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TITLE: Something Lost, Something Found. By : Aryea Chapter 6 Sydney picked the lock on the door and carefully swung it open; Da Viega had been true to his word and had led them through safely. Preston was keeping an eye out for anyone lurking about, besides them, of course. They both slipped inside the room, lit only by a small lamp stationed beside the hospital bed. Sydney paused, she had allowed herself to hope that Nigel was still alive, but now her fear that this was someone else and Nigel really was gone caused her to hesitate. The figure was hooked up to an IV and lying stationary on the bed. Preston moved forward, anxiously and walked into a chair. The figure sat up, startled, bandages were around his eyes and his face fell into shadow as he pulled away from the light. “Hello? Who’s there?” Sydney almost fainted with relief, as she and Preston rushed forward. “Nigel!” Nigel went stone still, causing Sydney and Preston to stop abruptly, concerned. He started trembling, violently and Sydney moved beside him. “Are you in pain, Nigel?” she asked, worried. “Did they…” “Sy…Sydney?” His voice was more of a croak as he lifted a shaky hand toward her. “Is…it’s really you?” Sydney caught his reaching hand and put it to her face. “It’s really me, Nigel.” “They told me you were dead,” he whispered. “I thought you were dead…” In a moment of joy, and totally out of character for the no nonsense relic hunter, Sydney pulled him into her arms. “Likewise,” she whispered back, her eyes swimming with fresh tears, two of which escaped to roll down her cheeks, now she could cry, now that she had him back. “It’s okay, Nigel. They fooled us both.” Nigel was hesitant for a minute or two, unable to believe that she was really standing next to him and it wasn’t another one of his dreams. He returned her embrace, clinging to her, as if he might never let go. His dreams had been filled with her memory, her face, tormenting him into thinking all that had happened had been a dream. Now, here she was, in front of him, rescuing him, just like always and for the first time in several years, Nigel felt like crying. “I knew it,” he murmured, brushing his lips against her cheek, rubbing her back as if assuring himself that she was real. “I knew you’d come for me.” Sydney was startled by the kiss, and by the several days’ growth on her assistant’s usually smooth cheek, but his words warmed her to the very essence of her soul. She held him for another minute or two, and then remembered that they weren’t out of the woods yet. She pulled back, reluctantly and wiped at her face. “Nigel, we have to get you out of here, can you walk?” Nigel was already throwing back the sheets. “I could fly if you asked me to, Syd.” He flinched as someone grasped his arm to remove the IV from his hand. “Who’s that?” “Relax, Podge.” “Preston!” He reached for his brother and Preston moved forward into the embrace. They pulled back. “What are you doing here?” “You died and your body disappeared, idiot.” Nigel almost laughed and hugged Preston again, before pushing back and punching his brother lightly in the stomach. “Don’t call me, Podge.” “Are you sure you’re okay, Nigel?” Preston demanded. “Gee, Preston, is that concern in your voice, surely not.” “Shut up, twit and answer the question. “Alright, children.” Sydney waved them back toward the doorway. Nigel was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, Sydney pulled off the shirt she wore and helped Nigel slip his arms through it as Preston found his boots, minus socks, in the closet. “Time to go.” “I just wanted to be sure he could make the trip,” Preston insisted, quietly. He glanced at the label on the IV and saw that it was just liquid nutrients and not any type of drugs. Sydney paused and looked over Nigel. “He’s right, Nigel, any injuries you have will get worse from here on out.” “I’m fine, guys. Really.” Nigel assured. “I’m a little sore, but no worse off than I have been from any of our other hunts, Syd. They’ve been quite good to me, actually, tending to my injuries-well, except for my eyes. The doctor said that it would be another week or so before I can take them off, they were burned in the explosion. Was I in an explosion, Sydney? I don’t remember.” Sydney couldn’t resist, she was so happy having him back, him and his ramblings that she kissed him full on the mouth. “We’ll discuss it later, Nigel. Let’s get out of here.” They returned to the corridor, Nigel clinging to Sydney’s arm for guidance. “Where’s Da Viega?” Preston demanded. Nigel stiffened. “Da Viega? He’s responsible for this?” “I’ll explain later, Nigel,” Sydney promised. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” “Do you remember the way back, Syd?” Preston asked, worried. “Piece of cake,” Sydney assured as they back tracked the temple the way that they had entered. When they came to the stairs, Sydney could hear people running up to meet them. She handed Nigel off to Preston. “Watch Nigel,” she warned. “I’ll take care of this.” The three men appeared and rushed at Sydney, she took on the first two while the third snuck past and lunged for Preston and Nigel. Preston landed one blow to the man’s jaw, but the attack didn’t stop. Nigel was thrown back against the wall as the two struggled, and his head hit against something ridged. He turned around and started feeling along the wall, his hands curling over the handle of a staff, more for decoration than for show. He ripped it off the wall, listening to the struggles of his brother and Sydney as they took on their assailants. “Preston!” he called out. “Where are you?” There was a low grunt as Preston was slammed against the wall. “On your left!” Nigel turned and swung the staff. “Then duck!” Preston let his legs drop just as the staff bounced off the man’s skull, knocking him to the floor. “Great shot, Podge!” “Sydney!” Sydney glanced at Nigel, who had just taken out the other man. She head butted the man that was holding her. “Three O’clock, Nigel!” Nigel turned to the right and tossed the staff, hearing her triumphant laugh as she caught it; dispatching her remaining attackers in a matter of minutes. “Are you both okay?” she asked the brothers a minute later, offering the staff back to Nigel. Preston had pulled himself off the floor and now had hold of his brother. “Fine, you?” Nigel returned, worried. “Never better, now let’s get the hell out of here, before more decide to come looking.” They made a few wrong turns, and ended up coming out the main entrance and into a full garrison of soldiers. Nigel, who had run into Sydney when she stopped so abruptly, asked. “What’s happening?” “This doesn’t look promising,” Preston said. “You don’t want to know, Nigel,” Sydney replied as she slowly raised her hands. “Hey, fellas, we’re with the tour and sort of got lost, can you tell us where the bathrooms are?” A tall Egyptian stepped forward, a smile on his face. “Well, this is a treat, three for the price of one.” “What does he mean?” Nigel demanded, clinging to Sydney; more frightened now because he couldn’t see. “Ah, you must be M,” Sydney greeted, calmly. “I’m S, this is N, and he’s P. Now that we all know our alphabet, I’m sure we can discuss this reasonably.” Good God, she was starting to sound like Nigel; for some reason that tickled her. “You know of me, that is good. I know of you, as well, Ms. Fox.” Sydney glared him as he walked around her, looking her up and down. “You are very beautiful, a perfect specimen of physical health, you will fetch a very good price at market.” “Sorry, I’m priceless.” The others snickered, but kept their weapons trained on the three prisoners. Two men stepped up and grabbed Nigel away from her. “Sydney!” “Leave him alone!” she warned, moving to follow, and having a gun shoved in her face. “It will be okay, Nigel.” “You have traveled far to save your friend,” the leader commended. “It is a pity that you will now share his fate.” “What fate?” Nigel cried, struggling against his captors. “Sydney? What is he talking about?” “They’re butchers, Nigel. They kidnap healthy bodies and sell their organs on the black market.” Sydney sneered at the leader. “What’s the matter, people aren’t dying fast enough so you take live people?” “Injured, at least,” the man replied, calmly. “And if their injuries are not too extreme, and we can heal them, then they are worth more.” “Fatten them up for the fire, you mean?” Preston asked, aghast. “You mend them only to cut them up?” “Our clients demand healthy organs.” “I’m going to be ill,” Nigel muttered, his knees going weak, despite the hands that held him. All this time they’d been patching him up because they wanted his organs? It was just another human sacrifice, wasn’t it? Sydney glanced at her assistant alarmed; his completion had faded a couple of shades. “It will be okay, Nigel.” M turned toward Nigel. “Don’t worry, Mr. Bailey, you won’t be joining them right away, I need you to help me decipher some texts first.” He glanced back over Sydney. “And as your reputation precedes you, Professor, you will be safer dead than alive. I’ve no use for you.” Everyone turned as Nigel’s body suddenly went limp and the men holding him were too startled to stop his fall to the ground. At the same time, an explosion rocked the area, causing a shock of pandemonium to the soldiers closest to the blast. “Pick him up!” the leader demanded, glaring at the fallen Englishman with disgust, and yelling at his men to put out the fire, just as Sydney made her move. She kicked the guard closest to her, grabbed her knife from her boot, and wrapped her arm around the leader’s throat; her blade pressed close enough to draw blood. “Tell them to get away from him, or you’ll be on the next shipment out.” Preston, at Sydney’s attack, had retrieved the staff that Nigel had dropped when they grabbed him, slugged the man closest to him with it grabbed the rifle, aiming it at the others who had started to move in. “Do as she says!” the leader insisted, angrily. The men moved away from Nigel, and Preston carefully walked over to help his brother up. Nigel, who had only pretended to fall as a distraction, was already on his knees when Preston reached him. “Well done, bro.” Nigel nodded, grimly; it was much harder to do such things when you couldn’t see what was going on. “Thanks.” The explosion of several fuel barrels close to them threw everyone backwards, just as a jeep roared toward them, scrambling the few guards that had not been knocked down. “Get in!” Da Viega yelled from his place at the wheel. Preston leapt up and helped Nigel into the back of the jeep as Sydney shoved the leader at his confused men and scrambled for the front seat. Da Viega gunned the engine and they took off, kicking up a cloud of sand behind them. Gunfire followed, and then another explosion, and soon they were well away from the temple and the soldiers who were trying to pick up the pieces. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Bailey,” Da Viega greeted, grimly, before shooting Sydney a warning look. “I kept up my end of the bargain, Sydney; do we still have a deal?” “Sydney?” Nigel demanded from the back, he had recognized Da Viega’s voice. “What does he mean?” Sydney glanced back at Nigel, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, alive, yet still so vulnerable. They probably would not have made it out of there without their nemesis, as much as she hated to admit it and despite his part in the deception, he’d gotten Nigel back for her, and she had given her word. She met Da Viega’s gaze. “Yes.”
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