Max moved restlessly around the motel room. He paced
from one end to the other like a caged animal plotting his escape. He gave
a pensive look at the small white capsule in
his hand. He didn't want to take it. Not tonight, not ever. He was not
looking forward to the rest of the night, as he struggled with what he
should do. He started breathing hard and broke into a cold sweat. Sitting
back into the chair, he looked intently at the phone. He needed help and 99
was the only one he could trust. He slowly reached out to it, and dialed
with the little strength he had.
"99," Max whispered weakly into the phone.
"Max, where are you? Please tell me where you are."
"99, ... I need ... help," Max fought to get his message out.
"I know you do. I want to help you, Max. Please, just tell me where I can find you."
"99, I'm..."
Suddenly, Max's body seized with pain. He dropped the phone and clutched his stomach in agony as a searing twinge ripped through his body. With the pain blocking all rational thought, he wrestled with it until it was too much for him to take. He fell out of the chair, and hit the floor with a hard thud.
99 could hear him moan in anguish. "Max, what's happening? Max, please talk to me. Max? Can you hear me?"
Max could not concentrate on anything but his pain. 99 needed to act quickly, so she called the switchboard. "This is Agent 99. I need my Line 1 traced, and please hurry!" 99 got back on the line, hoping Max would pick up the phone. "Max? Are you there?"
Max felt himself weakening. He was a tough man under most circumstances, but this was more than he'd bargained for. He lay on the dirty rug of the motel room in agony, clenching the white pill in one fist, and clawing at the filthy carpet threads with the other. How much more could he take? Max wasn't about to find out, as he realized that he was slowly losing out to the pain. He brought his fist up to his lips, and pushed the pill into his mouth. He licked the sweat off of his lips to help get it down, as he could barely swallow. Now all he could do was wait ...
"99," Max whispered weakly into the phone.
"Max, where are you? Please tell me where you are."
"99, ... I need ... help," Max fought to get his message out.
"I know you do. I want to help you, Max. Please, just tell me where I can find you."
"99, I'm..."
Suddenly, Max's body seized with pain. He dropped the phone and clutched his stomach in agony as a searing twinge ripped through his body. With the pain blocking all rational thought, he wrestled with it until it was too much for him to take. He fell out of the chair, and hit the floor with a hard thud.
99 could hear him moan in anguish. "Max, what's happening? Max, please talk to me. Max? Can you hear me?"
Max could not concentrate on anything but his pain. 99 needed to act quickly, so she called the switchboard. "This is Agent 99. I need my Line 1 traced, and please hurry!" 99 got back on the line, hoping Max would pick up the phone. "Max? Are you there?"
Max felt himself weakening. He was a tough man under most circumstances, but this was more than he'd bargained for. He lay on the dirty rug of the motel room in agony, clenching the white pill in one fist, and clawing at the filthy carpet threads with the other. How much more could he take? Max wasn't about to find out, as he realized that he was slowly losing out to the pain. He brought his fist up to his lips, and pushed the pill into his mouth. He licked the sweat off of his lips to help get it down, as he could barely swallow. Now all he could do was wait ...