No dinner was served and Loveless did not come back to taunt them. James West slowly paced around his tiny cell for an hour before sitting down on his cot. The cells were small, his and Artie's were separated by bars but were open to each other where a sheet of glass or something equally thick and translucent was placed outside their cells. The cells had two tiny rectangular windows, too small for anyone to get in or out of even if the bars were taken out. The windows themselves were just holes, allowing the cool outside air in and telling them that they were below ground level as the windows just sat at ground level. The night was cold and only a thin sheet was provided on each cot. With nothing else left to do but think, Jim laid down on his cot and joined his partner in sleeping. Three times during the night he woke up to the guard changing; Sampson to Willie to Voltaire back to Sampson.
When morning came, Artemus woke up with a severe sore throat. He sat up on the miserable cot and swallowed experimentally and winced; it even hurt to swallow. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and his eyes were half closed and he wore a sour expression.
"How're you feeling, Artie?"
Artemus put a hand to his throat, "throat's sore. No thanks to the open window."
"Anything else? Do you have any ideas yet what Loveless injected into you?" Jim asked his partner's back.
Artie stood up and faced his partner. "Just back off Jim. It doesn't matter what I was injected with unless we get out of here," he said in a harsh whisper and wiped his sweating brow with his sleeve cuff.
*Damn it*, Jim thought. Artie looks like he's running a temperature. They had to get out of here fast and find the antidote to whatever Loveless had cooked up. Before he could think further upon their dilemma, the door to the cellar they were in opened.
Voltaire opened the door and held it for Lina, who was carrying a tray of two steaming bowls of oatmeal and two glasses of water. Today Lina was dressed in a simple blouse and jacket and skirt ensemble unlike the fancy gown she had worn into the saloon the previous day. Lina walked over to West's cell and Voltaire followed.
"Move back, against the wall," Voltaire ordered.
For the time being, Jim complied and he moved to the back of the cell.
Voltaire pulled a chain that dangled at the edge of the cell and a small opening was created by the bars and glass of the cell door raising no more than six inches off the ground.
West observed this and watched Lina as well, trying to sense any weakness in the cell or in the woman. "Well, if it isn't the lovely Miss Lina. Come to give us our final meal before Dr. Loveless disposes of us? Oatmeal? I must say the Doctor usually has better taste when feeding his guests."
Lina did not look up at the prisoner's eyes or face but kept her eyes upon the floor. She frowned and pushed the bowl and glass through the space.
Voltaire released the chain and the bars and glass once more slid back into place. He went over to the other cell and repeated the process.
Artemus did not look at Lina nor did he attempt to talk to her. After the bowl and glass had been shoved into his cell, he picked up the glass and took a sip. The water did not ease his throat in the least bit. He then picked up the bowl and sat back down on the cot to eat the warm, tasteless mush. While he was not a fan of oatmeal, the warmth of it was comforting after the chill of the night.
When the prisoners had finished eating and their bowls and spoons were removed and their glasses refilled with more water. Lina went back out the door with Voltaire following her. Not more than a few minutes later Voltaire came back and let each one out at a time to use the facilities. West thought about rushing Voltaire but the other guard had the shotgun trained on him the entire time and even if he could get away from Voltaire, he would probably end up being shot someplace vital. After both prisoners had used the facilities, they were once again left alone with the single guard and shotgun.
Jim was getting impatient. Where was Loveless? Why wasn't he here gloating by now? James West was a man of action and the forced inaction was wearing thin on him. He started pacing around his cell again when the door to the basement opened. This time Loveless, Antoinette and Voltaire entered the room. Antoinette was dressed as a nurse but somehow made the bland costume look beautiful and she carried a tray with two vials on it. Loveless was wearing a white lab-coat down to his ankles and carrying a clipboard. Voltaire was dressed as he always was and smiled menacingly.
"I'm sorry I have not been able to visit you gentlemen sooner, but I had some preparations to take care of that required my full attention," Loveless said as he looked between West and Gordon.
Jim stood in the middle of his cell, head cocked and arms crossed, trying not to look too anxious. Artie swung his legs over the side of his cot and just sat there scowling.
"Nothing to say? Mister West? Mister Gordon? Surely you both want to know why you're here, and what was injected into Mr. Gordon."
Jim looked around, disinterestedly. Artemus continued to sit and scowl.
"You know you're both dying to know," Loveless giggled as he said the word 'dying.' "You are just pretending not to be interested but inside you're just bursting with questions! Antoinette," Loveless gestured her to come forward. Antoinette glided to his side with a coy smile. Loveless frowned at her and took the vials from her tray.
"I have here two vials, which contains different types of bacterium. Together, they will unleash a sickness the likes of which the world has never known! I intend on releasing this new disease on the masses of California. Only I have the cure to the bacterium and when the people of California do not receive any cure from the United States Government, the State of California will beg me for the cure and they will pay dearly. Why, the people of California will hail me as their king for curing them! Then once I have California under my rightful control, I will spread my little friends here across the land until all of the United States is mine!" Loveless giggled manically as he held the vials up for his prisoners to see. Behind him Antoinette and Voltaire started dancing and laughing as they sang "Ring Around the Rosey."
Jim continued to stand there, looking disinterested, but inside a pit had formed in his stomach and he was going to need to sit down soon. So it wasn't poison or some new drug, it was an illness that Loveless was going to release onto innocent citizens and had already injected into his partner. There was a remedy at least, of course there had to be if Loveless or Antoinette or Voltaire should fall ill by it. Somehow he had to get that remedy into Artie. Maybe he could try to work on Lina.
Finally the three of them were able to stop giggling and Antoinette and Voltaire had stopped dancing round in circles.
Loveless calmed down but still continued to smile. He addressed Gordon directly, completely ignoring West. "Now, Mr. Gordon, you are my test subject. You have the privilege to be the first person infected with this new strain of illness. So, tell me, how do you feel?"
Artemus still continued to silently scowl.
Loveless stamped a foot at the lack of response, "won't you cooperate, Mr. Gordon, in the name of Science? Ohh fine! Voltaire! Put on your mask and gloves. I am going to examine Mr. Gordon!"
Loveless and Voltaire both donned their rubber gloves and masks that covered their noses and mouths. Voltaire slid the heavy glass away and opened the door of cell and when he and Loveless were inside, Voltaire slid the glass back in place.
"Now Voltaire, hold Mr. Gordon's jaw open for me," Loveless said as he climbed up onto the cot and stood on it next to the agent.
Voltaire forced Gordon to stay seated on the cot and with a single hand popped the prisoner's jaw open.
Loveless peered inside Gordon's mouth and made a clucking sound. He then felt the prisoner's throat with elicited a moan which allowed Loveless to see past the swollen tonsils.
"Oh my, my friends work fast! You know you already have white spots on the back of your throat? I will have to get a sample."
Loveless drew a swab and a vial from his lab coat. He swabbed the back of his prisoner's throat and dropped the swab into the vial then stopped the top of the vial. "Okay Voltaire, you can release the prisoner."
When his jaw was finally released, Artemus coughed and worked his jaw. His eyes shone their hatred at his captor.
"Now last thing, I am going to check your temperature Mr. Gordon." Loveless produced a glass thermometer and shoved it in his prisoner's mouth.
Gordon spat the thermometer out and glared at Loveless.
Loveless stamped on the cot, "ohhhhh! What did you do that for?! Voltaire, the thermometer!"
Voltaire bought the thermometer over to his boss.
"Now, I am going to put the thermometer in Mr. Gordon's mouth and you hold his mouth shut, Voltaire." Once again Loveless forced the thermometer into his prisoner's mouth.
This time Artemus had to endure the little glass tube which would tell him nothing that he did not know already.
After what seemed like an eternity for all parties involved, Loveless took the thermometer back. "102.5 already!" Loveless clapped his hands together excitedly and jotted down some notes on his pad and then motioned Voltaire to get the door.
"Bye-bye for now!" Loveless waddled to the door of the cellar, followed by Antoinette and Voltaire.
The two agents watched as their captor and his accomplices exited the room and the guard changed.
Artemus sighed and laid on his back on the cot. "So now we know what he injected into me. No wonder why I'm not feeling that great." He said hoarsely. He shivered violently and drew his jacket closer about him.
Jim walked over to the bars that separated him from his partner and sat down on his cot, facing his partner. "Anything else that you did not tell Loveless about?"
"Careful Jim, not too close, I'm probably contagious and that's just what that twisted little megalomaniac wants, is for you to catch this from me." Artemus shivered again and rolled onto his side, away from his partner. "Look Jim, I'm going to take a nap, wake me if anything happens, okay?"
"Sure pal, rest up." Jim got up and started pacing around his cell again and reviewed the information he had just learned. So Artie wasn't poisoned, which was a good thing, but instead he was injected with some experimental disease, not so good. From what Loveless said, the illness was progressing rapidly. He had to get that remedy into Artemus ASAP before Artie got worse. He was going to have to work on Lina as soon as she came back with their next meal. As for the changing of the guard, that happened with every meal, always a rifle in hand if he could get free, he could fight for that rifle. Unfortunately every time they were let out of the cell, Voltaire had a grip on them.