closed his eyes and mentally called out to her. But there was no connection.
     Hours later, they arrived in the seaside town of Lawson Beach. It was almost too small to be considered a town. There were no sandy beaches for sunbathers, only jutting rocks and plunging cliffs. The rocky, chilly northern coast attracted more seagulls than tourists.
     Allison pressed her face against a window, then turned back with a questioning look.  “Which way now?”
     “To the marina.” Eric consulted a printout he'd downloaded from a cyber map site.  “Make a left turn at the next intersection.”
     Chase tightened his hands on the steering wheel, paying close attention to the sparse surroundings of weedy fields and buildings with faded paint, his senses alert to any sign of Varina.  There were only a few homes squeezed between antique shops or fishing businesses; a far cry from the palatial beachside estates from their last trip.
     Clicking his left turn signal, Chase turned into a vista that widened into mounds of sand dunes, billowing white clouds and endless ocean. Posted signs led to the Lawson Marina.  They parked in front of small building offering “fresh clam chowder and chips.”
     The marina held only a few dozen fishing and sailing boats.  It was late afternoon, so most ships were in for the night.  As a brilliant globe of sun sank in the horizon, they walked on the wooden dock, pausing to note the names of each boat: Jolly Roger, Payday Pleasure, Fiona’s Folly, Secret Quest, Hi Ho Silver, She-Devil.  But no Pandora.
     Chase was checking the last row of vessels, when he realized Allison was behind him but Eric wasn’t.  In the distance he was Eric had wandered to the pier, where he leaned against a wooden rail and took off his glasses.  Chase and Allison shared a curious look, then hurried over to Eric.
     “What is it?” Chase asked.  “Do you see something?”
     “A boat.  Way out there.”  Eric sounded distracted as his gaze traveled far across ocean waves.  “I reckon it’s a big one … like a yacht.”
    “I can only see a white speck.” Allison’s long blond braid swayed in the wind as she shielded her eyes from sun to peer in the distance.  “But if you say it’s a yacht, then it must be a yacht.”
     “Yeah.  A real beauty.  And guess what it’s named?”  Eric’s voice rose with excitement.  “Pandora II.”
     “Pandora?”  Chase spoke calmly, but his hands were clenched into fists.  “Great work, Eric.  Your talent sure comes in handy.  Now we have to figure a way out there.”
     “Yeah.”  Allison nodded. “But how?”
     Eric continued to stare intently, sweat forming on his forehead.  “I don’t see Varina … yet.  There’s a bearded guy in a white uniform.  The captain, I guess, and he’s looking at some charts.  I’m moving to another room, looks like a stateroom done in blue, but no one’s there. I’m moving to a lower deck and see a large room with stainless steel tables and medical equipment!”  He choked out a gasp. “A lab, I reckon.  Lots of cages … and animals. If you can call them animals.”
     “What do you mean?” Allison asked.
     “I’ve never seen animals like these before. Fish with human hands swimming in glass bowls, a lizard thing with a pig face, and a hairy blob feet and arms but no head. Even worse are the body parts floating in tubes … ears, fingers, tails, eyeballs….”  Eric closed his eyes, and shook his head.  “Horrible.”
     “What about Varina?” Chase asked. “Is she there?”
     “No. I’ll look in some of the other rooms.” Eric took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.  He shifted his gaze and was silent for a while until he let out a sharp exclamation, “YES! There she is!”
     “Varina?” Chase asked, his heart jumping.
     “Is she okay?” Allison added.
     “Yeah. She’s standing on a balcony.  I don’t see anyone guarding her and she’s staying in a very ritzy room. Dr. Victor is treating her more like a honored guest than a prisoner.”
     “For now,” Chase said, feeling sick inside. “We have to get her out of there.”
     “You said it, pal.”  Eric shifted his vision and frowned.  “And we had better hurry.”
     “Why?” Allison asked, giving him a sharp look. 
     “Because the captain just activated the mechanism to pull in the anchor.  Which means the Pandora II is either coming into dock for the night or going the opposite direction. Heading out for open sea.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

     Terror mounted as I stared at the moving doorknob.  Who was coming?  Dr. Victor?  What would he do to me? More needles and scalpels and horrors?  Well, not without a fight!  They caught me off guard last time, but not again. They’d have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming.
     I looked around the room for a weapon. The bedpost might work like a bat, but I couldn’t budge it.  There wasn’t anything else sharp or heavy -- and the door was opening.  Frantic, I grabbed the first thing handy  a pillow. 
     Facing the door, I wielded the feather pillow like a sword.  “Stay away!” I ordered, backing toward the balcony.  
     “Varina, don’t be afraid,” Geneva said as she entered the room. She closed the door, looking over her shoulder in a furtive manner.  She faced me with an anxious frown.
     “Don’t come any closer,” I said.
     “Shhsh!”  She put her finger to her lips.  “Keep your voice down.  Come on, we have to move quickly.”
     “I’m not going anywhere with you!”  I glared.  “You stabbed me in the back and no way am I giving you a chance to do it again.  Get away from me!”
     “Please, listen to me.” Geneva held out her hand. “I am so sorry for the horrible things I’ve done.  I truly enjoyed our time together, and I came to care about you.  I don’t expect you to believe me, but you must trust me.”
     “Trust you?”  I spat out these words with all the vengeance in my heart.  “I’d have to be pretty stupid to do that.  Why should I believe anything you say?”
     “Because I’m your only chance.  If I wanted to harm you, that pillow wouldn’t stop me.”
     I glanced with embarrassment at the pillow, but I didn’t set it down.  “Why do you want to help?  You drugged and kidnapped me  you lied about everything.”
     “Only because my husband ordered me to. I admit to behaving with erred judgement.  My excuses will probably seem very shallow to you, but I’m accustomed to a high lifestyle and like it that way.  Vic is a brilliant, respected man who treats me like a queen. So I’ve never questioned when he’s asked me to bend a few rules to achieve important goals. Until today.  When I found out what he planned to do to you“  She shuddered.  “I couldn’t let him … it’s inhuman.”
     I swallowed hard, imagining the worst.  “Why me? What does he want?”
     “Revenge.  Research.  He'd almost gotten over his failure with the human cloning project, and was willing to put it behind him.  But then by coincidence or bad luck, you found the saber-toothed tiger.  He decided fate was giving him another chance.”
     I waited for her to mention the Enhance 25-X Formula and Dr. Victor’s desire to get it, but she didn’t.  And I became more convinced my secret was safe.  “Who told him we had the tiger?” I asked.
     “No one.  He tracked it with an electronic implant. When you showed up at the zoo, he was stunned.  Then he came up the idea of staging my imprisonment to find out about your cloned abilities.  He had already planned to move his operation from the zoo to the Pandora II, so losing that building was no loss.”
     “Except that he nearly blew us up, too.”
     “On the contrary, we were never in real danger. That bomb was rigged to go off when Vic pushed a button from a remote location. He only wanted to scare you into trusting me.”  She glanced down at her hands, idly twisted a gold and ruby ring. “He told me he enjoyed watching the drama unfold, as if it were a crime drama at a movie theater.”
     “How amusing for him,” I said sarcastically.  But really my anger was direction at Geneva, because she had almost become my friend.  I glared hard at her expensive jewelry and designer aqua-blue suit with matching open-toed pumps.  Geneva valued these trappings of wealth more than honesty. I’d never, ever forgive her for selling me out.
    “The past is of little important now.”  Geneva lifted her chin with purpose. “What matters is getting you away from here. I know have a row boat waiting.  We have to hurry before he wakes up.”  A bitter smile crept to her lips.  “I gave him a dose of his own medicine.  He should sleep for at least an hour  enough time for you to reach the shore.”
     I lowered my pillow-weapon and regarded her suspiciously.  I knew better than to believe her.  She was a conniving liar who only cared about her own comforts.  But there was no reason for her to lie now, and my intuition told me she was telling the truth this time. What did I have to lose? I was already her prisoner. So if she was offering escape, how could I refuse?
     “Lead the way,” I said, tossing the pillow on the bed.  Then I followed her out of the room.
     Once in the hall, Geneva put her finger to her lips and urged me to be quiet.  Her husband was asleep, but the captain was in his employ and might cause trouble if he discovered her “borrowing” the small fishing boat.
     So we crept down a narrow corridor, our footsteps muffled by the carpet.  I could tell Geneva was frightened, which added to my own anxiety.  I didn’t trust her, yet I had to trust her this last time.  If it wasn’t another lie, she was risking her own life by going against her husband’s orders.  I knew firsthand out dangerous Dr. Victor could be when thwarted, and hoped he wouldn't harm Geneva. Not that I cared about her … because I didn’t. I’d never forget or forgive her deceit.  Still I didn’t want anything terrible to happen to her.
     As we descended a flight of stairs, I caught a glimpse of a gray boat bobbing on ocean waters.  She’d been telling the truth about the boat  thank goodness. Escape! I quickened my pace with renewed energy. I couldn’t wait to ditch this floating jail!
     When we reached the boat, I glanced up at Geneva and thought I saw a tear on her cheek.  She quickly wiped it away, so I wasn’t sure.  Still, she looked so sad, and my heart twisted.  Darn!  As low as she’d been to me, I didn’t want to feel sorry for her  but I did.  
     “You’re in danger if you stay here,” I told her.
     “Only if Vic finds out what I’ve done.”  She smiled wryly. “But he won't. I can handle him.”  She reached out to untie the boat from its mooring.  “Climb in and put on that life vest.”
     “Not unless you come, too.” I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest. “Leave now before it’s too late.”
     “It’s been too late for a long time.”  Her short dark hair flew across her eyes as she shook her head.  “Now go!  I don’t ever want to see you again.  Understand?”
     “I understand,” I murmured, getting choked up.  Geneva had been my rescuer, jailer, enemy, friend. Did I hate her?  Like her? Did it ever matter?
     When I stepped into the boat, it rocked.  My arms flailing in the arm, I made a quick save and grabbed onto the boat’s rim to avoid falling.  Then I carefully lowered myself in the center of the boat. I peered at the distant shore; so far away and seemingly out of reach.
     Awkwardly, I dipped the oars into the water and hoped I could remember my long ago summer camp lessons on rowing. I laughed at myself.  My memory was the last thing I needed to worry about. I only had to concentrate and every moment of summer camp, from bee stings to late-night bunk raids, would come back as if it happened five minutes ago.
     I smiled at this irony.  Then I turned to wave my final good-bye to Geneva.  Only my smile quickly died.
     Geneva wasn’t alone.
     Dr. Victor loomed behind her, hooking her in a vicious grip, holding a knife at her throat.
     “Paddle away!” Geneva called to me.  “Varina, GO!”
     “Very bad advice. If you leave, my dear deceitful wife dies,” Dr. Victor threatened in cold amusement. “I’ll slit her throat and toss her bloody body overboard for the sharks to feast on.”     
     “NO!” I dropped one of the oars and it splashed in the ocean. “You wouldn't!”
     “I would.  Although it would deeply grieve me.”
     Our gazes locked in a grim moment of checkmate.  Was he bluffing?  Would he really kill his wife?  I couldn’t believe even he would stoop so low. This was just another trick, and I wasn’t going to fall for it. I’d use my single oar to row and save myself.    But if I escaped and he killed Geneva, I’d never forgive myself.  What should I do? 
     Geneva let out a sharp cry and swore at her husband. I stared at her, horrified to see bright red blood dripping from her neck.  That monster had cut her!  Her eyes filled with tears and she trembled.  That’s when I knew.  Dr. Victor wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own wife to get what he wanted.
     And he wanted Clone Number 1025.  Me.
     With a wistful look over my shoulder, across the water, to the safe shore, I let the remaining oar slip from my fingers into the sea.
     Then I surrendered.
CHAPTER NINETEEN

     Chase couldn’t shake the terrible feeling he'd felt when he left Allison behind.  She’s stood there alone on the dock, as if abandoned.  And Chase ached for her.  But what choice did he have?  The canoe they “borrowed” could barely hold two people.  Eric, whose eyesight could cut through darkness and ocean mist, was a more useful companion than Allison who was bound by a promise not to use her strength.
     Fortunately Allison didn’t take it hard.  With a half-smile, she told them to “kick some Victor butt,” then promised to wait on the shore and use her cell phone to call for help if they were gone too long. But Allison’s upbeat words hadn’t masked the disappointment in her eyes. And Chase continued to feel like a jerk.
     The sun has dipped beyond the ocean, darkness descending like a soft shadow.  The yacht beckoned from the distance; a faint light shifting in and out of mist.  Chase and Eric carried no flashlights, making their way silently in the dark. Eric’s cloned vision kept them on course.
     “What’s the plan once we get on the boat?” Eric asked, his voice hollow in the gusty breeze. “We don’t have any weapons, except my pocket knife.”
     “I don’t need a weapon,” Chase said, tightening his grip around the oar.  “Dr. Victor better hope he doesn't run into me, that’s all I can say.”
     “I don’t want to run into anyone  except Varina.  Let’s take that ladder I saw, go up to Varina’s room, then get her out of there.”
     Chase nodded, agreeing that a quick rescue would be the safest. But a primal part of him burned to get even with Dr. Victor and make him suffer. Chase remembered Eric’s description of the lab with all the strange creatures.  Dr. Victor’s madness had grown into twisted sickness.  Someone should stop him.
     The ocean rolled and sprayed them as they slowly paddled further from shore.  The lights on the Pandora II glowed bright and brighter, until they were close enough to see movement on the deck as someone pulled in ropes.
     “We’re almost there,” Eric whispered, holding his glasses in one hand while he stared across murky waves.  “I don’t think anyone can see us.”
     “Good.”  Chase’s heart raced as they pulled beside the yacht.  Eric had chosen a remote area with a ladder where they could board without being noticed. 
     Within seconds, they were climbing a ladder to a lower level where the sound of the engine rumbled noisily.  Eric pointed down a hall.  “The lab is around that corner,” he said gravely.
     “I’d love to go there and smash things up.”  Chase tensed and followed Eric’s gaze.  “Stop the suffering of those deformed creatures.”
     “I feel the same way.  But We’re here for Varina.  If I remember right, her room should be up those stairs.”
     “Maybe you should check again.”
     A pained look crossed Eric’s face and he shook his head.  “It’s too soon.  I still have a headache and my vision is kind of blurry.”
     “Why didn’t tell me you had a headache?”
     “It’s no big deal.  It’ll pass in ten or twenty minutes.  Let’s just get moving.  This way.”
    “Sure.”  Chase didn’t push, not wanting to hurt Eric’s pride. 
     They reached another floor, and Eric peaked out cautiously around a corner.  “Do you hear anything?” he asked.
     Chase tilted his head, searching for any nearby voices. He picked up animal sounds and a man’s voice, which he assumed came from the lab a floor below.  But here the coast seemed clear.
     Chase gave Eric a “okay” gesture, then they both made their way down a spacious hallway.  Nautical paintings lines white walls and thick carpet muffled their footsteps. Eric led the way, slowing as he approached a closed door. The hesitant, hopeful manner he stared at the door confirmed Chase’s suspicion that this was Varina’s room.
     Chase reached out and tried the knob.  No surprise, it was locked.  “Varina!” he whispered, leaning close to the door.  “Can you hear me?”
     There was no reply.  Chase focused hard, and listened with all of his concentration.  He thought he heard something … faint breathing. 
     “What do you hear?” Eric asked quietly. 
     Chase shrugged.  “I’m not sure.  Are you sure she’s in there?  Do you think you could try-?”
     Eric nodded and whisked off his glasses.  A spasm of pain flickered in his eyes, but he seemed to push it aside and focus on the door.  His dark brows knitted together in puzzlement and his mouth dropped.  “Well, I’ll be!”
     “What?”
     “There’s someone in there, but not Varina.”
     Chase gasped.  “Then who?”
     “Geneva Victor!”  Eric rubbed his eyes then put his glasses back on.  “Only she’s the prisoner now!”
     “What do you mean?”
     “She’s tied to the bed and bound in duct tape.  How can that be?  Isn’t she in cahoots with her husband?  Did he double cross her or something?”
     “That’s not our concern,” Chase spoke coldly.  “Leave her and find Varina.”
     “But Geneva looks like she’s been bleeding.  She needs our help.” 
     Chase hardened his heart, but sympathy still crept in anyway.  “I suppose she could prove useful if she knows where Varina is being held.   We'll get her out so she can tell us what’s going on.  I’ll try to open the door with my pocket knife and you can scope out the yacht with your mega-vision to find Varina.”
      Eric nodded and removed his glasses once again while Chase went to work.  He found the smallest point on his knife and jimmied it into the doorknob.  When that didn’t work, he pulled out a credit card from his wallet and tried that.  Surprisingly, it worked.  The door opened.
     Just as Eric had described, Geneva was bound to the bed, her black hair mussed away from his pale face, and spots of blood on her chiffon blouse.  When he ripped off the tape over her mouth, she crumpled into hysterical sobs.
     “It’s okay now,” Chase told her gruffly.   She was such a pathetic figure, it was hard to believe he'd once considered her dangerous.
     “Relax, Ma’am,” Eric said in a gentle tone. “You’re safe now.”
     “I’m not afraid for me,” she cried.  “It’s Varina!  I never thought I’d care … but she tried to save me.  I owe her so much … you have to stop him!”
     “Your husband?” Chase guessed.
     “Yes! He took her to the lab … to do horrible things…”  Her voice trailed off, her eyes wide with fear.
     Eric rushed in the room.  “The lab!  That’s where Varina is!  Strapped on a gurney … we have to hurry!”
     Chase didn’t hesitate and was already out of the room, with Eric racing next to him.  Chase wanted to ask Eric more, but didn’t waste time with questions.  Getting to Varina before Dr. Victor did “horrible things” was too urgent.
     They reached the staircase and sped to the lower floor.  They turned a corner and slowed as they neared the lab.  Chase turned back to Eric and put his finger to his lips.  Eric nodded.
     The lab door was shut, and it didn’t have any windows to see inside.  Eric took off his glasses and stared at the door, then shook his head and rubbed his eyes.  “Can't,” he murmured in frustration.  “Sorry.”
     “No problem,” Chase whispered back.
     They already knew Dr. Victor and Varina were inside the lab, as well as an assortment of Dr. Frankenstein-type experiments.  He reached out cautiously and tried the doorknob.  It turned without any resistance. The room was lit overhead by bright tube lights and buzzed with a cacophony of odd electronic beeps, squeaks and gurgling noises. Cages lined a wall filled with the horrors of fingered fish, lizard pigs, and human body parts growing like small plants in glass containers.  There were also sharp, unpleasant odors, too, a mix of animals and chemicals.  And in the center of the room was a gurney.
     Varina! Chase cried out in his heart, fighting a powerful urge to rush to her.  She lay there so quietly, without moving, except for the faint rise and fall of her chest.  So she was alive … thank heavens!
     Eric was touching his arm, pantomiming a plan to rush at Dr. Victor and overpower him.  Chase nodded, not having any better ideas.
     Eric lifted his fingers and curled each back in a slow countdown.  Five, four-
     Chase tensed, his legs bent and his body taunt with readiness.  So far Dr. Victor was focused on an array of medical equipment and hadn’t looked their way.  He had no idea the door was slowing inching open.
     Three, two-
     While Eric was curling his final finger, there were footsteps and a shout from behind.  Chase and Eric turned to see Geneva rushing forward.
     “No, Vic!” she screamed hysterically.  “I won't let you!  You can't do-“  She stopped abruptly when she saw Chase and Eric, her expression confused, then slowly growing to horror.
     “Well, what do we have here?” Dr. Victor’s amused voice came from behind Chase.
     He and Eric whirled around  to find Dr. Victor aiming a gun directly at them.

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