Please do,” he said. He looked at Linda. Come to bed.”
Quite unlike her, she obeyed without question, following him out of the room.
Tammy stuck out her tongue at his retreating back. She made a perfectly horrible face at him. It was the first time in her life she’d ever been rejected by a man.
She laughed softly, bitterly.
It was not a feeling she liked very much.
Chapter Eight
Katie Chapell looked at the woman beside her under a cleverly made overhang of live vines and leaves. She was in a state of shock, but that was rapidly fading. Now her only thought was survival; get away; get out. But how?
She again looked at the woman and the woman seemed to read her thoughts. Forget it,” she whispered. You can’t get away. If the ’gators or the snakes don’t get you, if you don’t get lost and drown, then the big alligator gar will chew you up. And believe me, there’re some monster gar in this swamp. The beasts caught one one time—must have been ten feet long, probably weighed a hundred and fifty—maybe sixty—pounds. And if the beasts catch you trying to escape—and they will, I promise you—you’ll die hard. I’ve seen women who tried to run away. It’s . . . awful what they do ... did to them.”
Maddened yellow eyes looked at the women from across the small clearing. The Link grunted something and looked away.
How long have you been here?” Katie asked.
The woman’s short bark of laughter held no humor. For three . . . children long. If children is what you want to call them.”
At least three years, then?” Katie could not comprehend spending three years with these . . . things. The mere thought shook her with a horror that was almost indefinable in its awfulness.
Closer to five, I’d guess,” the woman said. Time kind of gets away from you here. I’ve been unable to get pregnant the last two seasons. I’ve tried to kill myself two times, but they stopped me before I could really get started. They seem to know . . . sense things. And don’t ever think they’re stupid. They’re not.”
Where are your children?” And what did they look like? Katie could not ask the question. Monsters, surely. She shuddered at birthing a monster from the sperm of one of these . . . creatures.
Only one lived any length of time. They were . . . mutants, I guess you’d call them. The last kid was normal. And I mean like you and me. As soon as they’re old enough, they’re taken far off somewhere. I think they take them to real people’s homes. But sometimes other camps will raid, steal the kids. The good beasts will steal normal kids from the bad beasts. There must be three or four dozen of these small camps. We move all the time.”
Good beasts? Bad beasts? Katie’s head spun; too much was happening too swiftly.
I’m not even sure I’d go if someone tried to rescue me now.”
God!” Katie’s one-word exclamation, softly spoken, held more than a note of the unthinkable in it. Why wouldn’t you go?”
The woman’s eyes were dull as they fixed on Katie’s face. Think about it. What man—human man—would want a woman after she’s been had by these creatures? How many of them took you, sexually, last night? Four—five? At least. Every one of them in this camp will have you before you’re finally selected as one’s mate.”
Katie put her face in her hands and silently wept. She said something the woman could not understand.
Beg pardon?”
I said”—Katie wiped her runny nose on her bare arm—ultimate cock. I been lookin’ for bigger and better ever since I learned what a pussy is for.”
The woman’s eyes were sad. Well . . . you damned sure found it, babe. At first I thought it would kill me; I wasn’t built to take all that. But the human body is pretty tough, I guess—especially the female’s. We can adapt to just about anything. And”—she sighed—all things taken into consideration, it’s not that bad after the first two or three weeks are past and you’re chosen by one of them. You gotta learn to eat berries and raw fish . . . and you will. Just don’t fight them and they pretty much leave you alone. ’Cept when they want to fuck.”
Jesus! Where’d . . . where are you from? Not from around here. I can tell by the way you talk.”
L.A. I was traveling with my boyfriend. On a motorcycle.” She smiled ruefully. Like I said a minute ago, the beasts are not stupid. They’re really pretty damned smart. They learned a long time ago, I guess, that motorcycles are a lot easier to hide than cars. That’s where they get most of their women.”
How many of us are here?”
Just you and me, now, at this camp.” She shrugged. It’s hard to tell about the other camps. I’ve only seen . . . maybe a third of the camps. But some of the women have been here for over twenty-five/thirty years. Yeah.” She picked up on Katie’s startled look. Most women, so some of the others have told me, don’t last very long. Go nuts. The ones that live the longest are with the good beasts. They get treated good . . . real good. Gentle-like. The good beasts hunt for food, bring it to them, teach them how to weave and braid wines and stuff for clothes.
But the ones that have us, now, they’re the outcasts. They’re crazy. Really nuts. I’ve seen some have fits; foam at the mouth and snarl and bite themselves. And they’re real mutants in the sex department, if you know what I mean, and you do. I’ve seen ’em kill two women for no reason. They ate them. But don’t worry. You’re like me; you’re not going to last long. You’re going to age real quick.”
But I’m only twenty-eight!” Katie looked closely at the old woman. The woman was far too old to be bearing children.
The California woman smiled. When she told Katie her age, Katie sat in open-mouthed shock. She felt like weeping, like fainting, like jumping up and running headfirst into a tree, killing herself.
The woman looked like a very old fifty-five. On her good days.
She said she was twenty-three.
The morning had spun by, Jon busying himself around the old plantation house, staying out of the way of the women, staying outside most of the time. Occasionally he would glance at the house, wondering what they were talking about. The last time he had gone in for a drink of water, they had been sitting chatting in the den, over coffee, but they had ceased their conversation at his approach.
Jon thought about calling Governor Parker, telling him that seventy-two hours was too short a time. The job just could not be done that quickly. But he kept putting off the call.
He returned to his task of preparing the freezers to receive their grisly cargo.
He glanced at the house. Women!” he muttered.
Linda poured them another cup of coffee from the service. Like Jon, she rather liked the outgoing blonde, even more so when she learned Tammy had not turned anything over to Coleman Jennings to use against Governor Parker.
Tammy smiled at her and said, This is such a lovely home. So grand and elegant. Are you and Jon going to stay here and farm after you get married?”
Linda almost dropped the cup, managing, at the very last moment, to keep it from shattering on the floor. She did burn herself slightly from the splash of hot coffee. Married!”
Yeah. Jon’s in love with you. And don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
No . . . I didn’t know. Good heavens, Tammy. I just met the man.”
Got pretty close last night, didn’t you?” She grinned the question.
That was . . . pure animal release,” Linda lamely tried to explain, unconvincingly at best. It had nothing to do with love.”
If you say so. But he’s in love with you, nevertheless. I offered to give him . . . well, let’s just say I’m not used to being rejected.”
Linda mopped up the spill and tossed the napkin in a wastebasket by a French desk. She walked to the window and looked out at Jon, working at his gruesome task. The man wasted no motion, no movement; everything seemed so calm and unhurried about him. But he managed to accomplish any task very swiftly. Except making love; she flushed hotly in remembrance. He had brought her to more shattering clima
xes than she would have believed possible. I wonder where he got his education?” She spoke aloud.
From the best college in the world,” Tammy said. The world itself. If a man wants to absorb it, the knowledge is all around him.”
A philosopher in our midst?” Linda smiled.
Hell, no!”
Linda laughed. She sobered quickly, her thoughts of Jon. I . . . have a feeling for him,” she admitted. Much stronger than anything I have heretofore felt for any man. But our worlds are diametrically opposite.”
Bullshit!” Tammy said. That man is all man, Linda. Not one ounce of strutting peacock in him. You can always tell the real men. They don’t go with fads; fashion means nothing to them. They wear what looks good on them and if others don’t like it, they can damned well go to hell.
That man out there wouldn’t give a shit about a night out with the boys; he’s spent ten thousand nights out with the boys. What he wants, whether he’ll admit it, or not, is a home. Some kids he can raise to be real men and proper ladies, and he’d do it, too . . . Don’t kid yourself. He’d start teaching them when they first opened their eyes. He’d give them all the love they needed and the proper discipline and values.
I’ve only met one other man like him in my entire life, and you know what? That man was once a professional adventurer.”
Linda turned, her smile knowing.
Tammy met her eyes. You’re a lucky lady, lady.”
You know, Tammy, I believe you’re right.”
Jon had worked the afternoon through, pausing only occasionally to gaze at the swamp. He knew he was being watched. He wondered about the Links who were not crazed; and for the first time in his professional career, wondered if what he planned was right—just—moral.
He pushed those thoughts from his mind. He was a warrior, not a philosopher. Let someone else mull over the enigmatical aspects of right and wrong.
Dusk began to settle its soft blanket over the bayous and the fields, coming swiftly, night only moments behind. Jon pulled his .45 from leather and automatically checked the pistol: a round in the chamber, hammer down, off safety. He checked the M-10, slung it, then called for one of the ladies to turn on the floodlights. Within seconds the grounds around the estate, from the edge of the swamp to the road, and on both sides, were as bright as day. Jon looked toward the blur of darkness that was the swamp.
Soon, boys,” he said.
The swamp seemed to sigh in reply.
Jon glanced at his watch: 2000 hours. He smiled. If he knew Von Pappen and Lewis—and he did, very well—they would be breaking all records getting to Despair. Should be pulling in at any moment. It would surprise Jon if they didn’t.
The dead Links from the front yard were now cooling in the large freezers in the old servants’ quarters just behind the big house. There was ample room in Paul’s workshop to set up a small lab.
Seventy-two hours. Jon sighed. Not enough time. He would have to call Governor Parker, abort the mission. He...
Jon looked up at the sound of a fast-moving vehicle. A van. The driver whipped the van into the drive and Jon recognized that driver as Karl von Pappen. The burly German always drove—no matter where—as if he were on the unlimited Autobahn; wide open. The scientists had wasted no time in getting here. Von Pappen slammed on the brakes: the van slid to a stop. Dr. Walter Lewis bounced around in the front seat, cursing the German for his driving habits, calling him nine kinds of a bloody fool and tracing his family back through the ages . . . profanely.
The oaths would be shrugged off without comment. Von Pappen had been listening to them for fifteen years and they had no more effect on him than water on a duck. The men were good friends, each sharing a common pet theory: somewhere in this shrinking world was living evidence of a missing link.
Well, Jon smiled in the artificial light, in about five minutes they both would see that heretofore missing bit of physical and cultural development.
Walter’s private secretary, traveling companion, and bedmate was in the rear of the van. Debbie would be cool and unflappable, listening to the constant exchange of dialogue—often heated—between the two scientists. Occasionally she would tell them both to please close their great flapping mouths and give her head a rest.
She would be completely ignored.
The English scientist was married, but his wife was a duchess or a lady—one of those fancy English titles—who looked like a steam locomotive, and flatly did not like sex. She knew of her husband’s involvement with Debbie, and privately condoned it. Anything to keep him away from her precious cunt.
Jon again smiled, a thought leaping into his brain. He would sic Von Pappen on Tammy. The German was built like a stud horse and once in the saddle would ride all night. Unlike Lewis, Karl was not married . . . or married to his work would be more like it.
The men shook hands, slapped each other on the back, and exchanged a few friendly insults. They grinned broadly at one another. They were best of friends. Von Pappen—as was his style—came right to the point.
It is true? What you said, Jon? What you told me? You have found the missing link?”
Jon laughed openly at the man’s excitement. Judge for yourself.” He pointed toward the shed and the servants’ quarters.
Von Pappen beamed. Mit grosse Vergnugung, Herr Badon.”
The pleasure will be mine, as well, Karl,” Jon replied in English, although he spoke fluent German, sometimes acting as interpreter when the big German doctor became excited and shifted into his mother tongue.
The Englishman stood by in silence. Jon could read doubt in his eyes. You will forgive me, old boy, if I allow doubt to prevail for a few more moments?”
Sixty seconds from now you won’t be doubting.”
We shall see,” Walter said, looking around at the lovely old home. How beautiful. The aestheticism alone would make the trip valuable.”
Bah!” Karl snorted.
Jon’s eyes traveled over the lushness of Debbie. She met his wandering eyes. Jon.” She smiled.
You’re looking well, dear,” Jon said. As usual.”
Von Pappen was growing impatient, shuffling his booted feet. Kommen, kommen,” he growled. Eilen!”
Oh, Karl.” Doctor Lewis tapped out his pipe. Do contain yourself a bit, won’t you?”
The German waved one heavily muscled arm. Gehen wir!” he roared. Let’s go!
Oh, speak the English language, Karl,” Lewis told him. As badly as you do it, it is at least understandable and certainly an improvement over that vulgar, uncivilized snortling usually emanating from your mouth.”
The German drew himself up to his impressive height, towering over the smaller scientist. Are you suggesting, you wimpy limey, that the German language is uncivilized?”
Any language that consists solely of grunts and snorts and incomprehensible guttural clearings of the throat could certainly not be called refined.” Lewis smiled.
The men were happiest when putting the needle to one another. Which they did, as often as possible.
Schwachsinnig!” Karl growled, glowering at his closest friend. He had just called him an idiot.
Bloody great hulking barbarian,” Lewis responded.
And away they go.” Jon laughed, leading them to the shed. He turned on the lights. Having waited a moment for dramatic effect, he opened the freezer.
Mein Gott!” Karl breathed, awe in his voice. That is ... is ... unmoglich!”
Impossible?” Jon translated. No, it was real, I assure you all.”
The usually unflappable Englishman said, I’ll be a son of a bitch!”
You see?” Karl gloated. He admits his inferior breeding.”
Before Lewis could respond to the insult, Jon said, I have several more in the small house to your left.” He spoke calmly, enjoying the looks of the scientists as they savored the moment of scientific triumph that until now had been denied them.
Nein!” Karl huffed the word.
Yes. Calm yourself, Karl,” Jon said
. Probably seventy-five to a hundred more of them in the swamp.”
The doctors rushed out of the shed, heading for the servants’ quarters. They tried to exit simultaneously, jammed together in the door, and got stuck in the passageway. Karl ripped off part of the doorjamb, freeing them. They ran across the lighted grounds. Jon and Debbie stood laughing at their excitement.
Jon bowed slightly and smiling, swept a hand toward the door, After you, Debra.”
My, aren’t you the gentleman?” She stepped out into the brilliance of thousands of watts. She had been on too many expeditions to cast more than one cursory glance at Jon’s weapons.
Not really.” He spoke from behind her. I just like to see your ass move, that’s all.”
She chuckled. I might have known; you’ll never change. Always hustling.” She looked over her shoulder, her gaze curious. Her woman’s eyes appraised him. But then . . . I don’t know. I think I’ll retract that statement. There is . . . something different about you, Jon.”
He shrugged her remark away. You should have been here last evening. We could have had an orgy.”
Oh?”
Yes. Conditions were rife, I believe. But I passed it by. They’re so tiresome.”
She laughed. Ah, Jon . . . you’re such a bad boy. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that I missed such an opportunity.”
He smiled at her pretended lack of enthusiasm. Debra, Debbie to her friends, under her cloak of English coolness, was one of the most sexually insatiable women Jon had ever known.
You might have enjoyed it,” Jon said. I related my snake story to a young lady.”
How positively medieval!” She smiled back at him, then paused, waiting for him. They walked on, side by side. Knowing you, the snake gets longer and thicker with each telling. Did you really witness that . . . event, darling?”
Twice. It isn’t pleasant.”
I should imagine not. Getting back to your almost orgy.’ Next you’ll be telling me you pronged some hapless lady up the arse. You’re much too large for that type of nonsense, Jon.”
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