“Patience isn’t one of your major virtues, Daniel. It’s been less than ten minutes since I called him.”
“And it’s been over two hours since the scorpion stung her. She should have had an antidote at once.”
“The doctor’s right behind me. I ran into him in the foyer.” It was a new voice, deep, authoritative, and vaguely familiar. “He stopped to place a phone call to Karim Ben Raschid’s palace to check on her medical history with Zilah’s mother when I informed them her records would be there. How is she? I told you to get her out, not get her shot, Daniel.”
“Dammit, Clancy, I did get her out,” Daniel said harshly. “It was a scorpion, not a bullet. Now, get that doctor in here, or I’ll do it myself with a hell of a lot less diplomacy.”
Clancy. It must be Clancy Donahue. He had been very kind to her in the past and she wanted to open her eyes and greet him. Yet when she did she could make out only three surreal figures standing before her. Dark, looming, and somehow menacing. Something stirred deep in her memory and started panic coursing wildly through her. Why had she thought she was safe? She was never safe. She would never be safe from them. “Daniel! Daniel!”
One of the shadows bent swiftly. “It’s all right, Zilah. I’m here.”
“No! Don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me.” Suddenly an agonizing new pain struck her and she clutched at her stomach with a moan.
“What the devil?” The man had Daniel’s voice but how did she know they weren’t deceiving her again? It had happened before. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I would say the venom is causing severe stomach cramps.” Another voice, this one with a slight German accent. “It’s not unusual.” This shadow was shorter, with a silhouette that was almost rotund. “Your servant informed me that it’s a scorpion sting on her right ankle?”
“Don’t just stand there looking at her as if she’s some kind of bug under a microscope. Get rid of that blasted pain!”
He sounded so concerned. But then, they were always like that, so sleek and smooth, with their soft, mocking voices. She mustn’t be fooled into thinking them friends. They didn’t care about her pain. It was a weapon they used to make her do what they wanted.
The man with the German accent shrugged. “I was going to give her the antivenom serum first, but it doesn’t matter.” He was gone from her vision for a moment and when he returned he was much closer and there was something in his hand. The needle, shining and deadly and evil. The needle!
She screamed.
She scrambled to her knees. Dear heaven, she was so weak. They must have given her some-thing before that she didn’t remember. Sometimes she didn’t remember. She could feel the headboard pressing into her back as she cowered like an animal. “No! I don’t want it. Please!”
“Zilah, for God’s sake. It’s only morphine,” the man who was pretending to be Daniel said. “It will take away the pain.”
She shook her head wildly. “No shots! I won’t let you. It’s bad. It’s all bad. You’re going to let them hurt me again.”
“Oh, my God,” Clancy breathed. “My God!”
But it wasn’t Clancy. She had to remember that. He was one of them.
“Is that all you’ve got to say?” Daniel’s voice was shaking. “I can’t take this. Why the hell is she so frightened of us?”
“She’s remembering that other time,” Clancy answered hoarsely. “And I’m not standing up so well under it myself.”
“You will have to hold her,” Dr. Madchen said briskly. “She’s delirious and will fight the needle. I might hurt her.”
“I’ll hold her.” Turquoise eyes. “Daniel, you hold her other arm.”
They closed on her with lightning swiftness and she was helpless. She struggled wildly, panting with fear. “No, don’t hurt me. I won’t do it. Let me go.” The tears were pouring down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this to me? I want to go home.”
“Shh. It’s all right.” Daniel’s voice was broken. “No one’s going to hurt you. Will you give her the shot, dammit?”
The familiar hot pain in her arm. It was happening again. Despair welled up in her. She stopped struggling. Then the needle was gone and she felt the soft, swooping mist begin to enfold her. The tears continued to rain down her cheeks and she made no attempt to halt them.
Daniel’s expression clearly revealed his agonized concern for her. How had they managed to find someone who looked so much like Daniel? For it couldn’t have been Daniel. He wouldn’t have betrayed her like this. He was easing her stiff body into a reclining position on the bed and releasing her arms. He knew she wouldn’t be able to fight him now. They always knew.
“Please. Stop crying. It’s tearing me apart.”
She shook her head slowly. She closed her eyes so that she could no longer see the face of betrayal. “I just want to go home,” she whispered. “Please let me go home.”
Her breathing became deep and even. “She’s unconscious,” Dr. Madchen said. “I’ll give her the serum now.” He raised a brow at Daniel. “With your permission.”
Daniel nodded jerkily. “Give it to her. Is she going to be all right?”
“You’ve scarcely given me a chance to examine her,” Dr. Madchen said caustically as he prepared the syringe. “How would I know?”
Daniel took a step closer, his hand flashing out and closing on the man’s throat. “I’m not in the mood for sarcasm at the moment,” he said with menacing softness. “I’ll ask you again. Is she going to be all right?”
Dr. Madchen’s lips tightened. “I see no reason why she shouldn’t. There are very few deaths these days from scorpion stings. She should be a bit weak for a few days. However, if I’m allowed to treat her, she should recover in a short time.”
Philip El Kabbar was frowning. “Let him go, Daniel. I apologize, Dr. Madchen. Daniel is terribly upset at the moment.” His blue-green eyes were suddenly twinkling. “Though I suppose you should be grateful he didn’t shoot at you as he did at Abdul. He has a tendency to become a bit violent on occasion.”
Daniel’s hand slowly released the doctor’s throat. He stepped back. “You might keep that in mind while you’re taking care of her. I want her well.” His eyes were blazing fiercely in his white face. “Do you hear me? I want her well.”
“Then leave the room and let me do my job.” Dr. Madchen turned away. “I would appreciate it if you would get this man out of my way, Sheikh El Kabbar. I don’t work well under intimidation.”
“Daniel.” Clancy’s tone was surprisingly gentle. “Come on. You need a drink. She’ll be better off without you prowling around getting in the doctor’s way.” His lips curved in a slightly rueful smile. “I think I could use one myself. I wasn’t expecting this to be quite so grueling.”
“Grueling.” Daniel’s nostrils flared. “Hell yes, it was grueling. I feel as if I’ve been put through a meat grinder. Why the hell would she react like that? She should know that I would never hurt her.” His hands clenched at his sides. “My God, she should know that.”
“She was delirious,” Philip said. “Surely that was reason enough.”
Daniel shook his head. “There’s more to it than that.” His gaze narrowed on Clancy. “And I think you know what was going on in her head all that time.”
“I’m afraid I do,” Clancy said wearily. “I wish to God I didn’t. It makes me a little sick.”
Daniel turned away abruptly. “We need to talk,” he said tersely. “I think a drink would be an excellent idea.” He was striding toward the door. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Philip?”
Philip El Kabbar shook his head. “I’ll join you later.” His sudden smile lent a rare warmth to his dark, cynical face. “I’ll watch over your little charge, Daniel. I won’t permit anything to happen to her.”