Untitled Document

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

SASAM

Henn ran his fingers through his hair and brushed unseen oddments from his trousers. The intermission of activity meant agents were being transferred from New York to busier bases, Joseph Proctor, together with Bill Dwire, would leave for London in two days. Philip Galloway was also to go, but later, after as he said, “I’ve sorted a few family matters out.”

The inactivity of their arch enemies worried Henn. Far too many pieces of the puzzle remained unanswered. They knew what the Guardians were and possibly had removed them, but would KIJAC have produced just the one swarm? What had happened to the mysterious SASAM and of course, King and Bajak? Had King given up the fight for world dominance or was he just lurking ready to pounce on the now far too relaxed PIA?

Another worrying trend was the SEPIA team, the slightest little bit of danger was shrugged off with, “Vacily will do that one.”

Henn’s agents were becoming reliant on the fact that Sukoloff could walk into places unseen and solve the riddles. He could find hidden files in daylight, without the need for the usual mission preparation. Fear and care were going out the window because PIA had a one man army.

Henn began the all to frequent daily reprimands still deep in thought, “Mr Steele? Why is your car off the road and in a crushed condition?”

“I wasn’t driving... Sir,” he spoke sadly of his prized machine. “Luckily I wasn’t in it... Sir. The person who was driving it... Sir. Took it off the cliff at quite a few knots of speed.”

“It was deliberately driven over a cliff?”

“That’s right. He wanted to see if the car would fly if he did whilst driving it... Sir.”

“Why did you lend it him, Mister?” asked Henn giving his usual sigh.

“Lend?” said Steele banging hard on the table. “Did you say lend? Would I lend that beautiful machine to him? No, Sir! And no, before you say it, I didn’t leave the keys in it. Those blasted Russian destructor experts ingested too much of their experimental home made stomach remover then tried the flying car experiment.”

“Tzavros was in it?” asked Henn whistling in horror.

“No unfortunately not. The stoned boggart had him looking for more potatoes to make another batch of whatever. I wouldn’t mind but he didn’t even apologise, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Not exactly Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was it? I don’t know though? All we have to do is find the Chitty bit, because we’ve got the bang bit right.’”

Joseph Proctor interrupted and laughing loudly inquired, “They are not manufacturing poteen are they?”

“Are those two misinterpretations of the human species making whisky on these premises? Have they constructed a still in their lab? Steele? Have they?” shouted Henn.

Steele looked around hoping for help but all he received was shocked looks from everyone. Eventually he managed to stutter, “Sir, I think so... I don’t know. I do know that Jodie chucked them out of the apartment a few days ago. It was something to do with long copper pipes around the living room and a ghastly smell.”

Henn already had his finger on the intercom and the office walls shook at the ear-splitting shout of, “Sukoloff! Get in here this instant and bring the other abomination with you.” Then still enraged, he turned to the next subject on his agenda.

“I think we should all be cautious. I want the search for Kijac headquarters heightened, therefore this base is on Phase B-Green. I want all available personnel out there looking for anything that might possibly be construed as suspicious...

“Why, if it isn’t our leading Russian schoolboy...”

“Hi, Alex, did you...”

“Sit, Sukoloff... Thank you. As I was saying... Yes, I think Mr Klyne and Mr Galloway, you take Grid Four.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Grid Four means drive around that given area until told to stop. Not as has become the habit, to park the car and invade the nearest hamburger joint... Talking of invasions, the two agents who invaded a well known Fifth Avenue drinking house. Described as boiled out of their heads and of dubious American origin, will go back to said place and apologise for the panic they caused when they were rightly refused more drink.”

“That’s unfair...”

“Don’t interrupt me... Also an apology to the lady behind the bar who was told, loudly. ‘Everybody has the right to be ugly but you abuse the privilege.’ This in particular is meant for the one who did the incredible hulk impersonations. Not by his immense size as I was informed that he was puny, but his distinct green coloration. All damage will be paid for...”

“That’s not fair...”

“Sit, Sukoloff, I haven’t finished. The person for whom the fire-fighters had to be called out because he was high-wire-walking from building to building whilst shouting to his accomplice, ‘are you sure if I fall you can catch me?’ Will also pay for that bill... Mr Tzavros? Did you have an accident?”

Tzavros had only just sat down accompanied by many sniggers, his face sooty, his sleeve torn and his hair slightly shorter and frizzy.

“No, Sir? I walked across several times without one slip.”

The sniggers turned to gasps and Henn’s voice rose even higher, “Not the high-wire, man. The black face.”

“Too much Nitro, Zav?” asked Sukoloff smiling sympathetically.

“Much too much... That reminds me... Mr Henn, I need a acquisition form for new desk. Mine has small hole where top used to sit,” he replied casually.

Steele started his usual chortling and Henn ignored the request.

“Grids... Mr Bayfield and Mr Tretow, Grid Twenty Four using conventional communications please. I don’t want another repeat of your following Mr Bayfield’s directions and ending up in Trenton... Sit Sukoloff, I haven’t finished...

“Mr Dwire, and Miss Bird, Grid Sixty, nice flat piece of land there for you to teach Miss Bird how to drive. Mr Dwire? In America we drive on the right hand side, so teach her that way will you?”

“Yes, Sir, I guess.”

“Mr Steele, and Mr Tzavros, Grid One and I don’t want you calling back here in five minutes to tell me that the Grid has been looked over. The high speed helicopter you usually use to help you is on car wash duties... Sit Sukoloff.”

“I will not sit. I will not wash cars. You sit. You are boring, Henn. Just because you’re one of those gravitationally challenged life-forms you stop all our fun.”

Henn’s mouth twitched slightly as a triumphant grin was hidden. “Car wash duties, remove the still and don’t borrow anybody else’s car.”

Sukoloff frowned, then smiled as he remembered. “Oh, I forgot, here, Steele, a check for you, my insurance covered it. Buy a new one. Now can I go out to play... Please, Sir?”

Steele and Henn were as usual open mouthed as Sukoloff left without waiting for an answer.

“And acquisition form for new floor, mine is bit on draughty side at moment,” Tzavros added as an after thought.

Alan Klyne sighed deeply as they rounded another corner, not from the tedium of Grid work, but working with Galloway. If he had been with Dwire or Bird then this would be fun, but Galloway was so serious. Every opportunity he got was spent moaning about the top men and his distrust of them.

“Klyne, I think we’ve over run the grid,” Galloway shouted, then added, “Not that it matters, all this is utterly pointless and I know for certain that Henn only sends us out to remind us that he’s in charge.”

Ignoring the comment about Henn, Klyne checked the flashing light on his dashboard and swore. “You’re right, we’ve over run the thing. OK, quick stop for a hamburger before we get back to the grindstone.”

As they left the car and headed for the tantalising smell of hamburgers, Klyne gave a deep sigh and whispered, “Phil, you know the old saying that the unexpected is always likely to happen when you least expect it? Well don’t look now, but we’re surrounded.”

It was always worrying if an agent was late with their pre-arranged call in and Henn voiced that worry. “Joseph, Klyne is very late with his call. Give me his position at the moment.”

“They should be...” said Proctor as he punched in their assigned car and grid numbers. “Let me see... Approximately here,” he said tapping the map.

“Can’t see them, Joseph.”

“Either their tracers are inactive or they have begun to make the return journey. If that is the case then they will be on Grid Three. No, it appears not... Wait! I have them, they are stationary on Grid Two. Trixie, try again with a call.”

Henn’s concern was growing by the minute as Trixie constantly called to the young men, yet received no answer.

“Trixie, switch me over to the multi-car communicator.”

“Ready, Mr Henn.”

“Mr Steele, go immediately to Grid Two, car Z33 has a problem. All cars–I repeat–all cars return to base.”

“Control to all Levels, top agents to Level One. We have a possible situation,” shouted Proctor into the intercom.

Sukoloff, as usual, was first in and sat to await Steele’s report. After ten long minutes, he called in.

“Steele, control.”

“Control here, go ahead, Steele.”

“Car Z33 looks abandoned. I’m bringing the car back.”

“OK, this doesn’t look that good,” Sukoloff said slowly. “Let’s have complete search of that and all adjoining grids. Just pray they’ve gone to party. Pray they aren’t in hands of Kijac.”

“Two sweet little Pia men to play with,” sang Bajak as his hee-haw laugh echoed in the direction of the Halloween man Chad King.

“Shall we show them Sasam?”

“We need to do a test anyway, before the final play,” answered King. “I wonder what nice little secrets these two are going to tell us?”

“Guards! Bring them to the laboratory,” snarled Bajak.

Four heavily armed men forcibly marched the young men forward as Bajak and King led the way. Even though Klyne made continual mental notes with each change of direction he inwardly groaned. Each complex room and corridor told one story, this was undoubtedly the elusive KIJAC headquarters.

It took quite a while to reach Bajak’s laboratory, deep underground and honed from the mountain that concealed it. The young men were quickly fastened to the wall with iron shackles and Klyne looked around in disappointment. They had been brought to this underground tomb by an elevator and its door was the only one in the room. Klyne tried to put out of his mind the many devices inside that elevator–devices resembling the boxes which Dwire had so quickly made–lasers! Now, glancing around he could see similar boxes and tubes within the laboratory, completely covering the ceiling and rock walls. Bitter realisation hit him, escaping from this place was not going to be easy, if it was possible at all.

His frustration turned to curiosity, not because of the large computers and electrical cabinets that adorned one wall or that every computer was painted black. What puzzled him was the round metal plate centralised in the floor and an identical plate directly above it. Each had small holes about a millimetre apart around the circumference.

“My dear friends,” began King in his squeaky voice, while near to one of the computers stood the laughing Bajak, his fat finger poised for action.

“You can count yourselves very lucky today. I have picked you to see the latest and most ultimate weapon. This my friends, is Sasam!” Stepping out of the shadows he shuffled towards a computer and pointed at it with his knobbly cane, then he danced on top of the central plate.

“This is a part of her. This is the most important piece. She’s beautiful... She’s lovely...” He lay on the shiny plate and caressed it, then began to laugh. It was several minutes later that the unearthly cackling stopped and becoming deadly serious he continued his speech.

“In two days she will be used to conquer New York. Once she has, I will be invincible and the world will be mine. I will begin to release beings on every city in America–in England–in Japan–in every city in the world. Only when I’ve been made world leader will I stop. Then my little men, Pia will be mine! Alex Henn will be mine to play with.” His voice rose to a crescendo and time and again he slammed his cane against the wall as he echoed his words, “Mine... Mine...”

Taking an immense breath King smiled and hissing the words said, “Don’t raise your hopes that you are going to be released to take my terms to the world leaders. You two are to have the privilege of being Sasam’s first victims. I give you an ultimatum. If by tomorrow you haven’t told me all the information that I need about Pia. Like the names of your top twenty agents and a complete floor plan of New York HQ and your security, self destructor mechanisms and any ongoing top secret missions and all computer codes. If you don’t do that... If you don’t do that then you will be standing on her circle when she is operated.

“Soon I will show you exactly what Sasam is and believe me there is no escape my friends. Did Henn Guess?”

“Guess what?” muttered Klyne.

“Proctor would have worked it out. Sasam is an acronym. Did they know that?”

“They know all about you and your plans.”

“I don’t think so. I will tell you. Sasam stands for Spirits and Supernatural Arrivals Machine. We are bringing up some nice friendly little beings to help us in world dominance. As for your hopes of escape, no, my friends. You see, we have been working on this project for years. It’s been prepared down to the finest detail. Every means of escape or rescue has been covered. Firstly, this place is deep within a mountain.”

“Which one?” asked Galloway.

“No, I won’t tell you which one. I won’t...” spat King. “I won’t and never, never interrupt me!” King leapt at him jabbing with his cane to Galloway’s stomach.

Galloway reeled in pain, disbelief and from the foul stench of decay that surrounded King. Sweat bathed the young men as King began to describe the traps he had for any invaders.

“The main entrance, which you didn’t see due to your blindfolds, is solid rock. When I say solid, I mean solid, 10 feet thick. It’s opened only by my command and from the Central Core. If an attack from that quarter does come, and I doubt it... Pia have been dilly-dallying too long and still haven’t located this place... But if it does, we instantly operate Sasam and the attack will stop. Everything will stop! The world will stop!”

The young men involuntarily twitched as Kings hideous laughter filled the air.

“I won’t be scared, I will be strong!” whispered Klyne, then gasped, fists clenched, as King’s cane caught him squarely in the groin.

“Listen when I speak,” hissed King. “Listen to the President. Listen to the King, the God of this world. You will not be rescued. If somehow a rescue party does get through the main door, the next room holds a surprise... Want to know what it is?”

“Yes, President, Sir,” said Galloway sarcastically.

“Good boy, the surprise is my Guardians!”

“Oh, God help us!” sobbed Klyne.

“I see you know of them! If they get past the Guardians many surprises are in store. I see that you noticed my lasers. In this room and the elevator, we have what we call Blue Lasers. This room is surrounded by them–on the walls–on the floor–on the ceiling and in the elevator. Tomorrow they will be activated.”

Galloway, his head held high, let out a loud and purposeful snigger and King spat in his face shrieking, “Oh, I see you smirk, you think harmless little lights, yes? They are if you are living. They are there solely to keep whatever comes through Sasam from escaping into this base or other supernatural beings from getting in. If we have a machine, somebody else might have one as well. Non human beings are picked up within the light of the laser. Not only would we see them instantly, but the lights would trap the being, gradually weakening it until nothing remained, you see? No threat to us at all. Those plates you see in the centre are surrounded by laser light to direct any being we bring through to one of the plates that we have outside the building. There are many plates, all over the world. These plates have no lasers and the being will be able to walk off and begin its hunt for human blood. Homing on whichever city we want and destroying everything in its path.”

He reached into his sagging pocket removing a tiny, plastic globe that he spun and caressed. Again his cane jabbed at the young men and in a voice which one minute was deep and fearsome and the next shrill and frantic, he continued his horror story. “Each city, as well as having plates, have small boxes. Whichever box is activated that is where the being heads for, maybe Washington or maybe London. The first will start from here and home in on New York. Then maybe I’ll operate London. I can send them wherever I like. As many times as I like.”

“We will stop you. Pia will stop you!” warned Klyne and the cane found its mark, splitting Klyne’s lip. Galloway groaned in disgust as King’s greedy eyes alighted on the red trickle and one long dirty finger reached out to scoop the blood. With a fiendish squeal of glee, King sucked his finger and said, “You are all insignificant beings. You won’t stop me. Many of the rooms and the entrance are all guarded by the Blue lasers, with the added protection of what we call Red lasers. Walk through those, my friends and you will be toast. Now, my friends, let me give you a brief sample of what is in store for you and your soon to be extinct organisation.”

King nodded towards Bajak and the crazed Professor madly typed a code into the computer. Klyne tried in vain to see what was being typed then gasped as blue lights began to flit across the laboratory, criss-crossing every inch of the room. The floor and ceiling plates hummed for a second, then the same blue light poured from the multitudinous holes surrounding them. A faint blue mist dropped from ceiling to floor and as Bajak typed in another code a faint shape appeared within it.

Klyne yelled loudly as the shape took form, terror showed in his eyes and all thought of pretending to be a hardened agent vanished. Whatever it was within the blue mist searched the room with its red eyes. Each person in turn was observed, as a hawk watches a bird. Its razor sharp claws lashed at the lasers surrounding it and a howl of fury echoed around the rock walls sending its polluted decayed breath towards the young men. They found themselves gagging with its vile odour and quaking from its loathsomeness. It roared again with fury or hunger, perhaps with only an inbuilt need to kill, then it vanished. The sound and smell of this pet of Beelzebub hung in the air and was joined by the barbarous laughter of both King and Bajak.

Still reeling from what they had seen, they were led back up to the prison cells to await their fate. Klyne half sat, half fell on to one of the rough wooden benches that provided their only comfort. Then pulling his knees up to his chest he began to shake.

“Now listen to me carefully, Alan. What we witnessed was done with lights. It was a hologram. Oh, I admit a very clever one, but a hologram all the same.”

“You have no idea, your worst nightmares couldn’t prepare you for this,” sighed Klyne as he slumped further into the bench.

Galloway began to fear that his partner just might give KIJAC all the information they required and shaking the wan faced young man, firmly said, “Remember your training. A counter organisation will try every trick in the book to obtain information. This includes hypnosis to conjure up your deepest fears. That’s all they’re doing, trying to make you talk without the usual thumb screw and once we do talk, we’re dead! There are no monsters, so pull yourself together.”

“You just don’t understand,” said Klyne as another shudder ran through him. “I know these men and what they’re capable of doing. I’ve seen what they can do. Mind drugs or lights, they are capable of bringing something back from the dead or wherever that came from.”

“Alan, don’t tell them anything!”

“Don’t worry about me talking. I think I can withstand quite a lot before I do. I don’t know that much anyway because my security level isn’t that high. My main concern is getting out of here. We must warn Mr Henn of what is about to take place, because believe you me... Something is going to happen in two days and we have only one day to stop it.”

Galloway looked around the cell and laughed. In the dim glow of a light in the rock ceiling the cell looked more like a cave, small, cold and damp. A constant drip drip of water over many years had polished and distorted the stone floor. After only a few minutes the sound was beginning to unnerve them. Eerie shadows danced around and mirrored the sounds of unseen rats. Galloway shoved at the door several times but soon realised the futility and gave up after failing to make even the slightest movement.

“This is impossible, what usually happens if an agent is captured?”

Pacing the small cell, Klyne explained PIA’s procedure. “By now our car will have been found and a search of that area will be underway.”

“Well we know they won’t find us because we were flown quite a distance.”

“With those blindfolds on, they could well have flown that plane in a full circle and we wouldn’t have known. But Mr Henn won’t give up I do know that. Not for a while anyway. If we still had some of our equipment on us, a tracer–complink–anything. But these guys were clever and removed every piece of equipment I have. How about you?”

“They took it. What next?”

Klyne sat down again and bit his lip as he thought, then shaking his head he replied, “This time, I don’t think there’s going to be a rescue. Blast! I memorised the whole floor plan of this place as well. I’m sure if I could get that to Mr Henn he’d work out some attack plan from it. Mind you we mustn’t give up, you wouldn’t believe what I’ve been rescued from.”

“Well I might have guessed really, it’s just my luck,” said Galloway mumbling. “I thought being a spy might be good fun. I wanted the good pay, the excitement and early retirement, you know?”

“I know, easy work.”

“Exactly, now suddenly I find I’m about to be an ex-spy, wonderful. Hey! How about Sukoloff and his super spies? Or don’t the big guys bother to help insignificant minor agents?”

“Good Lord, man,” Klyne sighed. “I just don’t get you, why are you so bitter? Mr Sukoloff gets more agents out of trouble than anybody, especially minors. He saved me twice. Anyway, why call them the super spies? I presume you mean the Sepias?”

Curiosity aroused, Galloway asked, “How did he save you? Catch a bullet? Because that lot seem to think they can. Impregnable, indispensable and indestructible that’s them.”

“You really are the limit, don’t be so stupid. Mr Sukoloff didn’t catch a bullet he caught... Oh, Lord, don’t ask. Mr Tretow was there that time and he said he was going to call for help, he said I wasn’t to worry and then... No, don’t ask. But, Phil, please don’t be so bitter. Are you jealous of the top men?”

“No, of course not,” snapped Galloway. “I’m as good as that lot. I bet you they’re not even looking for us, especially Sukoloff, unfeeling bastard. He’ll be with the other foreigner getting pissed out of his tiny mind again.”

Klyne had finally had enough and slamming the surprised Galloway into the wall he shouted, “That’s enough, maybe he doesn’t show it but he cares. He cares about each one of us. He stopped me from dying. He stopped the horsemen from taking me and stopped me from dying when I was thrown from an aeroplane.”

Galloway sat for a while in silence, then he raised his eyebrows and asked, “How did he do that, not dual parachute you did he? God, you were lucky if he did because not many people can do that.”

“I said, don’t ask.” Then he sat, put his head back against the cold damp wall and his mind began to whirl with everything he had tried so hard to forget. There was no parachute–the horsemen had been real– Tretow had been there and was a SEPIA officer in charge of communications– the holographic image of Sukoloff, an image that had said, “Oh shit.”

“Oh Lord! Phil, the Sepia team! He’s the leader of the Sepia team! I think he is… I just don’t know... Oh Lord, for all I know I could be mad.” He began to nod his head, scrapping his hair on the rough wall.

“...Yes, I’m mad. Vacily is going to be a father.” He half stood, then promptly sat again. “... No, maybe I’m not mad.” He jumped up, his face flushed with excitement and grabbing Galloway’s arm whispered, “Listen, Phil, I’m going to try something and it probably won’t work. But, please don’t stop me. Remember that tomorrow we are going to die and the day after many more will follow. I have to try something and if I am mad, I won’t be around for Mr Henn to debrief me. You see, I think that’s what I’ve been afraid of, certainly not of him.”

“Okay, so what are we going to do, yell?”

“In a way, yes,” said Klyne giving a thin smile. “I’m going to yell. I don’t think I can do it, but we haven’t got any other option so I’m going to try. If I’m right, then we will get help, I know what Mr Sukoloff can do. If I’m wrong? Well, at least we would have tried, now silence.” Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes but quickly opened them and said, “Phil, sit opposite me and hold my hands.”

“Get away you weird being,” said Galloway backing up. “If you’re that frightened, suck your thumb or something.”

“No, not that kind of hold hands, we need to make a circle... I think.”

After a few minutes, Galloway dubiously agreed and Klyne began to chant, “I call on you the spirit world. I call on you to help me... Vacily, can you hear me? Vacily, help us...”

Galloway instantly let go of Klyne’s hands and once he had stopped laughing spoke. “Here, you are nuts, totally cuckoo. Spirit world? I know Sukoloff’s potty, but you can’t tell me he mucks about in all that rubbish. Leave it out, Klyne. Anyway, just pretend he does hear you, he’ll kill you.”

“He won’t hurt me.”

“He will if he hears you call him Vacily. Remember, all these top nutcases must be called Sir or Mister... Blasted ponces!”

Klyne stood and slowly walked around the small cell for a while before he answered in a surprisingly authoritarian voice. “I said, don’t stop me. If we get out of this mess then you can report me. But, until then, I’m the senior officer and you will obey me. Mr Sukoloff caught me as I fell. He isn’t normal. Or maybe he has some special kind of equipment, I just don’t know. But please let me try.”

“I don’t like this,” said Galloway giving a shudder. “You do know that I could relieve you of duty right now?”

“Yes.”

“And you know that madman or not, you’re all I have. Okay, go ahead.”

Galloway looked up to the rock ceiling and sighed, poor little boy, perhaps it’s the claustrophobic nature of the cell that’s driven him over the edge. What the hell, it’s his last day on earth, it can’t do no harm to humour him.

With their hands linked, Klyne began to speak.

Instantly wary with two of his men suddenly disappearing, Henn had taken the base alert level to Phase B-Red. All his available best agents were called to the office and as expected they were all working perfectly together. New York headquarters had become a hive of activity.

Steele and Tzavros ran tracing equipment and issued new orders to their field operators. Tretow and Bayfield worked the vast communications network calling all agents across the world to be on stand-by. All cars were sent hither and thither as Proctor, Dwire and Sukoloff plotted the grid network of New York.

Despite Henn’s disapproval Galloway’s father was with them. The moment he learned of his son’s disappearance he loosed all the hate he felt for Sukoloff and PIA.

“Damn you, Pia lot! Always mucking about with peoples lives. Why don’t you just leave us alone?”

Sukoloff tried to explain that it was his son’s job and how he knew all the risks, but he had been interrupted. “Don’t give me that, he was a new agent and you deliberately threw him into the hot line. You’re all cold blooded killers and these young people mean nothing to you apart from the added work load of more paper work.”

There was nothing Sukoloff could say to the man, he could not help Klyne and Galloway until he knew where they were.

Even though George Galloway blamed them for his son’s disappearance he was impressed by the togetherness of the PIA unit, until he saw Sukoloff. He stood across the room with his hands over his head. Very slowly he walked towards the table and sat down, but still with his hands in the same position.

“I think your guy is getting too old for this. Look, got a dizzy spell or something?” said Galloway.

Henn only briefly looked, then carried on with the more important task of map reading and issuing orders. “Dwire, switch the Grid map to New Jersey. Okay, let’s see, let’s try all the old Kijac hide-outs in that area and all...”

“Tret?”

“Yo, Vacily?”

“You wouldn’t be trying to send would you?”

“I’ve given up, I don’t think I’ll ever get it back. I can’t hear or send.”

“Gent, are you?” Sukoloff said frowning.

“Too busy.”

“No? Alex?... Dwire, are you fiddling with something? You sure you’ve not left some silly game about the building?”

“No, sir!”

“Right, then I want total silence, this very muffled and far away.”

“Oh, what the Hell’s he up too?” said George Galloway giving a loud laugh.

“I can’t explain now, but we must be quiet,” said Henn as he very gently sat Galloway down.

“Gent, try and pick up as well. This so quiet I getting something I never get, a headache.”

For ten minutes Sukoloff sat with his head in his hands, then he began to speak very slowly and with over stated clarity. “Klyne, receive... Alan, listen to me... Give–me–your–co-ordinates.”

“Idiots, all of you,” Galloway interrupted.

“Is it them?” asked Henn

“Yes, well it’s Klyne anyway. He won’t stop long enough to receive. Hey! How he know to send? Alex, I need permission to use prototype jet and D Mode.”

“I don’t think so…”

“That way I might be able to... Well, sort of triangulate... And, before you say, how, as I get closer to a sender the voice gets louder. I should, with any luck, be able to home in on him. That is, if he keeps sending. Once I do, I’ll send to Gent to tell you what’s happening, so be ready.”

“Very clever, but land at a distance and walk in. I don’t want any heart attacks from scared silly agents, Klyne has had enough of that to last him a life time,” said Henn smiling.

Philip Galloway listened to Klyne’s monotonous voice, all the time hoping that one of the guards outside did not hear how sane his partner really was.

“Alan, I think that’s enough now don’t you? Nothings going to happen, so let’s try something useful... Like smash the door down.”

Klyne looked up from his chanting, “I’ll do it once more, I’m sure I heard him.”

“Heard who?” said Galloway giving a sad laugh. “Alan, we’re not going to be rescued.”

“Don’t be too sure of that, my friend.”

“Vacily!... Mr Sukoloff,” yelled Klyne.

A frowning Galloway went to the door and gasped as he saw Sukoloff peering through the bars. “How did you find us?”

“Lucky guess, now let’s try this door.” As he began to fiddle with the lock another voice came from the stone corridor. “Another Pia man! I don’t know how you got in, but believe you me, you ain’t getting out.” Before he could move, several guards had appeared and after first removing all his valuable equipment, Sukoloff joined his men within the cell.

“Hi there,” he said giving a shrug. “Nice place we have, don’t you think?”

“Very clever, mate. I think that must rate as the best bit of rescuing I’ve ever seen. I was right, you are a has-been.”

“Not bad, no, not bad. But I’ve done better and it’s Sir has-been.”

Laughing loudly Klyne kept repeating, “You heard me, you did didn’t you?”

“Humour him,” sighed Galloway. “The poor chap isn’t all there.”

Sukoloff looked long and hard at Klyne and without any outward change of expression said, “I heard you, Alan. Now, I must know what is going on around here and as much as you can remember of base layout.”

Klyne quickly told of the many rooms and traps that the base concealed.

“That’s torn it,” said Sukoloff as he learned about the lasers. “I was hoping that I could do this job by myself. OK, firstly we have to get back to New York, then we can begin battle plans... This monstrosity has to be stopped.”

Galloway, laughing loudly, asked, “Just how do you intend to get out of here?”

Bayfield’s fingers went into his ears and Proctor rushed over with a notepad. “Give permission to use cat transport and D Mode... Stop... Over.”

“Cat transportation?” said Henn wincing. “That’s not what I think it is, is it?”

“Remember mice and dropping me off in lake?”

“Oh no, he wouldn’t? He can’t, can he? Gent, say no.”

“I’ll try, but unless he’s very close by, he won’t hear me. At the moment I can only send to about two miles away, after that it’s just white noise.”

“Tret, can’t you just try,” asked Henn sighing. “You never know, he might be able to hear you.”

“No good at all, that bump on the head has smashed the wire completely.”

“Mr Henn,” said Bayfield laughing. “You do it, remember he said he can hear you. One try, you send, I receive and we’ll be the perfect team... Yes, Sir?”

“Oh, come on now, I can’t do this, it’s for you spooky guys... Mind you, I have to know where they are. Right, one try.”

“What are you crazy people up to?” tutted George Galloway as Henn sat with his face screwed up in a distressing manner.

A very concerned Klyne grabbed Sukoloff as he jumped to his feet with both hands over his ears yelling loudly.

“It’s okay, Alan. Damn! I don’t believe it, it’s Henn and I’ve got feed back... Typical of him, he says no.”

“Look, Sukoloff, I said humour the guy. I didn’t say join him in this madness.”

“Mister Sukoloff!”

“I told you, what did I say? Mister, it’s Mister!” chortled Galloway.

Bayfield’s eyes opened wide and again his fingers went in his ears. “You did it, Mr Henn! Right, Joseph, decipher this lot... Agent in danger… Stop… Must get out…Stop… One way only… Stop… Okay, Klyne has guess, think so… Stop… Important cat transport... Stop... Alex, shout do... Stop... Give permission, yes or no... Stop... End.”

“Incredible,” said Proctor. “His spelling is improving. For a start shout your answer, I do not believe he can hear you efficiently. It looks as if those young men are in danger and must be taken out... Guess which way that would be? Alex, are you going to let him?”

“I can’t give him permission to do that! No, I must know the nature of the danger...” Then the face contortions started again.

“Oh, not more feed back?” This time Klyne laughed as Sukoloff dropped to his knees yelling.

“That really hurts!”

“What did he say?”

“Now he want’s to know why. Oh, for goodness sake, I go without his permission in minute!”

“Are you actually managing to talk to Henn? Is it some new communications set?” asked a suddenly curious Galloway.

The question went unanswered as guards arrived at the door with the monster King. “Feeling comfortable, Sukoloff?” he sniggered.

“Mister Sukoloff!”

“I don’t want you for the test, I think you will be the last and have the pleasure of watching your men die before you join them. Twenty minutes and... That man, I think,” he said pointing towards Klyne. “Oh yes, my friends, were starting the games early and just in-case Sukoloff brought more of his men with him, the lasers are already active.”

Klyne turned a deathly white the instant King’s bony finger pointed his way and when the guards left, Sukoloff started to send.

Proctor wrote quickly as he noted the panic in the way the words were strung together, “I do not like this, Alex. Listen to this, ‘Klyne will die soon... Stop... Must save... Underworld up... Get Klyne, then get world... Stop... Must destroy, Klyne has memory plan of base... Stop... Must get out... Whiskers do, Alex... Whiskers... Hurt ears... Stop... End.”

Henn frowned as he read the translation. “Right, we have a problem here. We know, or think, that Klyne is in immediate danger and must be rescued... Underworld up? I hope that doesn’t mean that Kijac have found some way of calling on you-know-where.”

“Place where found Scarab?”

“They will kill Klyne first, then the world? Yes, must destroy, that has to be Kijac headquarters, that’s where they are! Klyne has a memory plan of the inside. But what on earth is whiskers?”

“I think you’re shouting,” Tretow said laughing. “Try and think softly. Whisper, you’re hurting his ears.”

Henn nodded and turning towards Proctor said, “I think we’d better get them back here. There must be a reason why he hasn’t called for the attack force. Vacily won’t leave them to come back here to tell us the full story. I know him, he’ll stay with them until all hope of their survival has gone. I don’t know how he’ll get them out without them knowing what he’s doing.”

“Or what is.”

“What’s going on?” George Galloway asked in a puzzled voice. “Have you found them and if so, how? How are you communicating?... No, don’t tell me about the new device that you tried fooling Dwire with. I’m sorry, but that I don’t believe even if Dwire was stupid enough to believe it and that leaves only one possible way doesn’t it? Very clever indeed, you people do train in every possible way don’t you.”

Dwire turned around and twitching slightly said, “Sir? May I be excused a moment? I need to make a phone call.” Henn nodded and sent instructions to Sukoloff to bring the young men home.

With a yell of delight Sukoloff told them he had been given permission to take them out, this caused Galloway to snigger again and sarcastically say, “Okay, Mister top past-tense agent, just look around you! Think of all the lasers that Alan has told you about. How do you intend to take us out?”

“Mister Sukoloff! But I agree we do have a problem. Once out it’s going to take us a while to get back to New York and every second counts. I’ll call Alex again and see what he can arrange.”

Proctor sighed deeply as he read. “He says he is in Arizona, Grid 80, Map Code 377. He does not want the team to attack, but we are to go to top level readiness. He want’s us to arrange the fastest pick-up we can, for all three of them, so that we can go immediately to briefing. Pick-up must be away from Kijac, at Map Code 375.”

“Right, let’s see that map,” said Henn. “What air strengths have we ready in that area?”

“P.A. 19, is–here,” said Proctor pointing to a small airfield.

“That’s no good,” answered Henn. “P.A. 19 is a crop duster, used for light reconnaissance. Where the heck are our fastest?...”

“Sir?”

“Yes, Mr Dwire, I’ll talk to you in a minute. It’s imperative that we get them back in this building as soon as possible. Joseph, how about P.A. 446?”

“In for a refit, the same as 225 and 321.”

“I don’t believe it, why, oh why, have they all gone in for refits just when I need them. OK, call P.H. 44, at map ref. 250 and have them do the pick-up, once they get there P.A. 67 can bring them back...”

“Sir?”

“Mr Dwire, what is so important that you have to keep interrupting?”

“Difficult, Sir, you see I... How on earth do I put this? Well, it’s the telepathy, I guess. Well I phoned someone... Well, I think I’m about to be given the sack, I guess. I phoned someone, who phoned someone and... I’m stuck. I know of someone and he has phoned someone... You see? I think I know what the Sepias are, so I... Oh, Mr Henn...”

“Right, let’s start again. You think you know what my special team is, so because of that, you’ve called someone who’s going to phone someone and that is going to help with our transportation needs, is it?”

Dwire sat down and his fingernails began to shorten rapidly between his teeth, “Sir... If your man doing the talking is going to do what my man in Kenya says he’s going to do. Then the two men he’s going to do it to will know what he is, I guess. Therefore it won’t matter if my man in Kenya flies over to him and helps him fly back supersonic with two passengers. But if my man is wrong and your man is not what I thought he was then... I’m in big trouble... Sir.”

“You guess,” said Henn letting out a large snort. “Let me think... Your man... Look I haven’t time for all this... Who did your man call?”

“I can’t tell you that, it’s top secret, Sir... I shouldn’t have started this.”

Tzavros took his headset off for a second and swung around.

“Call from Gross, he say, ‘clear Dwire and will explain later, send message to Sepia One. Say Sepia pilot Seven, will rendezvous at Map Code 375 in ten minutes, make Dwire Sepia.’” And as George Galloway moaned about their madness, Henn sent.

“Seven? I haven’t got a Seven. Oh well, never mind. Okay, we are being met outside and then going straight back to New York.”

Philip Galloway looked away in disbelief, then he tried to explain to Sukoloff the futility of escape. “Listen, how are you going to get past the guards? Or for that matter the simple task of knocking that door down without the whole Kijac army arriving at the first crash? Now, let me guess, you’re going to start a tunnel, or escape through the wall.”

Klyne stood and began laughing loudly, with his eyes shining with light, he gleefully said, “That’s it, you can can’t you? You’re going out through the walls.”

Banging his hand against the wall, Galloway tried to demonstrate just how solid they were. “I don’t believe this!” he said. “I’m being held captive by madmen, while two other madmen make plans for escape.”

Sukoloff sat and surveyed both men, then standing he began to prepare them for his method of escape.

“I want you both to listen. I shouldn’t tell you any of this, especially you, Galloway. But it only way that can save both of you. You are about to see something that rated top secret. If I escape you will both die. I need you, Alan, to give us plan of this base. If I take only you, by time the rescue team arrives Galloway will be dead. So I have to take you both. This top secret is known only to Sepia team and now you both members. Tell about its secrets and you face instant debriefing. In case you don’t know what that is, it means total memory wipe-out. Alan, I think you already know my secret, but this is so hard for me to tell you.”

Sporting the widest possible grin Klyne quickly said, “I think I know, I hope so anyway. You’re not exactly normal are you? You can fly and walk through walls. Those elevators don’t exist, what are you, Vacily?”

“Pah! Don’t call him that! It’s Mister has-been, remember.”

“Firstly, Alan and I are friends so he has every right to call me whatever he likes. At the moment, you don’t. Secondly, I’m what is called a Class One. I am not just any old has-been, I’m a dead has-been.”

As Galloway backed up, Klyne began to jump up and down yelling, “I knew it, I did you know! All the time I knew it but I couldn’t tell anybody because I thought I was the only one who knew. I thought I would get you into trouble. Also, I though I was mad because it’s just not logical is it. Even after everything I saw with Scarab, logic wouldn’t let me believe in ghosts. Suddenly I feel marvellous, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from me.”

Galloway had taken refuge in the furthest corner possible away from the madmen and placed his hands over his ears as Sukoloff spoke.

“We haven’t much time, so full explanations later. Now... First I think I’ll find thinnest wall, then come back for you. Galloway! Don’t even think of yelling or we’ll have to do this without your conscious assistance.”

Although Galloway’s mouth opened wide as Sukoloff drifted through the wall, just as in the most horrific nightmares, a scream wouldn’t come. Klyne, however, was grinning with relief and pride, he was not mad and he had been rescued by a ghost and not many people could say that.

Two minutes later Sukoloff returned with news. Directly below them, about 10 feet down, was a large metal pipe. This ran from under the guards' quarters, directly under the cells. Several other such pipes joined onto it from above and below. Each level and room, it seemed, had its own tunnel in-case of invasion. After a run of about 100 metres the pipe turned and headed upwards to the surface, finally turning to run below the upper rock layer of the surface. It was here that more of the lasers had been set and were now active, preventing them using the final run of pipe to the exit hole.

“I start with you, Alan. I’ll take you through floor and drop you off in tunnel. From there you go up the ladders until you see the bend. Don’t attempt to go any further, lasers are set for fast food production. Once I’ve got Philip into tunnel, I pick you up again and... Alan, I’m sorry, but we have at least 15 feet of solid rock to go through. You might get scratches, or... Well... It might kill you. Yes or no?”

Galloway was wildly shaking his head and still trying to find his lost scream but Klyne nodded and said, “I’ve been through worse, being hit by a rock will be quick... I hope.”

Sukoloff sighed and prayed all his tests on animals had been correct, then carefully placing his jacket over Klyne’s head, he dropped through the floor.

Galloway watched the floor carefully and the instant Sukoloff appeared he backed up shouting. “You freak, you... You perversion of so-called life. You killed him. You bloody bastard. You...”

Without blinking, Sukoloff struck out, “OK, my friend, unconscious it must be.”

Klyne sat on the warm sand with his eyes still tightly shut as Sukoloff came through the ground and whispered to him, “You’re alive, Alan. It worked, you went through fifteen feet of solid rock as if it was butter. Now quickly, go to pick-up point.”

“Oh! Not so successful with Phil?” asked Klyne frowning as he saw the unconscious Galloway.

“He didn’t wish to try, but not to worry, I persuaded him.”

Once the pickup point was reached, Sukoloff looked around for the waiting helicopter and scowled at a young man sitting cross-legged on a nearby rock. He could not have been more than twenty-two, yet unlike all other young agents did not jump to attention when he saw Sukoloff. Instead, he glanced impatiently at his watch and moved his mousy coloured hair away from his pale brown eyes.

“Ten minutes I said, you were fifteen. But that’s not bad for a baby ghost.”

Sukoloff again glanced around looking for the helicopter, then a smile flickered over his face. “Sepia Seven, I presume?”

The young man responded at first with a nod, then as a father to a child. “And you’re the infamous Sepia One. Right, I’m Paul Woods, Kenyan agent and Class One Pilot, fully trained, at your service.” He gave a slight bow and pointed to Galloway. “The one who’s playing possum first I think, before he wakes up and you are forced to administer more of your gentle lullaby tactics. You, with the grin, lay low and wait, we will return. Lightning acceleration Sepia One, two minutes to New York landing strip.”

“Wait a minute,” gasped Sukoloff. “Flying supersonic by myself is one thing, with passenger? It can’t be done. We’ll kill them, or drop them, probably both. No I won’t do it.”

“Believe me it can be done, we use the same rules as for rock walking, they mustn’t look and... Just for once, you try not to be sick. It must be a perfect flight, okay? Passengers dislike turbulence. We drop this sleepy one off in your elevator, then come back for the grinning one. You take one arm, I take the other and we fly. Remember, if you spin, he spins and maybe right out of his arms, okay?”