LOXG 12

Irma Vep got a thrill from driving the open four seater car. As soon as the wheels hit the Earth she drove with both competence and ecstasy. This specially made automobile was far smoother and faster than anything on the streets of Paris.

It was good that the motorcycle she and Lord Greystoke were tailing was also fast; she could maintain a discreet distance and keep up the joyous velocity. The radio was also easy to use.

Both Irma and Tarzan saw the strange light on the hilltop, they couldn't make out the image but saw its effect on Tom Swift. The motorcyclist was veering of his current course to ascend the hill. Irma stopped the car and called Captain Mors on the radio. After reporting her observation to the luftpirate, he asked her to stay on hold for a minute then blared out his confirmation that this is the trap and that she and Tarzan should help the young inventor evade it.

An enemy zeppelin was floating above that hill to receive Tom Swift, they must get to the hilltop and intervene before that happens.

Irma relayed her Ok then revved the car to a high speed and drove to the hill.

"This is it Greystoke." She said. "The trap is on that hilltop. We're about to engage the enemy. I hope you can use that bow and arrow well."

"I can." Answered Greystoke. "You call me Tarzan."

Irma grinned as she steered the car off the main highway and began their ascent up the hill road. She had to hold back on the speed. This spiral road was narrow and their were no railings to stop a vehicle going over the edge.

Tom will get to the top before them and the trap will spring. Irma hoped the young man could delay his capture long enough for them to arrive.

They were almost there when the sound of a pistol shot came from the top. Shortly after that a riderless motorcycle fell from the pinnacle, it scraped the cliff on the way down and landed on the road twenty meters in front of the car. The two League members turned to each other as Irma slowed the automobile to a halt. A spinning back wheel and engine sounds told them that the motorcycle was active. Although it was wrecked beyond repair, the gyrating wheel dragged the bike across the road's width to a second fall over the next edge. An almighty crashing sound followed.

There was clearly some excitement above. Irma put her foot on the accelerator to cover the remaining distance fast. Multiple explosions began to dot the surrounding area. Irma stopped the car to view the green fields getting churned up as bombs, dropped from above, thunderously tore the ground asunder.

"Captain Mors has his fight." said Irma. "We must get on with ours."

She stepped hard on the pedal to quickly finish the car's journey to the pinnacle. When it was reached, Irma screeched the vehicle to a halt as she noticed a familiar figure in a white coat observing them. This was Fraulein Doktor; Irma recognised her from the Denmark photographs.

A sound signal beeped from the Fraulein's white coat and a corresponding alarm rang from the upright sarcophagus, which was empty.

Irma read the scene and deduced that Tom Swift had hidden himself in the rocks, the German spy was seeking him out to force him into the sarcophagus thus securing his capture. The alarm was a recall, Fraulien Doktor is to get herself into the sarcophagus so she could be winched up to the zeppelin and spirited away.

The cat burgler jumped out of the car and rushed the blonde spy who was making her escape. Irma intercepted her ten feet before the upright cabinet, seized her white coat and threw her back. Fraulein Doktor swung with her knife but Irma dodged the swipes with dexterous grace, then used her Savate skill. A left handed feint from Irma had her opponent lash out at the fast withdrawing limb while the right hand chopped down on the attacking wrist. The spy's hand shuddered with pain and dropped the knife.

Irma Vep felt a surge of rare patriotism as she landed further Savate hits and kicks on the German spy. Fraulein Doktor could only deflect half the martial art blows but held herself together until an opening came. The black clad woman stopped her attack for an instant to kick the dropped knife away, Fraulein rushed her then and pushed her off balance. Irma tried to reposition her feet only to miss the ground and find herself tumbling down a short slope to a soft landing in the dirt.

She got to her feet quickly to see Fraulein Doktor priming a stick grenade. This cat burgler could walk up the steepest rooftops with assured ease; this slope would be much the same, she ascended it with swift professional steps. Irma took hold off the primed grenade before the shocked spy could drop it down the slope. They wrestled for possession of the bomb before it was flung aside, landing at the light projection machine.

The explosion totally destroyed the intricate assemblage of lenses, mirrors and globes. Both women were hurled back by the centrifugal force each ending up face down in the dirt.

Tarzan confidently allowed Irma to engage the spy alone; he was trying to sense where Tom Swift was hiding. The grenade exploding brought his attention back to the conflict that stunned each antagonist.

Movement to the left was two men getting up after being knocked out somehow. They muttered in German as they noticed Irma Vep in a state of recovery after menacing their boss. One brought out his pistol. Tarzan did not wait to see where the Hun was going to aim. The jungle lord stretched his bow and sent an arrow into the gunman's chest; he dropped dead immediately.

A second arrow was drawn but the next target took cover behind a rock. Tarzan approached the shielding edifice not knowing if the mark was armed or not. His bow was stretched ready to fire in an instant, it was held out in front of him.

When the bow cleared the rock a swung club hit the weapon and knocked it out of his hands, the Hun revealed himself as he executed a second swing. Tarzan stepped back to avoid the club, it worked but his foe stepped close so his third attack would hit. An agile duck spared the jungle lord a smashed head; he leaped forward and grappled the Hun. The club was dropped as the wrestling began.

This German was strong but could not match Tarzan's much developed musculature he wisely avoided getting caught in any bodily grips. After several rolls and opposing pushes he found himself face to face with the primordial savage. A swift headbutt stunned Tarzan for an instant, as he refocused his eyes he saw his antagonist bring out a knife. Quickly seized the offending arm before it could stab, Greystoke spun around, dragging his foe with him to throw him off balance. This suceeded and the seized arm had a little slack.

Tarzan bit into the limb and severed a main tendon. The knife fell from the limp fingers. Screams shrieked from injured man until a fierce blow to his throat silenced him.

Germans had burnt down Tarzan's homestead in Kenya at the war's beginning, murdered his servants and took away his wife. His hatred for them became unmanageable and to this day he still had trouble managing it. He found a little self control to not finish of this Hun who was now badly injured.

He moved away from the fallen enemy to observe a huge explosion in the sky. A burst of orange fell through the cloud layer.

Although his back was turned, Greystoke sensed the injured Hun had picked up his knife with his good arm and was sneaking up on him. He swerved the instant before the stab and seized the resolute foe jerking him off balance then slamming him into a nearby monolith.

Tarzan's rage returned in abundance, he picked up his stunned and bloodied opponent, lifted him high in the air then threw him over the cliff to the roads below.

Irma Vep recovered her senses to see that action; she grinned at the jungle lords primordial savagery.

The upright sarcophagus began its ascent into the clouds, it was empty. Fraulein Doktor was in despair: she had failed to acquire the mark; was now being left behind; her assistants were dead; and the black clad woman was continuing the fight.

The Savate kicks and blows were hurting and the spy could not get a return blow through the French woman's defences. A well delivered blow sent the Fraulein into backward fall. As her hand groped the ground it found her lost Luger pistol. She gripped the weapon and got to her feet while back stepping.

Irma saw the pistol and knew she had to act fast. Quick steps closed the distance between her and her foe. As Fraulein leveled the Luger, Irma executed a lateral kick that met the gun hand a second before it squeezed the trigger. The gun flew from Fraulien's hand, the bullet went wide though Irma felt its proximity.

Fraulein Doktor bent down to recover the weapon; a strong kick in the chest ended that hope and sent the spy sprawling on her back. Irma unsheathed a wrist blade and then sat on top of her enemy. The spy also had a concealed blade, she would reach for it after she gives a plea for compassion from her antagonist who was bringing the knife to her throat.

Being a spy required a skill in eliciting compassion from people, even enemies as was the case now. Fraulien Doktor gave a look of fear and helplessness, made child-like sounds, shed tears, even said "Please" in French.

Her efforts soon gave way to horror as she looked into the dark shaded eyes of Irma Vep. This woman had no compassion to give. The knife hand made its move.

Tarzan found Tom Swift hiding in the rocks, grabbed the young inventor by the scruff of the neck and brought him out into the open.

Tom didn't feel any better off, the Germans were gone, but he was now in the hands of a savage man with a bloodied mouth and brought before a black clad woman with a bloodied knife.