usan stood alone in the dimly lit silence of Node 3. The taskat hand was simple: Access Hale's terminal, locate his key,and then delete all of his communication with Tankado. There couldbe no hint of Digital Fortress anywhere.

Susan's initial fears of saving the key and unlockingDigital Fortress were nagging at her again. She felt uneasytempting fate; they'd been lucky so far. North Dakota hadmiraculously appeared right under their noses and been trapped. Theonly remaining question was David; he had to find the otherpass-key. Susan hoped he was making progress.

As she made her way deeper into Node 3, Susan tried to clear hermind. It was odd that she felt uneasy in such a familiar space.Everything in Node 3 seemed foreign in the dark. But there wassomething else. Susan felt a momentary hesitation and glanced backat the inoperable doors. There was no escape. Twentyminutes, she thought.

As she turned toward Hale's terminal, she noticed astrange, musky odor—it was definitely not a Node 3 smell. Shewondered if maybe the deionizer was malfunctioning. The smell wasvaguely familiar, and with it came an unsettling chill. Shepictured Hale locked below in his enormous steaming cell. Did heset something on fire? She looked up at the vents and sniffed.But the odor seemed to be coming from nearby.

Susan glanced toward the latticed doors of the kitchenette. Andin an instant she recognized the smell. It was cologne… andsweat.

She recoiled instinctively, not prepared for what she saw. Frombehind the lattice slats of the kitchenette, two eyes stared out ather. It only took an instant for the horrifying truth to hit her.Greg Hale was not locked on the sublevels—he was in Node 3!He'd slipped upstairs before Strathmore closed the trapdoor.He'd been strong enough to open the doors all by himself.

Susan had once heard that raw terror was paralyzing—she nowknew that was a myth. In the same instant her brain grasped whatwas happening, she was in motion—stumbling backward throughthe dark with a single thought in mind: escape.

The crash behind her was instantaneous. Hale had been sittingsilently on the stove and extended his legs like two batteringrams. The doors exploded off their hinges. Hale launched himselfinto the room and thundered after her with powerful strides.

Susan knocked over a lamp behind her, attempting to trip Hale ashe moved toward her. She sensed him vault it effortlessly. Hale wasgaining quickly.

When his right arm circled her waist from behind, it felt likeshe'd hit a steel bar. She gasped in pain as the wind went outof her. His biceps flexed against her rib cage.

Susan resisted and began twisting wildly. Somehow her elbowstruck cartilage. Hale released his grip, his hands clutching hisnose. He fell to his knees, hands cupped over his face.

"Son of a—" He screamed in pain.

Susan dashed onto the door's pressure plates saying afruitless prayer that Strathmore would in that instant restorepower and the doors would spring open. Instead, she found herselfpounding against the glass.

Hale lumbered toward her, his nose covered with blood. In aninstant, his hands were around her again—one of them clampedfirmly on her left breast and the other on her midsection. Heyanked her away from the door.

She screamed, her hand outstretched in futile attempt to stophim.

He pulled her backward, his belt buckle digging into her spine.Susan couldn't believe his strength. He dragged her backacross the carpet, and her shoes came off. In one fluid motion,Hale lifted her and dumped her on the floor next to histerminal.

Susan was suddenly on her back, her skirt bunched high on herhips. The top button of her blouse had released, and her chest washeaving in the bluish light. She stared up in terror as Halestraddled her, pinning her down. She couldn't decipher thelook in his eyes. It looked like fear. Or was it anger? His eyesbore into her body. She felt a new wave of panic.

Hale sat firmly on her midsection, staring down at her with anicy glare. Everything Susan had ever learned about self-defense wassuddenly racing through her mind. She tried to fight, but her bodydid not respond. She was numb. She closed her eyes.

Oh, please, God. No!