Pain…
Through a haze of red, Sydney took half-conscious inventory. Her body had abandoned her directives, refusing to take another step once the elevator doors closed. She wanted to tell Nigel that she was all right, that he needed to get away, that he was in danger as long as he stayed close to her. And even while she desperately wanted her friend and assistant to get to safety, she also clung to him, ashamed of her own helplessness.
Somehow, she forced her eyes open, and slowly the world coalesced around her.
But she was no longer in the elevator, nor even in the motel. Sterile white ceilings intersected with equally snowy walls. A hospital… She was in a hospital.
Had the Viper been stopped? "Nigel!" she screamed, but her voice was little more than a strangled whisper. Had her assistant escaped, or had their shadowy enemy made good on the promise to steal her friend away? She shuddered involuntarily, remembering the sickly feel of the ancient dagger as it slid between her ribs - and the hissing whisper in her ear. The Viper's ugly words telling her he was going to abduct her partner and best friend, and …
She let her eyes flutter closed, her lip quivering with unaccustomed terror. This was supposed to be a boring but prestigious conference. Her invitation to Nigel was merely a continuation of the harmless flirtation they'd been sharing ever since they met. She threw a light, teasing morsel his way, he fumbled it perfectly, and she withdrew into benevolent professionalism. It was understood. When they were in the field, it was equally understood that she would protect him, giving her life for him, if necessary.
Now, wires and tubes snaked around and over her body. Even lying down, she was shaking violently, too weak to speak. Walking was out of the question. Nigel could be dying, and she was worse than useless.
She wondered if the hospital staff had discovered the secret of the poison. The Viper's name didn't spring from his peculiar lisp. It rose from his singular habit of tipping his weapons with the venom of deadly snakes. If no one suspected, if no one administered the antidote in time, his victims died in agony.
"Sydney?" A soft, wonderful, sweetly familiar voice interrupted her reverie, and a gentle hand touched her cheek.
Her mouth opened in a soundless `o' and tears leaked down her face. "Nigel…" Drawing a shaky breath, she willed herself to calm down. "You're all right." She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it with all her might. She needed reassurance of his solidity.
"I'm fine. And the doctor says you will be, too. Fortunately the police detective was familiar with the Viper. They found the poison and administered antivenom. You won't be running any marathons soon, but you'll recover enough to go home in a few more days." Apparently emboldened by her clasp, he leaned forward and brushed a chaste kiss over her forehead.
"Thank god. Nigel, you have to leave. Get out of here. He's after you. He said something about a girl, and the Ichriem. He'll kill you!"
Her partner nodded grimly. "We'll leave as soon as you're able. In the meantime, you have to stop worrying. I'm fine, and there is an army of police and FBI agents outside. Nobody's going to get to either one of us. You just concentrate on getting well, all right? I'll be right here." For emphasis, he curved his other hand around hers. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
End of Part Five
Go to Part Six.