Alex spun to see Jeroen standing near a group of upright stones almost obscured by lush ferns. "I'm sorry. Your secret?"

"Yes." He gave her his usual charming, mischievous grin, but his blue eyes were cold. "My little hiding place where I come to... get away from the world." An icy finger slid down her spine, though, as his youthful face suddenly seemed to age, and the overgrown vegetation made the marae close in around them.

"I should have known that Dr. Rayne and the lovely Alex would eventually uncover this place." The dark-haired man walked slowly toward her, and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up. "The world famous archeologist and his assistant. You're a very talented pair." His bitterness was suddenly palpable. What was going on? Alex stole a quick look at Derek, but his eyes were riveted on the young Dutchman.

"Tell me, how did you ever manage to find it?" As Jeroen ran his tongue across his teeth, she was suddenly reminded of a wolf before it leapt on its prey, and she involuntarily took a step back on the uneven ground.

The dark woman gave him a bright smile, trying to ease the heightened anxiety in the air around them. "It was the silliest thing, really. We literally stumbled upon it. Derek and I were hiking, and we saw this beautiful waterfall. We walked beneath it, and he tripped. I tried to steady him, and we fell upon these stones. Suddenly this wall opened, and..." She laughed. "I couldn't believe it."

"You just happened to stumble over it. And I take it that I am to believe that lullepraat?" She had heard Derek use that word once or twice after a tense conversation with William Sloan, and she didn't care whether Jeroen believed her bullshit or not. No, she had to be calm and not react to him or what he said to keep things from getting worse. Maybe an appeal to his ego...

Alex smiled again as she waved her hand at the site around them. "This is a fantastic place! Did you locate it? You'll be famous, Jeroen. This will be a find among archeologists." She attempted to casually work her way toward Derek as she spoke.

"Ah, but I have no plans on telling them," the young Dutchman said as he walked toward her. His arm suddenly whipped around her neck and he pulled her against him. "And you two won't be telling anyone about this either."

"Jeroen, let her go," Derek demanded as he began to walk toward them.

"One more step and I'll snap her neck," the other man threatened. She choked briefly before he slightly released his hold. She gasped, trying to catch her breath as her hands rested on his arm. "You should have simply minded your own business."

"What are you talk..." Alex began before Derek interrupted her.

"Antiquities. He's dealing in stolen antiquities from this religious site and selling them. Very clever." The older man glanced around. "So how much are you clearing?"

"Quite a bit since I'm the only one stealing them," Jeroen said before he laughed. "I fell over this site myself much the same way as you claim you did." His arm tightened around her neck. "So I'm not about to let two... paardenlul stop me."

"Verlaat haar alleen, Jeroen. Leave her alone. Let her go." Derek's voice had become as cold and unflinching as his countryman's as he slowly walked toward them. "She's done nothing to you."

"Why do you care about this... this kutwijf," Jeroen said as he pulled her head back by her hair. She bit her lip to hide the pain. "She's nothing but a greppeldel," he sneered at Derek. "You must be done with her by now." One hand slid over her breast as his other remained against her throat.

Alex blushed and she noted the fury on the precept's face. She knew enough Dutch to recognize the first word. Why did such hatred radiate from Jeroen? And toward her? She didn't understand. However, she knew that they had stumbled onto something much more than artifacts stolen from a new marae.

Derek took another step toward her, but she knew that he was still too far away on the other side of the thicket to do much good. For every step he took toward her, Jeroen would pull them back or strengthen his grasp around her throat until the other man stopped. Again the younger man's hold on her constricted, and she knew that he could probably choke her before Derek reached her.

Her eyes met his and she tried to convey that she was fine, that things would be all right. But then his eyes widened briefly, and she felt a pressure by her temple. Her heart stopped at the sound of a click. A gun. He was holding a gun to her head...

"Jeroen." Derek's tone softened as he stopped and held up his hands. "Don't hurt her. Alsjeblieft."

"So now the wealthy lulleman doesn't want me to hurt his stoephoer," the young man spat. "How long have I struggled at that... that pokkewerk, running around, doing errands for the likes of you and people like you?" He pulled her back as Derek moved forward, but the force around her throat eased a bit. "Do you even know who I am, who my family are? My great-uncle was Hendrik Frensch Verowoerd, prime minister of the Republic of South Africa."

"My God, the father of apartheid," she whispered.

"That's right, stootje. He knew that whites had to be separated from such apen." He laughed and she saw Derek clench his fists. "But maybe I'm being too..." His free hand made an obscene gesture as he thrust his hips forward. "...hard with her." Snickering gruffly, he pulled her tightly against him as he stared at the other man. "Zij is een lekker stootje, ja?"

"Nee, zij is een... heerlijk vrouw," Derek said quietly.

"Zij zal een dode vrouw spoedig zijn." His voice rose and the venom almost dripped from his mouth. "They knew how to take care of de gratenkut in those days. Do you know that I can trace my ancestry to the Dutch West India Company?" He ranted on, "I had ancestors in the East India Company who fought at Aceh with van Heutsz!" His breath was rancid and hot as muttered in her ear. "So no one like *you* is going to destroy what I have..."

"I didn't come to destroy anything, Jeroen," she emphasized calmly, though whether it was for him or her own pounding heart, she couldn't be sure. "Derek and I simply took the wrong path and ended up here. Let us go and we won't say a word to anyone. I promise." She knew that was a lie. They would have to report the man to the authorities. He merely laughed and her vision began to blur at the stronger grip around her throat. "Please, Jeroen..."

"Poor sad little greppeldel," she faintly heard as his arm squeezed. A tear rolled down her face as the only sign of her pain. "I don't believe you."

"Let her go!" Jeroen's head rose and turned at the authority in Derek's inflection, the one that would freeze his House members in their tracks. "She's telling the truth. If you want to blame anyone, it was my decision to take the path that brought us here. Let her go and take me."

The heaviness of the firearm against her head lessened as his other arm straightened, the weapon now pointed at Derek. "Well, that's too bad, isn't it." He laughed. "She's mine now. Finders keepers," he said before his tone lowered. "Losers weepers, schoft."

She watched in horror as his finger pulled back the trigger. No... Fighting to try to stop it, she jumped as the gun recoiled in Jeroen's hand, and she uttered a small cry. Her eyes flew to Derek, and her breath caught at the small red stain that spread beneath his fingers as his hand covered the sleeve of his right arm.

"Just to remind you of who's in charge here, vuile rotzak," Jeroen threatened. "This is where *I* rule, where *I* issue the commands. You are nothing here."

"Then let her go and we will leave you to rule your kingdom," Derek mocked with a bow. "Who knows? Some day you may rule over this island as you do this marae."

"Why shouldn't I? With my illustrious family history I'm sent to this... wretched place where they worship idols. Idols! Why shouldn't I take advantage of it?" Jeroen smirked before the pistol returned to her head. As he took another step back, he nodded to the older man. "There's a lot of money in this for me, and..." He laughed gleefully. "Maybe I can make more with mijn hoer."

She was startled when Derek joined in the laughter. "Not with this one, mijn vriendin. She's a very headstrong woman, someone whom I guarantee will give you a lot of trouble." The precept casually shrugged. "Most of the time she ignores what I tell her, which is why we ended up in your place." He shook his head. "You'd be better off dealing with me, taking me in exchange for her."

"No... no you're only trying to get me to let her go." The other man's voice was dark and cold, and Alex shivered at the words that followed. "I think you are a little too smart for your own good, Dr. Rayne."

"Then if you have an issue with me, then take it up with me," the older man spat as he took another step forward.

"Maybe I should right now." Alex felt the lifting of the pressure at her temple. And that could only mean... She saw the weapon pointed at Derek... but the younger man surprised her when he laughed.

"I've a better idea. Why don't we leave this kutwijf buried here, and we can discuss going into business together? I might be able to use your services. I think I'm selling these artifacts too cheaply, and you could come in very handy."

The stunned expression on Derek's face almost made her laugh. "Opkankeren," the older man hissed after a moment. "Go to hell!"

"No, I want you bagger schijten." Jeroen chuckled. "Wouldn't your lady love to see that. Or maybe I can get her botergeil." He snorted loudly, then bent and kissed her neck.

She tried to cover up the shudder that flared through her with a grin to Derek. "You'll have to explain to me later what some of these words mean."

"You don't want to know," he told her. "Only someone such as a..." He stared at Jeroen. "Een klerebeer would say such things to a lady."

The younger man tensed. "I'd watch the name calling," he said as he once more raised the gun and pointed it at the precept.

"No, Jeroen, no," she pleaded as her eyes met those of the man she loved. "Don't do it. Please, for me."

"What do I get in return, mijn vriendin?" The hand which held the firearm tightened around her neck as his other slipped under her halter. "Will you be mijn hoer?" She doubted that word had any other translation than the one in her mind.

"If you want me to be," she whispered, then closed her eyes as she moved her hips against his. He chuckled softly as he squeezed her breast.

"Alex..." She opened her eyes to see a furious expression on Derek's face. "What did he say to you? What are you doing?" A cool wind blew across the grove, tousling his hair. If she had to go with one Dutchman to save the other, she would gladly do it.

"The kutwijf is giving you up for me," the young man taunted. His arm shot out as he once more aimed the pistol at the precept. "Maybe I can buy her from you."

"I don't own her..."

Jeroen slid his tongue along the side of her neck. "I'll bet such a pretty colored thing would have fetched a handsome price a few hundred years ago. Who knows, maybe our ancestors bought and sold hundreds like her." A shock rippled through Alex as a brief expression passed over the older man's face.

"She's not very bright, though," the young man continued as he now pressed the barrel back to her neck. "I'll bet that she had no idea that I was using her to learn if either of you had discovered my secret. I could have sworn you didn't know... yet here you both are. She's much cleverer than I would have imagined. Maybe I should shoot you and put you out of your misery." The man slid his other hand under her top as he laughed loudly. "Or maybe I'll just play with you for a while."

She saw the frustration on Derek's face that he was trying to hide. The pressure around her throat eased once more and she turned to gaze at the man she had spent the afternoon with only a few days ago. The feral grin on his face emphasized the animal he had become. What had happened to turn him into such a... creature? Remembering their wonderful dinner at Bloody Mary's, she would have never dreamed he could be like this. And he had used her. Why must she be used by every damn man she met?

And hadn't she believed that Charlie was a charming man? She would have never believed that he could have changed from the man that she had fallen in love with so long ago into the bastard he had become. They had all lied to her, betrayed her, hadn't they? Well, it stopped here. She couldn't let this continue, and she was the only one who would be able to do something about it...

"Jeroen," she said softly as she smiled at him. "Why don't you let Derek leave, and the two of us can..."

"I don't think so, mijn hoer. I..."

He stopped when she abruptly slumped against him, and she tossed in a moan for effect. "What's the..." He awkwardly tried to keep her from falling while still holding onto the gun. "Wel verdomme!" She heard Jeroen curse as she punched him in the gut as hard as she could when the weapon lowered. God bless Nick and his security training.

"Derek!" She ran for him, trying to use her body to block any shot that Jeroen might be able to get off should he recover before she reached her precept. Her smile widened as she came closer to him. She was almost there...

She screamed as the ground below her disappeared. "Alex!" Derek yelled, and she grunted when she landed hard. Dammit! She rubbed her ankle as she looked around in the semi-darkness. What the hell was this? Water was dripping on her...

"I'm all right," she shouted to him. She took a steadying breath and tried to stand, leaning against one of the earthen walls.

"Hang on, Alex," she heard Derek say. "I'll get you out of there."

"Then it seems that you have a choice to make." She looked up and saw the younger man near the edge of the hole. "You see..." He gazed down at her. "These ritual graves fill up quite quickly in tropical downpours." Jeroen laughed harshly as the rain became worse. "You'd better get the poor greppeldel out of there before she drowns among the bones of those already there."

Alex repressed the shudder. Graves? She was in... Damn, how was she going to get out of here. She wasn't sure how long Jeroen would hold together before completing going over the edge. Or how long Derek would take his jeering without doing something stupid like trying to tackle him. She wasn't sure he could cover the distance before Jeroen might...

God, she couldn't think that way; she had to help him. Could she do something from here while Derek held his attention? She looked around in the fading light as water rose to her ankles. She grasped a short pole. Maybe she could somehow use this to climb one of the walls and come up...

A deafening shot filled the world around her and she froze in horror. No... no... no...

"Derek!" The cry seemed to emanate from the bottom of her soul. She was scared to move, to even breathe until she saw the face that would start her heart beating once more.

"Dear me." Jeroen's head leaned over the opening, and the world started to spin. "I'm afraid that he can't answer you at the moment. Or any other for that matter." He grinned at her before he looked at his watch. "Ah well, and I've got a buyer to meet." She dug her nails into the palm of her hand, fighting the dizziness, fighting the urge to surrender to unconsciousness.

"I will kill you, Jeroen," she softly vowed, her voice broken and bitter. "I will find you and I will make damn sure that you suffer until you *beg* me to put an end to it."

"You have to get out of your present predicament first, don't you," he scoffed. "Until then, mijn vriendin, tot ziens," he said with an exaggerated flourish of his hand. His laughter and footsteps faded as he walked away.

"I will find you and I will kill you, I swear it..." Her body shook before her legs collapsed beneath her, sending her to her knees in the cold, muddy water. Her hot tears mixed with the chilly rain as the darkness of the world closed in around her.

End part 27