Read Online Topaz Dreams by Marilyn Campbell - Free Book Online

already
been claimed as a wildlife refuge, national park, or preserve, it was
close enough to Fairbanks to satisfy his needs.
It had also met
another essential criterion. It possessed a lake large enough for a
medium-sized seaplane to land. Underwood had wanted the simple house
built immediately and refused to be dependent on the Alaska Railroad
and the vagaries of winter travel overland to get the construction
materials and workmen to the area.
Once again he had proven the fact
that if one had sufficient capital and clout, any obstacle, including
Mother Nature, could be overcome. The totally self-sufficient house was
completed to his specifications within four weeks, the final touches in
the next four after he and King had moved in. He had placed the ring in
a curio cabinet, along with other genuine artifacts, in a very
specially equipped room.
As he looked at his dinner companion, he
prided himself on his cleverness. His business had run uninterrupted as
many years ago he had created a system which funnelled all information
through his primary secretary in the San Francisco office, so no one
ever questioned not hearing from him personally for weeks at a time. He
could be anywhere in the world, but one phone number could be called
and he would be tracked down minutes later if she deemed it necessary.
Only she and King knew of his Alaskan retreat.
No matter how busy he
was, Underwood was always available for her calls. After all, her
loyalty was guaranteed, and she was also the most efficient of his army
of secretaries. She was his mother, although he had not called her
anything remotely personal since he was a child. Such sentiment was a
weakness and Gordon detested weakness of any kind. She was also the
first woman he had dubbed Miss Preston, after the original one was out
of his life. Her name had been legally changed to further satisfy his
whim. No one but the two of them knew her true identity or why
Underwood trusted her with his empire, but no one dared cross her any
more than they would him.
Underwood savored his meal as he leisurely
tasted the lightly grilled vegetables and sipped at the full-bodied
burgundy. His thoughts reverted to the instructions he had given King
while they waited for someone to come for the ring.
Underwood
remained convinced that the ring had a specific function, and even if
its owner could afford to leave it behind, he wanted to know what that
function was. But he could not devote the time it would take to find
out as he could not ignore his business for that long. Only one man had
the expertise to rival his own, and he had gone after Nesterman,
certain if the money could not lure him, the promise of conquering the
unknown would.
For once Underwood had misread his intended conquest.
The computer genius was younger, shorter, slighter, and, unfortunately,
much less ambitious than Underwood. His refusal had hurt Underwood's
pride enough for him to take drastic measures. Thus Nesterman's freedom
of choice was taken away. If he failed to cooperate, his wife would be
killed. It was that simple. Most things in life were—when you had money
and power.
When he had first told Nesterman about the alien,
Underwood had been disappointed with the man's lack of interest.
Eventually, however, Nesterman began studying the ring, whether out of
curiosity or boredom, Underwood didn't care. Underwood had brought in
the most sophisticated equipment his company had, and set it up in one
of the two windowless rooms that made up Nesterman's apartment. The man
may have been a prisoner, but Underwood made certain he was provided
with all the comforts of home, with the exception of his wife, of
course, and a way to contact the outside world. Even if he could,
Nesterman had no idea where in the world he was, since he had never
been permitted to look outside and he had been kept unconscious for the
duration of the trip there.
For the first two weeks of his
captivity, Nesterman's findings had been limited to calculating