Kristin gazed out of the glass door of the posh hotel and sighed. She had been stuck at a medical conference for the better part of three days and all she wanted to do was escape her prison of the past week. Kristin had agreed to go to the symposium in Joshua Levin’s place simply because she owed him a few favors. The young man was usually the one to attend such functions required by the UEO, but she knew how much he hated the atmosphere of these conferences. Arrogant doctors, the very finest in their fields, arguing about why their work was more important than their peers didn’t appeal much to her either, but Kristin realized that Joshua needed a break. And so did she.
“Dr. Westphalen, what do you see out there?”
Kristin rolled her eyes at the familiar voice and turned around to face the man who had been in pursuit of her attentions since the moment they’d met. His shrewd blue eyes observed her openly as he waited for her to answer.
“Just a lot of rain, Dr. Declusin.” She answered simply.
“You aren’t thinking of going out in that storm, are you?” He asked as he glanced at her sleek umbrella.
“As a matter of fact, I am. I intend to do a little shopping.”
“But surely if we put our heads together, we can come up with something a little more…entertaining to do.” He hinted as he smiled lasciviously.
Kristin fought the urge to slap him soundly as he sneered at her through his thin lips. She regained control of her senses and graced him with an icy glare. “Let me make something perfectly clear to you doctor. If you and I were the last man and woman on Earth, the human race would die out. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Kristin didn’t wait for a response as she turned around and quickly walked through the door, opening her umbrella. She found that it did little to protect her from wetness, but that didn’t deter her from continuing down the slick sidewalks of Los Angeles. She clutched her purse tightly against her side and walked with her head down-bent.
She had only gone a few feet when she slammed into something hard and immovable. Kristin looked up. And up. The man before he stood almost seven feet tall and he was all muscle. She found herself gazing into a pair of hard black eyes and she took a step back.
“Oh, pardon me.” She laughed nervously and tried to walk around him, but he placed his large hand on her shoulder and halted her efforts.
“Kristin Westphalen?” The giant asked in a deep accented voice.
Kristin looked up in surprise and asked, “Yes…do I know you?”
The man looked behind her and nodded almost imperceptibly. She didn’t have time to follow his gaze before she felt strong arms encircle her waist and shoulders. She tried to struggle, but then fell limply in her captors grasp as a needle was plunged none too gently into her upper arm. She idly wondered if these were to be her last moments on Earth when her world became black.
Nathan Bridger paced agitatedly across the bridge as O’Neil patched in the call from up-world. Admiral Noyce had contacted the SeaQuest minutes earlier, informing them of Dr. Westphalen’s disappearance and the pending investigation. Bridger had immediately demanded to speak to the detective in charge of the case and Noyce had unhesitatingly transferred him through.
Bridger frowned at the young man standing uncomfortably in front of the vid screen. “You’re Lieutenant Murphy?” He asked incredulously.
The Detective straightened defensively and squarely met Bridger’s gaze. “Is there a problem with that, sir?” He returned.
Bridger waited a beat before answering, and then shook his head. “No, of course not.” He sighed. “I need you to give me everything you have on this case.”
“There’s not much yet, Captain. According to witnesses, the victim left the Biltmore at approximately one-thirty this afternoon. About two minutes later, she was attacked by two assailants and carried to a non-descript van nearby.”
“Nobody tried to help her?” Nathan asked angrily.
“They weren’t sure what was happening…when they finally realized she was being kidnapped, the van pulled away. They didn’t see the license plate.”
“So, how do you know it was Kristin?”
“Based on physical descriptions by the witnesses…and the purse we found laying on the sidewalk at the scene of the crime, there is no doubt that it was indeed Kristin Westphalen.”
Bridger glanced at his watch and noted the time. “It’s been three hours…have you made any progress?”
Murphy shook his head. “We’ve put an APB out on the van…but there are a lot of black vans in Los Angeles, Captain.” He paused for a moment and then continued. “Do you know any reason why someone would want to abduct the doctor? It doesn’t seem likely that this was a random crime…her attackers obviously knew where she was going to be and when.”
Nathan seemed deep in thought for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. “She’s a very prolific scientist, Lieutenant. I could think of any number of reasons for someone wishing to…acquire her talents.”
The young man nodded and sighed. “Quite frankly Captain, I don’t think we’re going to make any progress here. We’ll just have to wait until we’re contacted.”
“What makes you think that’s going to happen? Why not just disappear with her?”
“I’ve worked around criminals for some time…they’re arrogant. Believe me, it won’t be long before someone claims responsibility for kidnapping one of the UEO’s most valuable minds.”
“And what if they don’t?”
Detective Murphy sighed and cleared his throat. “Then the case may remain unsolved.”
“I don’t buy that…there has to be evidence, somewhere.”
“We’ll find it if there is, but I have to tell you that it doesn’t look good.”
Bridger appreciated the young man’s honesty and told him so. After a moment of silence, he continued. “Listen Detective, I’m going to have Noyce send over some UEO personnel to help in the investigation.”
Murphy smiled and held up his hands. “They’re already en-route, Captain.”
Nathan nodded. “I want you to keep me informed on the investigation, Detective. Even the smallest break—“
“Rest assured Captain, if we find anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
Bridger signaled to O’Neil to cut the line and waited until he did so before he spoke to his bridge crew. “I want Dr. Westphalen’s disappearance kept under wraps. The information is not to leave this bridge until I have a chance to address the entire crew. Is that understood?”
A chorus of “Yes sir’s.” echoed across the bridge as Nathan walked towards the clam doors. “Commander Ford, you have the bridge.” He muttered as he walked past the young man and into the corridor.
The first thing Kristin became aware of as she regained consciousness was the silky feel of some kind of fabric against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered opened and focused on an ornate vase on the table beside the bed. She didn’t remember anything like that in her hotel room. And then her memory of the attack flooded back and she bolted into an upright position.
‘Where am I?’ she thought as she pushed the bedcovers aside and rose to her feet. The room itself was very simply decorated, and contained only the bed, a small nightstand, and an antique looking desk in the corner. Kristin glided over the soft carpet to the imposing oak door and tried turning the brass knob. She wasn’t surprised by the answering click, informing her that it was locked.
She turned around and raised her eyebrow at the sliding door on the other side of the room. Kristen hastened to the door, and effortlessly pulled it open. She very cautiously walked out onto the small balcony and whistled slowly. The room she was imprisoned in had to be over six hundred feet high, and positioned over a series of jagged rocks. The waves crashing beneath her did little to lift up her spirits, and she knew now why they hadn’t bothered locking this door. There would be no escape here.
She had to admit that the scenery was simply breathtaking. Kristin guessed herself to be residing now on a tropical island, judging from the temperature of the air and color of the water. She couldn’t see anything beyond the dangerous cliff she was wedged between, but she assumed that palm trees and other lush vegetation covered the isle.
Sighing, she pushed herself away from the cold metal rail and walked back into her room, stopping dead in her tracks as she did so. The room she had left empty was now occupied by three people, two of which she recognized. The enormous man who’d she’d had the pleasure, or rather displeasure of meeting earlier, stood beside a small dark woman who glared at her ferociously. However, it was the man who stood between the pair that caused Kristen to suck in her breath.
“I’m glad to see that you’ve not forgotten me, Doctor.” Milos Teslov said condescendingly as he approached her.
Kristin took an unconscious step back and shook her head. “No…you’re supposed to be dead. Your execution was held last month.”
Milos laughed and waved his finger. “Yes, an execution was held last month, but alas, it wasn’t mine.”
“I don’t understand.” Kristin admitted as she leaned against the wall.
“Come now, you’re a doctor. You should know better than anyone of the marvels of modern cosmetic surgery.”
Kristin’s eyes widened in shock and she shook her head. “How did you get away with that?”
“I still have some friends left in this world, and more importantly in the enemy ranks. Those arrogant fools thought they could vanquish me? If they were a little wiser, they would have killed me the first chance they got.”
“Yes, well some of us believe in due process.”
“Due process? That mock trial was for entertainment purposes only. A stage where my foes could belittle me…and they’ll regret that. I orchestrated everything from my cell, right under their noses.”
“One of your followers took your place, then? But, how did you—“
“The logistics aren’t important Doctor.” Milos interrupted.
Kristin tried to still her trembling knees as she walked across the room, hoping that her fear wasn’t evident. She cleared her throat and asked, “So what does any of this have to do with me?”
“You have something of mine that I want returned.”
Kristin eyed him warily for a moment as she tried to divine what he was referring to, and then it hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks. He wanted Ceasar. She shook her head adamantly and answered, “Absolutely not. Your son is safe now, and he’s going to stay that way.”
Murderous rage flashed in the tyrant’s eyes as he advanced upon her. Without warning, he wrapped both his hands around her slim neck and applied a gentle pressure. “He is my son, and he belongs with me. Now, you know where he is, and you are going to tell me, aren’t you?”
Kristin gazed into his dangerous eyes and knew that no matter what the cost was to her, she had a duty to protect the boy. She’d visited Malcolm’s island almost two months ago and had been amazed at the change in Ceasar. His speech had vastly improved, and to all outward appearances seemed to be a normal child. He was still a bit shy and reserved in Kristin’s presence, but she had recognized the strong bond between Ceasar and Lansdowne. The image of the young boy frolicking in the water with a pair of dolphins was more than enough to keep her steadfast in her decision.
“I’m not going to let you ruin his life.” Kristin gasped as Milos finally released his grip. She brought her hand to her throat and gently massaged the ache there. “If you’re going to kill me, then get on with it. I wouldn’t dream of wasting your time.”
“Why would I want to harm you, doctor? You’re much more valuable to me alive. You see, I figured you would be difficult, so I devised a back-up plan.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
Milos chuckled and walked towards the door. “You’ll learn about it…all in good time. For now, I have business to attend to.” He gestured to his two companions and exited the room, locking the door securely behind them.
