Got a huge problem here and it is starting to feel expensive. Please Help!!! Sorry this is so long.

'97 854 GLT with excellent maintence. Everything has been excellent until yesterday. Wife comes home and says that when she came home she shut down the car in the usual manner (ie a/c off, radio off, then turned car off). About 30seconds after getting out and before locking the car, there was a noise she described as a high pitched whirring sound that built and diminished over 3seconds. I tried to reproduce it by driving the car around but wouldn't happen.

Next day (today), wife tried starting the car to go out - DEAD!!!!! No juice in the batter at all. No lights, no signals, no instruments, no click - NADA!!! Battery meter shows a completely drained battery. Before anyone recommends it - I've fixed the glove box light problem.

So tried jumping the vehicle. Now we get dash lights, bells, instruments - YEAH!! But when I tried starting car the alarm horn started going off and the flashers activated. Only way to kill it was to disconnect the jumper cable and let it die out on the dead battery. Tried this several times with same results. Tried pulling the immobilizer fuses (#4 & #8) but still happened. Pulled all the large fuses under fuse cover (large 4-5 connector engine management fuses) but still occured.

I noticed when I gave up there was a sound underneath the battery/intake air filter that sounded like a small fan running. This eventually died when the remaining juice in the battery died.

The closest Volvo dealer is 50miles away and the towing bill will be large. Also, there isn't much of independent Volvo mechanics here in West Virginia. Any and all ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance - Andrew