Miss Jane Atrax was hanging upside down. Her long auburn tresses dangled beneath her, her hat and goggles were gone, and she was bound neck to ankle in iron gray cables. Her mouth was gagged, but her eyes spoke loudly enough. They were wide with an expression that not many could produce in such a formidable woman. Just days before, she had been the predatory spider, but she was now the fly. And she was terrified.
“Ah, Miss Atrax. So good to see you again!”
Professor Moriarty wheeled into the immense cavern, followed by his cousin, Nigel. The torch-lit cave cast eerie shadows on both men’s faces, making them look, if possible, even more sinister than they already were. Miss Atrax struggled in her bonds, powerless against the heavy cables that held her fast. Nigel Moriarty chuckled as he watched her panicked writhing, evidently enjoying her discomfort.
“Now, now, my dear, you mustn’t overexert yourself. The gentleman who was here before you tried to do the same, but then found that he had used so much of his energy trying to break free that he had none left to fight his adversary.”
The old man gestured with long, delicate fingers to a discarded cap lying near a rocky wall. “Poor Mr. Drummond. He came to a very messy end.”
Miss Atrax wondered at the professor’s use of the word adversary. She didn’t know what diabolical plan the Moriartys had in store for her, but if she had been afraid before, she was doubly so now.
“Now then, we should get to business.” The professor smacked his lips and rubbed his hands together. He nodded at Nigel, who approached Miss Atrax and removed the cloth that covered her mouth.
“I . . . I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know how the boy and his uncle survived the crash. Nobody should have survived such an explosion. I shot over two hundred rounds into the carriage and used a bomb to finish them off. It’s impossible!” the woman said, her voice rising in panic.
Professor Moriarty clucked his tongue. “Ah, but you see, my dear woman, the fact is that they did survive, which was improbable, but not, as you say, impossible.”
Miss Atrax bit her lip. She watched as Nigel Moriarty approached a metal box that was wired into the cavern wall. He whistled softly as he opened the box and revealed a switch inside.
“I’m an old-fashioned gentleman, Miss Atrax. The kind of person who doesn’t enter into a bargain lightly. When I hired your Black Widow Society, I expected each of your talented ladies to perform their duties as specified in our agreement,” Professor Moriarty said. “You didn’t eliminate Mr. Snodgrass and his nephew; therefore, you must pay the price of your failure. Now I can only hope that your counterparts can succeed where you failed.”
Nigel Moriarty threw the switch. With a loud groan, the floor beneath the place where Miss Atrax dangled began to vibrate. She watched as two heavy metal doors slid slowly apart, revealing a deep pit beneath her. What she saw below her turned her insides to jelly, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that she was hanging upside down, she would have run away screaming.
It was an elegant thing, in the way other deadly things, such as scorpions or black widow spiders, are elegant. It was as if, in their design, nature sent warning signs that said, “I’m beautiful, but stay away! Beware! Don’t touch!”
The horrible thing moved on several heavy, mechanical legs. Its sleek, curved body was painted glossy black with curling red pinstripes that ran artfully up its torso, ending at a transparent dome. Inside the dome was something like an electronic brain, all flashing lights and strange, clicking machinery. It had claws, powerful claws, that were made to crack bones and squeeze the life out of its intended victim. They snapped ominously at the dangling woman as the cable she was tied to lowered her down, down, down to its waiting grip.
Miss Atrax knew beyond a shadow of doubt that she was no match for the thing. And as the cable finally eased her down to the floor of the pit, she did something that she hadn’t done since she was very young.
She let out a long, terrified scream. And as it turned out, it was the last sound she ever made.