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Description

A GIRL'S GOTTA DO...

Spongy pine needles gave underfoot, lending Amy's footfalls an almost comedic bounce as she tore through the woods surrounding the establishment. Far behind her she heard dogs baying along with hoarse cries of "This way!" and "Over here!" Things weren't looking-up...
The young woman with the short, boyish hair staggered-on, wheezing. It was bad enough being pursued like this but in a straitjacket the outcome was practically a foregone conclusion!
She'd run some track in her teens but and had kept in pretty good shape but couldn't pump her arms-bound tightly around her mid-section as they were. Amy doubted that even her friends had been in such a situation. Well, all but one, at least...
The young reporter stepped-off the riverbank and waded into the stream with the thought of throwing-off her scent. She moved slowly and methodically along it-the last thing she needed was to slip and drown, unable to right herself! Suddenly, she staggered and dropped into a hidden chasm, the freezing cascade up to her chest and sucked-in a gasp of the pine-scented air. She bit her lip to avoid a noisy exclamation-the water was icy!
Her teeth began to chatter and Amy Allen cursed herself for trying to get the skinny on the institute in December. Why couldn't she have come across the place in Summer?
Of course, she'd had no idea how determined and devious Doctor Harris could be when discovering her findings, her intended 'less than favourable' article and how close she was to exposing his 'activities'. She should have read the signs, though...
Amy really had no inkling that he'd attempt to 'lose her in the system' at The Foundation! She'd fallen for his veneer of charm and his apparent shock at her findings, pleading his innocense. Why, he had no knowledge of any wrongdoings at the place!
Her teeth were now chattering so loudly she thought her pursuers might hear and she struggled-up out of the chilly water, looking down at her muddy legs and straitjacket. Once more she attempted to wrestle with the thing but it was no use, she was in it until somebody let her out.
A solid-looking stump of a branch stuck-out in front of her but calls in the night behind her forced her to run-on. Besides, escape was the main thing. Even if she did manage to loosen some of the straps across her back, the loss of her lead would only provide her with a helpful attendant who would tighten them back up again! Going by her recent luck, she'd probably lose her footing anyway and be found dangling from the tree, convenient for them!
"Not far now," she mused-more with hope than actual knowledge, "...that hole has got to be around here, somewhere!"
The Barking of the dogs didn't diminish as she hurried along in a low crouch till she saw the high, mesh fence and straightened-up, jogging at it. The chain-link screen had once been nylon coated but much of that had flaked-off in the past twenty years and now scales of rust covered it's surface. Amy charged at it but bounced-off and landed on her sodden rear end. She almost howled in frustration! Why hadn't she thought to mark it more clearly where her escape hatch was?
In the dark she couldn't make-out the line of red primer-coat against the rust and green of it. The girl grimaced at her discomfort and rolled to her knees, then up and to her feet. Where was the gap? She tested it at intervals, then nearly fell right through it! Amy sighed with relief as she left the grounds of The Beckman Foundation, finding herself in identical looking woods but ones she knew led her to the abandoned logging road she'd parked her Le Car off.
Obviously, driving it was going to be a no-no in this little number unless she'd picked-up some tips from Wacky Races but she knew she'd left a phone in it. If she could just get a call out...
The forest began to thin and the track was suddenly in front of her. Where was the small Renault from here though? Barefoot, Amy jogged along the rutted track, sneezed and froze. Had anyone heard her? She listened carefully. Nothing, even the dogs couldn't be heard anymore so she concentrated on finding her car. Suddenly;
"THERE!"
It was the familiar hump-backed shape of her little French car and she began to pick-up speed as she scampered toward it. The brunette lifted her leg to put her toe into the recess to flick the door catch but missed and fell over;
"HELL, what a stupid design!" She whined and righted herself. Getting a good purchase on the latch she found it still wouldn't move! This time she didn't fall over but instead, looked at the inside of the hatchback. There was her Cell in the passenger door-pocket. What was wrong? She knew she hadn't locked it?
"Well, well, well. Out for a midnight stroll are you, darlin'?"
The girl-reporter's heart sank at the sound of the swaggering cockney as he approached from behind her. She heaved a bitter sigh, straightened and turned to face him.
Statham grinned and jangled her car keys at her;
"Who would have thought you'd be so much trouble in this little thing, eh?"-He mocked, tugging the girl towards him by the stiff collar of her Posey. He stood well over a foot taller than her and the institution's pet shaven-headed goon looked down at her. She said nothing as he guided her back to the van she could now make-out in the dark beside a clump of bushes. He put his arm around her shoulder and steered her towards it. She knew there was nothing she could do, she was trapped.
"You've been a very naughty little girl," he admonished, "...and you'll have to be punished for what you done..." he declared as he pulled-open the passenger door of the Econoline and hefted her into the seat, taking care to strap her in with the belt-he wasn't taking any chances this time! He crossed to the driver's side and climbed in, casting a long look at her muddy legs. He gave the closest a firm squeeze, "Ooh, they're icy they are, love! Don't worry, we'll soon have you warmed-up-snug as a bug in a rug!"
Vince Statham lifted his head to the flat look she was giving him and arched an eyebrow in question.
"You don't understand," she muttered, "I've got friends. They'll find me and when they do, you'll be so, so sorry."
The thug was intrigued;
"Oh yeah, your boyfriend going to beat me up, is he?"
"No," she answered in the same flat tone-there was no bravado in it, "...my boyfriend's an architect. He won't find me but they will."
The orderly put the Ford into reverse and got out onto the logging track before putting his foot down to get back to the institute. He took the bends far too fast, sliding the van around them but it wasn't having the right effect, she merely sat there unimpressed as they approached the big, electric gates to the place.
"You know, it's going to be funny," she said, looking at him and smiling-it wasn't a nice smile, "...I hope they let me watch..."
"Hard, are they?" He asked with a sneer. She just smiled as the van moved into the grounds. The Ford came to a halt at the foot of the enormous place's steps.
"This place is going to be razed to the ground and you're going to wish you'de never come here. We'll wipe this gothic monstrosity off the map!"
"Oh yeah, you and whose army?"

IN NINETEEN SEVENTY-TWO A CRACK COMMANDO SQUADRON WAS JAILED FOR A CRIME THEY DIDN'T COMMIT. THEY PROMPTLY
ESCAPED FROM A HIGH SECURITY STOCKADE AND ESCAPED TO THE LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND FROM WHERE THEY ACT AS
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE. IF YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, IF NO-ONE ELSE CAN HELP AND IF YOU CAN FIND THEM, MAYBE YOU CAN HIRE
THE 'A' TEAM!

TO BE CONTINUED

Description

A GIRL'S GOTTA DO...

Spongy pine needles gave underfoot, lending Amy's footfalls an almost comedic bounce as she tore through the woods surrounding the establishment. Far behind her she heard dogs baying along with hoarse cries of "This way!" and "Over here!" Things weren't looking-up...
The young woman with the short, boyish hair staggered-on, wheezing. It was bad enough being pursued like this but in a straitjacket the outcome was practically a foregone conclusion!
She'd run some track in her teens but and had kept in pretty good shape but couldn't pump her arms-bound tightly around her mid-section as they were. Amy doubted that even her friends had been in such a situation. Well, all but one, at least...
The young reporter stepped-off the riverbank and waded into the stream with the thought of throwing-off her scent. She moved slowly and methodically along it-the last thing she needed was to slip and drown, unable to right herself! Suddenly, she staggered and dropped into a hidden chasm, the freezing cascade up to her chest and sucked-in a gasp of the pine-scented air. She bit her lip to avoid a noisy exclamation-the water was icy!
Her teeth began to chatter and Amy Allen cursed herself for trying to get the skinny on the institute in December. Why couldn't she have come across the place in Summer?
Of course, she'd had no idea how determined and devious Doctor Harris could be when discovering her findings, her intended 'less than favourable' article and how close she was to exposing his 'activities'. She should have read the signs, though...
Amy really had no inkling that he'd attempt to 'lose her in the system' at The Foundation! She'd fallen for his veneer of charm and his apparent shock at her findings, pleading his innocense. Why, he had no knowledge of any wrongdoings at the place!
Her teeth were now chattering so loudly she thought her pursuers might hear and she struggled-up out of the chilly water, looking down at her muddy legs and straitjacket. Once more she attempted to wrestle with the thing but it was no use, she was in it until somebody let her out.
A solid-looking stump of a branch stuck-out in front of her but calls in the night behind her forced her to run-on. Besides, escape was the main thing. Even if she did manage to loosen some of the straps across her back, the loss of her lead would only provide her with a helpful attendant who would tighten them back up again! Going by her recent luck, she'd probably lose her footing anyway and be found dangling from the tree, convenient for them!
"Not far now," she mused-more with hope than actual knowledge, "...that hole has got to be around here, somewhere!"
The Barking of the dogs didn't diminish as she hurried along in a low crouch till she saw the high, mesh fence and straightened-up, jogging at it. The chain-link screen had once been nylon coated but much of that had flaked-off in the past twenty years and now scales of rust covered it's surface. Amy charged at it but bounced-off and landed on her sodden rear end. She almost howled in frustration! Why hadn't she thought to mark it more clearly where her escape hatch was?
In the dark she couldn't make-out the line of red primer-coat against the rust and green of it. The girl grimaced at her discomfort and rolled to her knees, then up and to her feet. Where was the gap? She tested it at intervals, then nearly fell right through it! Amy sighed with relief as she left the grounds of The Beckman Foundation, finding herself in identical looking woods but ones she knew led her to the abandoned logging road she'd parked her Le Car off.
Obviously, driving it was going to be a no-no in this little number unless she'd picked-up some tips from Wacky Races but she knew she'd left a phone in it. If she could just get a call out...
The forest began to thin and the track was suddenly in front of her. Where was the small Renault from here though? Barefoot, Amy jogged along the rutted track, sneezed and froze. Had anyone heard her? She listened carefully. Nothing, even the dogs couldn't be heard anymore so she concentrated on finding her car. Suddenly;
"THERE!"
It was the familiar hump-backed shape of her little French car and she began to pick-up speed as she scampered toward it. The brunette lifted her leg to put her toe into the recess to flick the door catch but missed and fell over;
"HELL, what a stupid design!" She whined and righted herself. Getting a good purchase on the latch she found it still wouldn't move! This time she didn't fall over but instead, looked at the inside of the hatchback. There was her Cell in the passenger door-pocket. What was wrong? She knew she hadn't locked it?
"Well, well, well. Out for a midnight stroll are you, darlin'?"
The girl-reporter's heart sank at the sound of the swaggering cockney as he approached from behind her. She heaved a bitter sigh, straightened and turned to face him.
Statham grinned and jangled her car keys at her;
"Who would have thought you'd be so much trouble in this little thing, eh?"-He mocked, tugging the girl towards him by the stiff collar of her Posey. He stood well over a foot taller than her and the institution's pet shaven-headed goon looked down at her. She said nothing as he guided her back to the van she could now make-out in the dark beside a clump of bushes. He put his arm around her shoulder and steered her towards it. She knew there was nothing she could do, she was trapped.
"You've been a very naughty little girl," he admonished, "...and you'll have to be punished for what you done..." he declared as he pulled-open the passenger door of the Econoline and hefted her into the seat, taking care to strap her in with the belt-he wasn't taking any chances this time! He crossed to the driver's side and climbed in, casting a long look at her muddy legs. He gave the closest a firm squeeze, "Ooh, they're icy they are, love! Don't worry, we'll soon have you warmed-up-snug as a bug in a rug!"
Vince Statham lifted his head to the flat look she was giving him and arched an eyebrow in question.
"You don't understand," she muttered, "I've got friends. They'll find me and when they do, you'll be so, so sorry."
The thug was intrigued;
"Oh yeah, your boyfriend going to beat me up, is he?"
"No," she answered in the same flat tone-there was no bravado in it, "...my boyfriend's an architect. He won't find me but they will."
The orderly put the Ford into reverse and got out onto the logging track before putting his foot down to get back to the institute. He took the bends far too fast, sliding the van around them but it wasn't having the right effect, she merely sat there unimpressed as they approached the big, electric gates to the place.
"You know, it's going to be funny," she said, looking at him and smiling-it wasn't a nice smile, "...I hope they let me watch..."
"Hard, are they?" He asked with a sneer. She just smiled as the van moved into the grounds. The Ford came to a halt at the foot of the enormous place's steps.
"This place is going to be razed to the ground and you're going to wish you'de never come here. We'll wipe this gothic monstrosity off the map!"
"Oh yeah, you and whose army?"

IN NINETEEN SEVENTY-TWO A CRACK COMMANDO SQUADRON WAS JAILED FOR A CRIME THEY DIDN'T COMMIT. THEY PROMPTLY
ESCAPED FROM A HIGH SECURITY STOCKADE AND ESCAPED TO THE LOS ANGELES UNDERGROUND FROM WHERE THEY ACT AS
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE. IF YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, IF NO-ONE ELSE CAN HELP AND IF YOU CAN FIND THEM, MAYBE YOU CAN HIRE
THE 'A' TEAM!

TO BE CONTINUED