Read 03. The Maze in the Mirror for Free Online Page A

blow that old attic door right off its hinges.
    There was the sudden sound of movement, and then two sharp, piercing cries of pain. At least they hadn't broken the energy grid and were paying the price.
    "Do you think they got in?" Bond asked worriedly.
    She shook her head. "No way of knowin' without stickin' my neck up there which I ain't about to do. On the other hand, I don't hear no footsteps on the ceilin', neither. Let me get back in the hall. There ain't but two ways down from there without choppin' holes."
    She stood in the center and waited, the only light coming from the night light in Dash's room. By God, if they got in and headed for Dash they was gonna have to roll over her dead body!
    Suddenly there was the soft sound of something moving, a creaking sound down the hall at the end nearest Dash, and she felt a sudden chill as some of the outside cold rushed excitedly into the warmth of the house. They had got in, damn them!
    They made a fair amount of noise as they moved the trap up and away, and she armed the pistol again and aimed it right at the opening. Anybody coming down there was gonna get smeared.
    Suddenly the pistol jerked in her hand and shesaw the red tracers head for the opening and heard a cry. She moved a little forward to give it a slightly better angle when suddenly something powerful came up behind her and grabbed her, knocking the pistol from her hand and sending it skidding along the hall.
    She turned and flipped the man with one motion, but he retained control and somersaulted and landed on his feet. He was a strange looking fellow all in black with a black mask over all but his eyes. She was a little out of practice, but she knew her judo and karate, but she had the uneasy feeling that this guy knew a lot more and had lots of practice.
    Suddenly there were more on her; they'd drawn her with the one trap door while coming down the other! She struggled and twisted but suddenly there was pressure on her neck and her whole body seemed to explode first in pain and then in numbness, and she dropped to the floor.
    Curiously, she was fully conscious, able to hear everything, but she was unable to move and her glasses had been knocked off in the attack and she couldn't see a damned thing without them.
    The black-clad men spoke that curious sing-song while making it sound like gutter speech, but suddenly there was another presence nearby, and one of the warriors spoke to it in heavily accented but understandable English.
    "Bond?" asked a husky, eerie voice that might be male or female but was certainly chilling.
    "In room dere," one of the warriors responded. "Him bad hurt. Lady here out with quinsin."
    "Check downstairs," ordered the chilling voice. "See if you can locate the master security controland turn it off. If we can go out the front door it will save us having to haul him out the way we came in." There was a moment's pause. "By Yusha! This is a bitter cold place! The heat feels good but we must hurry. Any sign of the man?"
    "No. Small boy in room dere only other one in house."
    There was more sing-song from downstairs, and the warrior talking to the stranger said, "Find system. Hard to figure but can bypass. We go any time now."
    "Good. I am anxious to be away from here. Too bad the man isn't here. I shouldn't want him desperately on us."
    Strange. She swore she heard the sounds of vehicles driving up outside and doors slamming. She tried to move but she couldn't. Her eyelids and her breathing were about the only things she could control. All else was numbness.
    "All right, let's wrap it up. They'll be coming through any minute now and I don't want to be caught here. Recover your dead and wounded but leave the others. Leave her, too, just the way she is."
    "But that leave too much! You have Company up ass pretty quick!"
    "I think not. I just want to make certain that both of them come-and cautiously." The voice paused. "Take the kid," it added.
    No! Please God! No! she tried to shout, but she