That’s when Melissa’s body went rigid as if she’d touched a high-tension wire. As she sat bolt upright, she flung both arms open violently, flinging dishware, silver, and glasses from the table. The chaotic clatter jangled already frayed nerves, confusing the bosses and crew. As her jaw clenched and her face turned red, she fell to the deck, kicking violently, making distressed gagging sounds.
Already in a panic, Vasili, Oleg, and Skip shouted at each other in their mysterious mother tongue, and only Oleg rushed to her side.
“She’s having a fit!” he exclaimed in Russian as he knelt down next to her. “We must do something! She could choke!”
Vasili, whom the girl had presumed to be the cruel torturer, was suddenly horror-struck. “Don’t touch her!” he shouted.
Oleg bent over her writhing
