Chapter Fifteen: A Rough Landing

"Retro rockets, full thrust on my command!"

"Retro rockets, full thrust." Charity Bentham pulled down on the levers, slowing the final descent of the huge rocket and feeling the shuddering impact as the supersonic craft gently touched down on great sandy launching pad of the tropical island of Bermuda.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dr. Beddington smiled at her young assistant, her warm blue eyes full of confidence and vigor. Not even a five hour flight in a stolen rocket could rattle her. Tall, slim golden-haired Edith Beddington looked every inch an Alpha Plus. The attractive lady scientist was used to being in control.

"I'd better go see how our prisoners are doing." Charity shrugged out of her seat belt, her body aching after so many hours in the copilot's seat. Piloting a rocket was an exhilarating experience, and she was grateful to Dr. Beddington for giving her a chance. But the small, red-haired Beta Minus also felt very tired. She was soaked with sweat, completely drained after such a long flight.

"They're gone! Bjorn Hellborn and the two pilots have vanished!" Too frazzled and upset to remember the push-button controls, Charity fought the stubborn doors of the cargo bay, wrestling with the sliding metal panels to get a clearer view of the empty interior.

"Don't be alarmed, dearest. There's an escape pod missing, don't you see?" Dr. Beddington put her arm around Charity's shoulders, drawing her back and gently closing the door with a single finger.

"But those are two-man pods!" Charity couldn't help picturing Bjorn Hellborn, the big blonde beast-man they had rescued from the secret lab of the evil Dr. Margaret Carlton. Had he escaped?

"They're gone, dearest. We did our best. Now we must explain ourselves to the island's High Controller, Jefferson Voltaire."

"Explain ourselves?" Charity didn't feel up to an interrogation. She answered whatever questions she could, about cruel Dr. Carlton enslaving blonde and gorgeous Bjorn, but she also sobbed on Dr. Beddington's firm shoulder through much of the questioning. Finally the High Controller himself arrived, striding into the stuffy interrogation room and immediately dismissing the armed detachment of brown uniformed Gamma-Plus Space Port Guards.

"What sort of silly games have you been up to this time, Edith?" Jefferson Voltaire was tall and magnetic, with striking dark blue eyes and a neatly trimmed black and silver beard. Yet when he greeted Dr. Beddington his first move was to send out the guards and remove her restraints so the tall blonde lady scientist could stand up straight and he could kiss her lightly on both cheeks.

"Sorry for all the fuss, Jeff." Dr. Beddington didn't seem to mind being kissed and released by the powerful High Controller. Her slender hand stroked his firm chest in a lazy, familiar caress. "I'll tell you everything after we look after Charity, my loyal assistant."

"Well, hello there." The powerful High Controller was smiling at Charity as he removed her electromagnetic restraints. "Do you think you can manage if we send you straight on to the Ford Fairmont Hotel? After that rough landing you could probably do with a rest. And Dr. Beddington and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"I can manage," Charity croaked. She felt ready to collapse, yet she was sure that Dr. Beddington could handle things. She spoke to Jefferson Voltaire like an equal, and was very much in control. Yet her blue eyes were sparkling, and the handsome and distinguished High Controller couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. It all made Charity feel a bit overwhelmed. Suddenly all she wanted was to fall into bed at the Ford Fairmont.

"You were splendid today, Charity." Dr. Beddington touched her knee for a moment, giving Charity a serious woman-to-woman look. "You proved that a Beta female can be loyal and brave and rise above her conditioned limitations."

"But we didn't save Bjorn." Charity had such a strange, almost lonely feeling that she actually felt tears in her tired green eyes. It was foolish to grieve over a wild and gorgeous blonde savage. She turned away so the two strong Alphas wouldn't see her pitiful Beta weakness. And then she saw that the three smartly uniformed Gamma Guards had come back into the room and were waiting to take her to the island's most famous luxury hotel.