Two of Omar's Kurdish foot soldiers entered the tent unannounced, unceremoniously grabbing Nigel under the arms and hauling him to his feet.
"Hey!" Nigel immediately protested, and like a cat caught in a trap tried to wriggle free. "Let go of me!"
Aaron had jumped up to help, but quickly reconsidered when one of them pointed a gun in his face. "We’re taking him for questioning. You, sit back down!" He motioned towards Sydney.
"I’m not going anywhere, Sydney’s ill, let me GO!" Nigel demanded, and struggled violently with them as they proceeded to yank him out the door. "NO!"
"Like hell you’re going to question him!" Aaron knew the drill...if these guys walked out of here with that little Brit, he would never be coming back. Omar was famous for what he liked to call mercy killing.
Nigel immediately caught Aaron’s meaning, and that only fuelled his determination to break away. They were bigger, they had guns, but they just couldn’t hold him and like a greasy monkey he quickly slipped from their grasp, returning to Sydney’s side before they could scoop him back up.
"Enough od this! You’re coming with us right now! Get up and come peacefully, or I’ll shoot everyone else in this room!" The young bearded one laughed and looked over to Sydney. "Starting with her..."
Nigel had no other choice. She was holding his hand, amazed at the resolve he showed for her benefit. He knew these men were very likely taking him out and not bringing him back alive, but there was no fear in his dark, hazel eyes. He looked down at her, she was having another one of those horrible cramping things again, and clutched his hand tightly to her breast. The soft cries coming from her throat made the lump in his all that much larger. It hurt him too.
"Look, can’t this just wait a little while? Tell Omar what’s happening, he might change his mind." Aaron tried to bargain with them, it was unlikely to work, but definately worth a try. "At least until we get through this. She needs him!"
"No, Omar said to bring him, and that’s who is going."
"Wait, take me instead." Aaron’s face was dead pan serious. He knew how badly Omar wanted to kill him, maybe this would be enough? "I’ll go in his place, please..."
"We’ve got our orders, now get out of the way Deleany. Don't worry, you'll get your turn to die. You’re next anyway!"
Kneeling beside her Nigel gazed at her face, her beautiful, magical face. There was so much he wanted to say to her, do for her...but that was all about to be denied. There were a thousand conversations left unsaid, experiences to share, good and bad, and he cringed at the thought that they would never experience them together. Especially this one. He so desperately wanted to be here for her while she suffered through this emotional and physical pain and he could literally feel his heart breaking. "I, I want so much to be here for you Sydney, like you’ve always been for me. My God, you’ve protected me from more things than I can count." He started to say, and pawed away at the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. He was damn scared. Lowering his head to hers, he gently kissed her lips, then whispered. "I love you too..."
Sydney almost jumped off the cot after him when the soldiers pulled him away from her a second time, just as another wave attacked her from the inside out, crippling her in an instant. "Nigel, no! Aaron!" She frantically turned to her friend for assistance, unable to do anything herself to stop this. Those so-called soldiers were unbelieveably lucky she couldn't move...
Go to Part Thirty One.