[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
of a shallow half bra, the stomach below flat and smooth, the wide thighs
accentuated by the jet black suspender belt, partly open legs encased in black
mesh stockings. She might have been thirty-five or twenty-five. Relaxed, idly
flipping the pages of a fashion magazine, scowling as though she hated the
contents but had nothing else to do.
For Sabat the shock was greater than if he had suddenly been confronted by a
hunting cat on that narrow window-ledge. Body and brain fused into immobility
and had his bird form been physical he would surely have toppled into space.
He recognised the girl on the bed, remembered this place now although he had
only been here once before and that some three years ago. For this was Langdon
Manor, home of Colonel Vince Lealan, late of the SAS, and the woman stretched
on the four-poster was none other than the delectable Catriona Lealan, a
Madame of expertise with whips and canes, whose hobby was humbling strong
handsome men\
Yet Sabat could not delay here any longer. He had no idea how long it was
since he had left his physical body for he had traversed a land where time did
not exist. It was dangerous to be away too long for should his enemies strike
then he would be totally helpless; too well he remembered that occasion when
the evil forces had sought to destroy him by fire at the Dun Cow Inn* while
his astral body was absent.
Bewildered, shocked, he took to the wing, changing once more to a hawk for
greater speed. But he knew he would be returning to Langdon Manor before long,
such was Catriona's hold over his sexual desires.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SABAT WAS aware that he had an erection as his eyelids flickered open; a
pleasurable sense of arousal that came with a host of memories from his astral
exploration. His hand strayed downwards but he checked it; there were other
matters crowding his mind besides the urge to masturbate, troubled waking
thoughts.
The Disciple of Lilith herself. That woman who was calling herself Lilith,
Goddess of Darkness, was in fact Lilith herself, or at least a woman who was
possessed by the succubus. Using drugs and hypnotism she had recruited an army
of dropouts, skinheads, the scum of society, and was sending them forth to
commit vampire-like killings. The intention was to spread mass hysteria which
in turn would lead to anarchy, a fascist rule, and Lilith would then have
achieved her aim. Suddenly it was again Sabat's fight, no longer just a police
matter to control the threatened nazi takeover. Once more he must pit his wits
against the dark forces of evil, his inner struggle with Quentin coming to the
boil again. And revenge, oh God, how he wanted to wreak his vengeance on those
who had murdered Ilona!
He relaxed again now that he had it all clear in his mind. Find and destroy
Lilith and the cancer would die. Mayhap she is already known to you!
His earlier waking urge came back to him. Catriona Lealan, the woman who had
once dominated his body, had become foremost in his wild sexual fantasies once
their physical relationship had ended, and was again prominently featuring in
his life. He saw her as his astral body had seen her, sensuous, vicious. . .
irresistible! And as his fingers slid back down to the lower regions of his
body he knew that he had to see her again . . . soon! Even now her influence
was working on him, his whole body stiffening and jerking. He seemed to hear
her voice, soft and husky yet demanding. 'Come to me, Sabat, and I will give
you everything that you desire."
He showered, dressed hurriedly, and wondered why he had not phoned Catriona
before. Even now it took courage and his hands shook slightly as he consulted
a telephone directory. 'Lealan. V. Col.' The bastard still used his army title
and nobody could do a damned thing about it because everything concerning the
SAS was secret. The authorities wouldn't want a scandal so it was preferable
to let an ex-colonel remain a colonel; a little bit of snobbery wasn't going
to do anybody any harm.
Sabat began to dial, did not overlook the possibility that Vince Lealan
himself might answer the call. In which case Sabat would replace the receiver
and try again later. One way or another he'd contact Catriona because he'd
never rest until he did. When he needed a woman as badly as he did now
everything else had to wait, including Lilith and her army of hypnotics. And
Catriona was no ordinary woman. He cursed himself that it had all happened
now, and that was the fault of his astral body. He'd* had three years in which
to try and resume his relationship with her but it was something he'd been
content to leave to his fantasies. Now it had to become reality.
The phone was ringing at the other end, a steady 'brr-brr', tantalising.
Jesus, she was going to get a surprise.
Then his whole body went rigid as he heard her voice, the same silky, almost
sleepy, tones. Bored. Maybe she'd come straight down from that four-poster,
still clad only in bra and suspender belt.
'Hi, Catriona,' he hoped his nervousness, his relief that it wasn't Vince on
the other end after all, didn't show."
'Sabat!' He could just picture her expression, blue eyes suddenly wide, that
old familiar smile, maybe a slight tingling in the places that mattered. 'Why
how strange! I had a dream about you last night, that you came and peeped in
at me through my bedroom window.'
'Maybe 1 did.' Sabat felt a tiny shiver run up and down his spine. 'How's
things?'
'What things?' He thought he detected a note of uneasiness, a sharpness in her
answer.
'The usual things, Vince for a start.'
'Oh, Vince,' a little tinkle of laughter. 'He's still around, of course. As
bad tempered as ever. Actually, he's away for a few days, up in London ... on
business.'
'I see.' Sabat visualised Catriona bored and alone, a nymphomaniac with
sadistic tendencies needing a man who liked to have done to him all the things
she liked to do, and afterwards . . . 'So time's hanging heavy for you,' and
he added under his breath, 'with nothing to do but lie in late and look at
boring fashion magazines.'
'Long time no see.' She paused. Was it a cue?
'My fault,' he murmured. 'Didn't know if I'd still be welcome.'
'But of course you are,' another laugh. 'You always have been. Just because
Vince got a bit bad tempered and jealous doesn't mean I don't still have . . .
feelings for you. Say, why don't you drive down and spend a few hours with me
this evening?'
Her words hammered into Sabat's brain with stupefying force. A wave of relief
swept over him, goosepimpled into another sensation which had his erection
pulsing again.
'I might just do that,' he tried to keep his voice even.
'I'd like it.'
'OK then. Expect me around eight,'
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]