he'd forgotten to abandon with the rest of his pot habit. The cathedral chamber was closed, except for the entrance where Burton waited. Theo gave the Sea Beast a wide clearance on his way back to Molly, who stood just inside the cave mouth.
Burton shouted from outside, "Crowe, we've got your friends locked up! This is your last chance to make a deal! I'll give you five minutes, then we're using gas!"
Theo turned to Molly in a panic. "We've got to get these people out of here, Molly. As soon as the first gas grenade comes in, it's all over."
"Don't we need hostages?"
"For what? He's not going to negotiate. The only thing he wants is me - and probably you - dead."
"Why don't you call someone and tell them what you know? Then Burton won't have a reason to kill us."
"All I know is what I've seen. With Leander dead, there's no one to connect him to the labs. I've already told Val and Gabe. Now he's got them. I was an idiot to bring them into this."
"Sorry," Molly said.
"Wait." Theo flipped open his phone and dialed. The phone rang eight times and Theo was glancing at the battery gauge, which showed only a quarter-charge, when a man answered.
"Nailsworth," the Spider said, leaving the caller to guess that they had contacted the Sheriff's Department's information officer.
"Nailsworth, it's Theo Crowe. I need your help."
"Having a bad day, Theo?"
What a prick, Theo thought. "Listen, I'm trapped..."
"I know where you are, Theo. Remember, I know ev erything. Actually, I'm glad you called. I had something I wanted to ask you about."
Theo fought the urge to scream at the megalomaniacal geek. "Please, Nailsworth, I don't know how long this battery is going to hold out. I need you to do me a favor."
"Me first."
"Go," Theo barked.
"Well, when Burton called me, he mentioned that your accomplice said she was Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland. So I started looking around. Turns out there was a Molly Michon admitted to county psychiatric a few times. She left a Pine Cove address. I wondered if..."
"It's her," Theo said.
"Wow, you're kidding! No way!"
"She's right here." Theo looked at Molly and shrugged. "Look, you warned me not to go on the ranch. You know about Burton's crank network."
"I might," Nailsworth said.
"Don't be coy. You know everything. But what I need to know is do you have access to information that could be used as evidence - money transfers, checks, offshore accounts, phone records, and such - stuff you could give to the state attorney?"
"Why, Theo, you're starting to sound like a cop."
"Can you get it?"
"Theo, Theo, Theo, don't be silly. Not only can I get it, but I've had it. I've been compiling a file for years."
"Can you get it to the attorney general's office right now?"
"What's in it for me?"
"Nailsworth, he's going to kill us."
"Kendra is right there with you, huh? I can't believe it."
Theo shuddered, halfway between panic and anger. He held the phone out to Molly. "Say something Kendra-like."
Molly cleared her throat and said, "Die, you scum-sucking mutant pig. The only thing of mine you'll feel is cold steel!"
"Oh my God! It's her!" the Spider said.
"Yeah, it is," Theo said. "Now will you help?"
"I want a copy of the Norwegian Battle Babes. Can I get one?"
Theo covered the receiver and looked at Molly. "Norwegian Battle Babes?"
Molly smiled. "Kendra VI: Battle Babes in the Hot Oil Arena. The Norwegian version is the only version that has full nudity in all the arena scenes. It's very rare."
Theo's mouth had dropped open. His survival had come down to this? "So do you have a copy?"
"Sure."
"You got it," Theo said into the phone. "I'll bring Kendra naked and in person to your office if you get moving now."
"I don't think so," said Molly.
"I'll send the file to Sacramento," the Spider said, "but that won't do you any good. Even if you tell Burton about it, he's got you in a perfect situation to kill you anyway. You need media."
"Media? Helicopters? We're too far north to get anyone here in time," Theo said.
"No!" Molly shouted.
"I'll call them," the Spider said. "Hold them off for twenty minutes, maybe twenty-five."
"We don't have anything but naked people and a jealous sea monster to hold them off with."
"Is that more of your drug nomenclature?" the Spider asked.
"It's what it is. If they use gas, we won't have twenty minutes."
"They won't."
"How do..."
"Twenty-five minutes. And Battle Babes better be in the original box." The Spider hung up.