CHAPTER 6

LEFT FOR THE GUARDIAN

Johnson had used Alex's pet name to annoy Dr. Albert, which it did. In fact, it made her furious. She bit down on the hand over her mouth as hard as she could, causing Johnson to yelp in pain and loosen his grip. She managed to pull away and bolted towards the inner door. She was caught before she made it and received a savage blow that sent her flying. Momentarily stunned, she ended up on the floor.

It was Brogan who first noticed how agitated the Alterran had suddenly become, recalling Johnson's description of his arrival and subsequent attack on the research team. The High Priest had been planning to "sacrifice" Dr. Albert in the same manner as Harris, but Jason's impressive display caused him to change his mind on the method.

While Brogan was thinking, Frankie was fighting for her life, struggling wildly and screaming at the top of her lungs. Someone silenced her by jamming a gag into her mouth so large she thought she might choke. Finally she was spread-eagled on the floor and the Cultists looked expectantly over to their High Priest.

"You were warned about interfering with us, Dr. Albert," Brogan said coldly to the struggling captive. "It is written that no woman must touch the power of Jaka. Now—" He paused dramatically before saying, "it is for the Guardian to judge."

Frankie stared up at him in a combination of bewilderment and terror, struggling all the more when he ordered, "Tie her up. We'll let the Guardian have her."

Carl arrived at Alex's office only to find it empty. The Security Chief came strolling down the hallway a moment later and was shocked to see the visibly shaken man outside his office. It took several minutes for the burly man to collect himself before he could give an intelligible account of what had happened to put him in such a state.

"Where were you when you heard the yelling?" Alex asked.

"Near the—"

At that moment, Frankie's bloodcurdling screams resounded through the wing of the building. Alex Grove blanched visibly and spun around in the direction of the voice. "Frankie…" he breathed in horror.

Kicking and scratching the whole time, Frankie was turned face down on the floor and tightly bound hand and foot. She managed to pull the hoods from two of her attackers and was rewarded with another slap across the face by Johnson, who went on to drag her over to the airlock and roughly dump her inside.

Johnson took a diving belt, and with a sadistic smile on his face wrapped it around Frankie's waist and over her bound hands. He then shoved the helpless oceanographer onto her back, wrapping a second belt around her legs to make doubly certain she was completely weighted down.

In a last defiant stand, Frankie lashed out, kicking the traitor in the stomach. "You bitch!" he snarled, raising a fist to deliver what would have been a lethal blow. He stopped when someone across the room called, "Master, someone's coming!"

"Kill them," Brogan said calmly.

"No, Master, it might be Grove," Johnson called out. "Bolt the door, that'll delay him." Turning an icy look down at the cowering woman, he said, "And so will she. While he's trying to get her out, we can grab the chest and get out the back way."

Brogan nodded approvingly. "Do it," he commanded.

The main door was bolted shut only seconds before Alex and Carl arrived on the other side.

Johnson's eyes narrowed and he finished wrapping the weight belt around the legs of the bound and struggling woman. "You're going to buy us some time before you die, Frankie, my dear," he said coldly. Taking some straps from the wall that were used to hold extra equipment, he used them to suspend Frankie's diminutive figure more than a foot off of the ground. He then took the card key from her pocket, patting her cheek and exiting the airlock.

In tears and struggling, Dr. Albert watched helplessly as the door to her prison, and her fate, were sealed. With the flick of a switch, water started pouring in on her.

Johnson continued to flick switches, fusing the controls and ripping the airlock control panel out of the console. He waved it tauntingly at Frankie before smashing it on the floor. Now if whoever it was trying to break in the main door succeeded, they would be unable to reach the trapped oceanographer in time to save her.

While this was going on, the other Cult members were filing through the far door. Brogan threw the switch to the Seagate and went over to Johnson just as the circuitry smashed to the floor. Throwing a cold knowing look in Dr. Albert's direction, the High Priest gave a wry smile before following the others through the door, which was then jammed shut behind them.

Jason had been kicking up a fuss, and not really accomplishing anything other than throwing water in all directions. It was not until the bound Frankie was dragged into the airlock that Brogan's words sank in and he abruptly stopped his tantrum, completely confused. His mind was still a tangled mass of unanswered questions, yet deep down, he knew everything he had just witnessed was wrong. Horribly, terribly wrong. Unfortunately, his brain still was not functioning properly and thinking only caused it to fog over, leaving him hesitant and indecisive. Why would anyone think he would want to kill Dr. Albert? He felt no malice toward her, even if he was her prisoner. And, well…she did drug him rather heavily whenever her team did their work on him.

While Jason was trying to move through the thickening fog in his mind, Frankie was struggling to free her hands from behind her back. Unfortunately, the fine cord with which she was bound did nothing but cut into her wrists, and the belt Johnson had pulled over them secured them against her body. On top of that, the straps under her arms were pulling her hands apart and the bindings taut, making it almost impossible to move. With the addition of the weights, it would be impossible to float.

Frankie glanced at the access door and immediately stopped struggling, the sight of the hovering Alterran almost stopped her heart. Her eyes grew wide and she stared over at him, trying to decide if she should panic or not. Willing herself to be calm, she tried to think through her situation, such as; if she did manage to get loose, what would happen when the door opened? Would Crystal attack her? Would she even let her out of the airlock? And if she did, would she let her get to the surface or simply hold her underwater until she drowned? Closing her eyes, Frankie shuddered, wondering which would be worse, drowning, or being crushed to death by the powerful creature in the main tank.

At that moment, Alex and Carl managed to break down the door and were horrified by what they found inside the observation room. Alex's eyes fell on the occupant of the fast filling airlock. "Frankie!" He dashed over to the controls where he saw, to his added horror, that they had been completely destroyed. "Carl, how do you override the controls on the airlock?"

Carl didn't answer. He was standing in the doorway, transfixed by the sight of Harris' mutilated corpse. First Tony, now Harris, he thought, wondering uneasily who would be next. It was at that moment that he realized that, despite all the commotion, Johnson had yet to appear. He was snapped back to reality when Alex called again. Seeing the shredded control panel, he crossed to the main control board and tried several times to override the system without success. Puzzled, he checked all the readings and then caught his breath. "Alex, the Seagate's been opened!"

"Well, close it then!" Alex snapped impatiently.

"I can't! The controls have been fused." Looking up, Carl added, "Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Aghast, Alex turned back to the struggling occupant of what was now a death chamber. The water was close to Frankie's waist and she had only succeeded in rubbing her wrists raw, being no closer to freeing herself than the two desperate figures on the outside. She watched helplessly as they tried to shut off the water, knowing it was impossible. It would only shut off now when the airlock was completely filled, and by then, she would be dead. She saw Alex trying to tell her something, but was unable to hear him above the roar of the water. She lip read as he said, "Don't worry, Frankie. We'll get you out," and motioned for her to stay calm. This only caused the trapped woman to laugh at the absurdity of it all. She wondered if she were getting hysterical, recalling how annoyed she'd been with him earlier. How silly it all seemed now. Seeing him repeat his message, she shook her head in resignation. No, you won't, she thought.

On the other side of the airlock, Dr. Albert's shake of the head was met with anything but resignation. "Carl, can we break the door open?" Alex asked in desperation.

"Alex, do you have any idea how much water is pushing up against that door? Unless we—"

"Blow the door."

Carl blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. Blow the door," the Security Chief repeated firmly.

"Alex, if that tank ruptures with the Seagate open, you'll flood the entire lower section of the building," Carl objected.

"I don't care! Dammit, Carl, I'm not going to just stand here and watch her drown, now blow the door!"

Once again their efforts were met with disaster when they discovered the rear door leading to the storerooms had also been jammed shut.

"Where are the maintenance crews?" the Security Chief asked, suddenly remembering that there should be more than just the two of them in the building.

Carl started heaving at the door. "At this hour, they'll be on dinner break on the other side of the building."

Cursing, Alex joined his partner in a futile attempt to reach the explosives before the water rose above Dr. Albert's head.

By this time Jason had concluded that it was now up to him. If he waited for the access door to open automatically, Frankie would drown. Winding his powerful tendrils around the door, he gave a mighty heave and tore it completely off its fittings. Water immediately surged through the opening, filling the airlock and submerging its helpless occupant, who was knocked senseless when the wall of water slammed into her.

Alex and Carl spun around when they heard the sound and watched in horror as the unconscious Frankie was entwined in the Alterran's tendrils and gently pulled into the main tank.

"Frankie!" Alex was beside himself and dashed to the observation window, pounding on it with his fists in desperation. "No! Crystal, no!"

Jason hesitated, uncertain as to whether he should leave Dr. Albert on the walkways or take her with him. The sight of Harris' mutilated corpse made up his mind for him. Pulling Frankie close, he promptly vanished into the tunnel leading to the open sea.

The Alterran's hesitation had caused Alex to hope Dr. Albert would be left behind. His hopes were dashed in a blink. The tank was empty and Frankie was gone forever. For several seconds he stood staring in shock, not quite believing it could be over so quickly. Closing his eyes, he sank slowly to the floor where his grief finally overtook him and he wept bitterly.