Still within the horror of the dream, Nigel felt Devereaux's hands
girpping his shoulders, shaking him. When he looked into Devereaux's face,
his eyes were the color of blood, and when Devereaux smiled, instead of
teeth, Nigel saw the fangs of a snake.
"Nigel."
The way Devereaux said his name made his blood run cold. He had to get away. Nigel gripped the hands holding him, but they were too strong. He knew he was helpless against his enemy, but he had to at least try, so he balled his hand into a fist and struck out with all his might. Suddenly Devereaux's face was replaced with Sydney's.
"Nigel, wake up NIGEL. It's me, Sydney!"
Sydney had been jolted awake by the sounds of Nigel's screams. She'd heard him call her name and had rushed to his room. She was sitting on his bed trying to wake him, she had her hands on his shoulders, gently shaking him. Suddenly Nigel struck out at her, but she was easily able to prevent the blow from making contact.
"Oh, my God! Did I hit you?" Nigel looked at Syndey, his eyes wide, not only from the dream, but because of the thought he might have hurt her.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Sydney looked at Nigel, trying to mask her own fear from him. "Are you okay?" She knew that his nightmares were tied to Richarde, but how could they fight a dream? Without even thinking, she pulled him in to a hug. He was still shaking.
"What's happening to me?" Nigel's voice was scarcely audible. "It was so real."
Sydney pulled him closer, afraid that at any moment Richarde would snatch him away. Maybe it had been a mistake bringing him here. The nightmares seemed to be getting worse, but would have leaving him behind made any difference? She didn't know.
For the first time in her life she felt helpless, out of control. Nigel was the most important person in her life, aside from her father. She trusted him completely, and trust was not something she willingly gave.
"It's Okay. It will all be Okay," she said, as much for his benefit as for her own.
********* Professor Richarde stood, contemplating his next move, as he waited for Johnson to arrive. So far, things had worked out perfectly. Sydney Fox was back, along with her murderous associate, Nigel Bailey. Devereaux had been the perfect lieutenant until those two had shown up and ruined everything, taking away his power, his freedom, and his second in command.
So far, no one had been worthy of taking Devereaux's place. Richarde knew that Johnson was vying for the position, but a man like him couldn't even come close to meeting Richarde's standards, although he did serve a purpose.
"Do you have what I asked for?" Richarde asked without even turning around.
"No problem. Bailey never even batted an eyelash. He was sleeping like a baby."
"Well not for long. Looks can be very deceiving, can't they?" Richarde smiled.
Johnson walked over to him, handing over the photographs taken at the airport, Bailey's glasses, and for added flair, some hair from the Englishman's brush. He thought how easy it would have been to have just slit the man's throat, but Richarde had other plans for Nigel Bailey. The thought sent shivers down Johnson's spine.
Richarde turned away and began preparing for the next phase of Fox and Bailey's torment.
After searching his room high and low, Nigel had given up on finding his glasses. On the way out of town, they stopped at a drug store for him to get a pair for reading.
As Sydney drove, Nigel skimmed over a copy of the research that Matt and Kelly had done on the Cross of Utu.
He had been fairly quiet since the previous night's dream, not really sure of what to say. Sydney had woken him from his nightmare, and he had foolishly clung to her, like a child. For God's sake, he was a grown man!
Sydney glanced over at Nigel. He seemed lost in thought. She knew he was upset about the night's events and was not sure if she should say anything to him. Sighing to herself, she decided that Nigel would talk about it when he was ready.
Nigel removed the substitute glasses. He had the monster of all headaches starting. Lack of sleep and glasses that weren't his own were all playing a part in what he felt was going to be a long day.
Putting the glasses back on, he started to read again, but suddenly stopped. The words on the page appeared to be moving, or more precisely, slithering across it. Nigel closed his eyes. When he looked again, the page was as it always been. I'm just tired, he told himself. And he was. He'd barely slept during the last two days. He figured it was finally catching up with him.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to The Half Way Hotel. Seeing the place again did nothing to brighten Nigel's demeanor. As he and Syd walked to the front door, he found himself hoping that this time, they would be able to get rooms that didn't conjure up images of the Bate's Motel.
"Nigel."
The way Devereaux said his name made his blood run cold. He had to get away. Nigel gripped the hands holding him, but they were too strong. He knew he was helpless against his enemy, but he had to at least try, so he balled his hand into a fist and struck out with all his might. Suddenly Devereaux's face was replaced with Sydney's.
"Nigel, wake up NIGEL. It's me, Sydney!"
Sydney had been jolted awake by the sounds of Nigel's screams. She'd heard him call her name and had rushed to his room. She was sitting on his bed trying to wake him, she had her hands on his shoulders, gently shaking him. Suddenly Nigel struck out at her, but she was easily able to prevent the blow from making contact.
"Oh, my God! Did I hit you?" Nigel looked at Syndey, his eyes wide, not only from the dream, but because of the thought he might have hurt her.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Sydney looked at Nigel, trying to mask her own fear from him. "Are you okay?" She knew that his nightmares were tied to Richarde, but how could they fight a dream? Without even thinking, she pulled him in to a hug. He was still shaking.
"What's happening to me?" Nigel's voice was scarcely audible. "It was so real."
Sydney pulled him closer, afraid that at any moment Richarde would snatch him away. Maybe it had been a mistake bringing him here. The nightmares seemed to be getting worse, but would have leaving him behind made any difference? She didn't know.
For the first time in her life she felt helpless, out of control. Nigel was the most important person in her life, aside from her father. She trusted him completely, and trust was not something she willingly gave.
"It's Okay. It will all be Okay," she said, as much for his benefit as for her own.
********* Professor Richarde stood, contemplating his next move, as he waited for Johnson to arrive. So far, things had worked out perfectly. Sydney Fox was back, along with her murderous associate, Nigel Bailey. Devereaux had been the perfect lieutenant until those two had shown up and ruined everything, taking away his power, his freedom, and his second in command.
So far, no one had been worthy of taking Devereaux's place. Richarde knew that Johnson was vying for the position, but a man like him couldn't even come close to meeting Richarde's standards, although he did serve a purpose.
"Do you have what I asked for?" Richarde asked without even turning around.
"No problem. Bailey never even batted an eyelash. He was sleeping like a baby."
"Well not for long. Looks can be very deceiving, can't they?" Richarde smiled.
Johnson walked over to him, handing over the photographs taken at the airport, Bailey's glasses, and for added flair, some hair from the Englishman's brush. He thought how easy it would have been to have just slit the man's throat, but Richarde had other plans for Nigel Bailey. The thought sent shivers down Johnson's spine.
Richarde turned away and began preparing for the next phase of Fox and Bailey's torment.
After searching his room high and low, Nigel had given up on finding his glasses. On the way out of town, they stopped at a drug store for him to get a pair for reading.
As Sydney drove, Nigel skimmed over a copy of the research that Matt and Kelly had done on the Cross of Utu.
He had been fairly quiet since the previous night's dream, not really sure of what to say. Sydney had woken him from his nightmare, and he had foolishly clung to her, like a child. For God's sake, he was a grown man!
Sydney glanced over at Nigel. He seemed lost in thought. She knew he was upset about the night's events and was not sure if she should say anything to him. Sighing to herself, she decided that Nigel would talk about it when he was ready.
Nigel removed the substitute glasses. He had the monster of all headaches starting. Lack of sleep and glasses that weren't his own were all playing a part in what he felt was going to be a long day.
Putting the glasses back on, he started to read again, but suddenly stopped. The words on the page appeared to be moving, or more precisely, slithering across it. Nigel closed his eyes. When he looked again, the page was as it always been. I'm just tired, he told himself. And he was. He'd barely slept during the last two days. He figured it was finally catching up with him.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to The Half Way Hotel. Seeing the place again did nothing to brighten Nigel's demeanor. As he and Syd walked to the front door, he found himself hoping that this time, they would be able to get rooms that didn't conjure up images of the Bate's Motel.