All I Ever Wanted

Part 3

"It was bizarre, Sydney," Preston said anxiously. "He acted strangely. He told me I shouldn't worry about Nigel. It was the way he said it…and the way he spoke to Dennis Glover. And now Glover's dead."

Sydney read his expression. "And you think Nigel is with Berger now?"

Preston nodded. "And in danger."

Sydney couldn't wait any longer. "Come on," she ran for the door.

Berger pulled out a syringe and jabbed it into Nigel's neck. The young man stirred and moaned but remained unconscious while Berger depressed the plunger and muttered, "Thanks for the drugs, Dennis." Once emptied, Berger pulled out the syringe and pocketed it, then shook Nigel to wake him.

"Nigel." He slapped his face. "Wake up."

"Hmmm," Nigel moaned as he lifted his head.

Berger walked to his desk and sat on the edge, watching as Nigel gazed around the room in a daze, his eyes half closed. "You fell asleep on me," Berger said in a scolding tone.

"I did?" Nigel slurred.

"Yes, you did." He smiled. "I know it's been a trying day, so why don't we go outside for some air?" He helped Nigel rise unsteadily to his feet and supported him as they left the office.

The longer he stayed, the more panicky Trent got. He didn't know why he felt this way, but something in his gut told him that trouble brewed nearby.

He heard footsteps growing closer and he grew more and more frightened. He knew he had to face his destiny no matter what, but somehow he feared that being caught in Dr. Fox's office by himself would make him look even more guilty than he was. So he slipped behind the door.

As he anticipated, the person entered the office. The man didn't notice Trent behind the door while he snooped around the office. Trent gasped when the man picked up a small item from one of the shelves and placed it in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Trent asked emerging from his hiding place.

The man jumped. "Nothing," he said quickly, rambling as he replaced the item back on the shelf and headed slowly for the door. "I was just looking for Sydney and Nigel. So I slipped away when the cop wasn't looking. So what? I didn't commit a crime. No harm, no foul, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. He spun on his heel, rushed out the door and right into the arms of Francois.

"You Americans," Francois said. "Rush, rush, rush."

"Francois!" the man enthused. "Long time no see."

"Stewie," Francois said flatly. "Too soon for my taste." He let Stewie go and the man ran off.

"Crazy Americans."

Trent smiled. "I'm glad to see you. At first I thought he was with the campus police coming to take me away."

Francois canted his head and said, "Sydney made you a promise. She will keep it. She is always true to her word."

They ran to the Faculty Administration Building. Sydney reached the door first and opened it, thankful that it wasn't locked. She rushed inside and headed down the hallway toward Dean Berger's office. As she neared it she spotted two people walking away from her, one aiding the other. She wheeled around and motioned to the others to get out of sight.

Carson looked like he was going to protest, then shook his head and hid with the others inside an open office. Sydney pivoted back and jogged a few more feet before announcing her presence.

"Dean Berger!" she called with a smile. "Russell, is that you?"

Berger turned to her, keeping his arm around Nigel who appeared pale and dazed. "Sydney," he said with relief. "I'm so glad you're here. I think Nigel's unwell."

Nigel's appearance struck her. She wanted to run up and grab him, but something told her to hold back. She swallowed a lump in her throat and walked toward them at a slow pace. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. He dozed off and now he seems lightheaded. I was just going to take him home."

She wanted to believe him. After all, what reason would Berger have to hurt Nigel? "Oh, I'll do that," she offered. "If that's all right with you, Nigel."

Her associate shook his head in an apparent attempt to clear it. He blinked at her and slurred, "I'm not feeling too good."

She moved closer. "It's okay, Nigel," she assured.

Nigel started to pull away from Berger. "He wants Preston to have the job," Nigel said. "Preston, Preston...everything's Preston."

"Take it easy, Nigel." She held out her hand. She stepped closer and took him by the arm, leading him to her. Just as she got him safely away from Berger, Nigel dropped to the floor. Sydney went down with him, hoping to lessen the impact of the fall. She propped him against the wall and felt his forehead, his pallid skin moist to the touch.

"He feels warm," she said, caressing his cheek.

Nigel's head swiveled around, his gaze shifty and vacant. He raised a shaky hand to his temple and moaned, then let it drop to his side. He breathed heavily through his mouth, swallowing in between each breath. His lower lip trembled.

"You should take him home immediately, and get him to bed," Berger suggested.

Sydney knew he needed more than bed rest. Nigel needed to go to a hospital.

"New blood," Nigel muttered.

"What?" Sydney asked him.

"He wants new blood...weeding out...bad apples...replacing me..." He took a deep, shaky breath. "Berger...dislikes...you."

Sydney gazed into Nigel's eyes and saw the intensity beneath the fog. He fought whatever afflicted him. He struggled to reach her. He did.

"He's not making sense," Berger said with a chuckle too false to get past Sydney.

"Neck...hurts...neck..." He took in another breath. "...hurts..." His eyes started to close, but he blinked, forcing them to stay open.

Sydney felt the back of his neck. Nigel cried out and winced. She moved to get a closer look and found a bruise and a small puncture wound on Nigel's shoulder and neck respectively. She wheeled to Berger. "What did you give him?" she snapped.

"Nothing," Berger said.

"Detective Carson!" she called.

"Right here." Carson emerged from behind Berger, who jumped.

Sydney had no idea Carson had found a way to get around them, but she was glad he did. "We have to get Nigel out of here," she urged.

"We'll take him," Karen said as she and Preston jogged up to them from the other end of the hall.

"Sydney," Nigel said weakly, grabbing her arm. She grasped his wrist and felt his weak pulse beneath her fingers. She felt a chill run through her.

She turned to face him, and he stared as best as he could into her eyes. She saw fear mixed with determination, and she fought the urge to take him into her arms and hold him. Instead she caressed his cheek and tried to steady her voice. "It's all right, Nigel. Just hang on, okay?"

He seemed to comprehend. "Syd...," his voice faded, and his eyes glazed over.

"Nigel, no!" she cried. "Stay with me."

His eyes closed and he slumped forward into her arms.

"Nigel!"

Preston stared transfixed. His heart sank as he watched his brother collapse into Sydney's arms. He shivered when he heard her cry out Nigel's name. Oh, God, he thought to himself. Please don't let him die.

Sydney held onto Nigel, her face filled with rage. "Karen," she barked, "Go get your car."

Without a word, Karen turned and ran the way she came.

"Preston," Sydney continued. "You take him outside."

"Of course." His voice broke. He kneeled down next to her and laid his trembling hands on Nigel's shoulders, his breath catching as he felt his brother's limp form beneath his fingers. Sydney put her free hand on his. "He needs you, Preston."

Her words seemed to give him strength. He nodded watching as Sydney gave Nigel a squeeze. She then helped him lift Nigel onto his shoulders. Preston had never carried anyone before, and he struggled somewhat, but he knew he had to do this to save his brother's life. He steadied himself and headed for the exit.

Once outside, Preston lowered Nigel to the ground. He pulled his brother close to him and held him, staring at his pale, sweat soaked skin. Nigel seemed so weak and fragile in Preston's arms that for the first time Preston could really see that Nigel was no longer the overweight baby brother he once knew. Lying in his arms was a much older person, but yet still the younger brother he had loved to tease. The only family he had left.

"Yes, Nigel," he said sadly. "I've always seen you as more than the competition. You're my little brother."

Karen pulled her car up, then helped Preston get Nigel into the back seat. Once they were all inside her car, she put it in drive and raced down to the hospital. Preston sat in the back with Nigel, holding his hand. It felt cold and clammy. Preston rested his other hand on Nigel's chest and felt his shallow breathing beneath his palm. He close his eyes and prayed. "Hang on, Nigel," Preston pleaded.

Sydney had watched them go trying hard to maintain control of herself. Anger welled inside of her. She turned to face Berger, crossed her arms, and shifted her weight.

"Maybe you should go with them," he offered.

She wanted to so badly, but she had to find out the truth from him. "What did you give Nigel?"

"Nothing, Sydney." He half laughed. "I swear."

She stared at the man she once trusted and didn't believe him. "Detective Carson, Nigel has a bruise on his back and a puncture wound on his neck. I'll testify that he did not have them before we left my office less than an hour ago."

"Duly noted," Carson said, moving up beside Berger. "And didn't he say that his back and neck were hurting?"

She nodded. "He made a point of telling me."

Berger shook his head. "I see what you're doing, and it won't work."

Carson pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number. He waited. Then, he said, "Hi, Joe, it's Pete. Look, do you remember the professor who was brought in earlier this afternoon, a Dr. Glover? You do? Who released him...? Really?" He glanced at Berger suspiciously. "Thanks, Joe." Carson hung up the phone. "Want to tell me what you were doing at the police station Mr. Berger?"

"I bailed out Dennis," Berger admittedly.

"I wouldn't call impersonating an attorney from the university bailing him out."

Sydney's arms dropped to her sides as she stared in shock.

Berger shrugged. "Okay, so I lied. I told the police we were dropping the charges, so they let him go. That doesn't mean I killed Glover."

"No one said you did."

Berger got antsy. It occurred to Sydney that Carson was using the oldest trick in the book to get Berger to convict himself. She decided to join in.

"What did Nigel mean by new blood?" she asked.

"He was rambling, Sydney. You know how he gets."

She shook her head. "He sounded clearheaded to me."

"He's doped up. What does he know?"

She cupped her ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear that. Did you say doped up? I never said Nigel was drugged."

"Don't twist my words, Sydney!" Berger snapped. "What about the puncture mark?"

"I'm not a doctor, but it does look like a needle mark and I did accuse you of injecting something, but I never said it was dope."

Berger crossed his arms defiantly. "I want a lawyer."

Carson said, "I'm sure you do, but not before I tell you that you're under arrest for suspicion of assault to do bodily harm. Put your hands against the wall and spread your legs."

Berger reluctantly complied while Carson frisked him and read his rights. He stopped midway and threw Sydney an odd look. He felt inside Berger's jacket pocket and produced a syringe, holding it up for Sydney to see.

Her heart skipped. "There was a small part of me that just couldn't believe it."

Berger dropped his head in defeat.

Carson pulled a plastic bag from his pocket and dropped it inside. "Do you want to tell me again where Nigel got that puncture wound? Or maybe you'd care to share what in this syringe?"

Berger did not speak.

"Why?" Sydney blurted out. "Why Nigel?

"You're the one killing Nigel," Berger snapped. "Not me."

"What are you talking about?"

Carson handcuffed Berger and turned him to face Sydney.

"I ran the Ancient Studies department. It was my program, my ideas." He breathed heavily. "Do you realize how hard it has been to get my ideas across, when the university listened only to you?

He absently tugged at the handcuffs, but Carson had a firm grasp on him. "I got so sick of your trips, leaving me to find people to cover your ass all the time."

"Is that why you drugged him?" Sydney asked stung by his words. "To get at me?"

"He was becoming like you…like all the rest of the slugs you dragged in here," Berger fumed. "Those four men who came yesterday, passing themselves off as teachers, when all they wanted was you. Why did you give in to their demands? Letting them make fools of themselves in front of the school board. Turning my department into a sham."

"You agreed that we needed to teach them a lesson," Sydney shouted. "It was the only way."

Carson said to Berger, "You killed Dallas and Reiner, didn't you?"

"Those jerks were so smug it made me sick."

Sydney's head reeled. "You killed them?"

Berger sneered at her. "Like you said, they needed to be taught a lesson." He shrugged. "I mean, that's your job isn't it? Or did you forget that your students come first?"

"I don't understand."

"You never did. You were always out finding relics and traveling the globe. Meanwhile the rest of us busted our asses to keep your classes going. You may have the most popular courses on campus, and you may have the privilege to come and go as you please, but no more. I'm cleaning up this school. I'm giving Ancient Studies back to the students, and if that means eliminating people whom I see are trouble, then so be it."

"Dallas and Reiner weren't a threat to you."

Berger shook his head. "I could tell they wouldn't go quietly."

"What about Preston and Stewie?"

"I thought I'd shake them up a bit and see what happens. They didn't pose as big a threat as the others."

"And Glover?" Carson asked. "Did you kill him?"

"We didn't need a messy court case. Trinity University is an exceptional institution. I couldn't let Glover mar that reputation anymore."

"So you killed him."

"He killed himself with my help."

Sydney glared at him. "And suicide is easier to take than conviction of fraud?"

"He died with dignity."

"You're a sick man."

"I am the best thing that happened to this school, damn it."

"Sydney," Carson said, "I'm going to take him in now. You better go. I can handle it from here."

"Right." She turned and ran as fast as she could to her car, tears streaming down her face. She cried for Nigel and everyone else harmed by Berger. She wished she could feel some sort of release to be finally free of the fear of being a target, but the journey was still a long way ahead. And Nigel was on that road.

She got into her car and started the engine. "Hang on, Nigel." She put the car in gear and sped off.

The trip to the hospital was not an easy one, considering rush hour traffic, but Karen did her best to steer the car around obstacles and down side streets. She prayed the police would not pull her over.

She wanted to see how Nigel was doing but getting him safely to the hospital was her chief goal. "How is he?" she asked Preston as she steered down another side street.

"I...I'm not sure," Preston stammered. "I never studied emergency medicine. Right now, I wish I had."

"Don't worry, Preston," Karen said. "We'll be at the hospital soon. I promise."

Detective Carson escorted Dean Berger outside the Faculty Administration Building and led him to his car and helped him into the back seat. A uniformed police officer jogged up to them.

"Hey, Pete," the officer said breathlessly.

Carson eyed him curiously and glanced around. "Where's Harper? I told you to keep an eye on him."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. He slipped past me. I've been trying to find him, but..."

"Don't worry about it," Carson said shaking his head. "He's a pro. He'll turn up soon enough. Besides, we've caught the killer." He leaned down to Berger who stared straight ahead. "Do you want to tell me what's in the syringe? It might save you one murder charge."

Berger shrugged. "What difference does it make now?" he said indifferently.

"It makes a difference to Nigel."

Berger turned to him. "Nigel could have gone far if it wasn't for Sydney."

Carson tried some psychology. "He still has a chance of turning his life around with your help."

Berger stared at him.

Karen pulled the car to an abrupt stop outside the hospital's emergency entrance and rushed inside for assistance. By the time she managed to convince the duty nurse that someone outside needed help, Preston entered through the large, automatic double doors, carrying his brother's limp form in his arms.

They placed him on a gurney and explained to attending interns and nurses what happened with urgency and anxiety as they watched them examine Nigel in the hallway. Finally, they rushed him inside the emergency room, leaving Preston and Karen outside.

Preston tried his best to keep Nigel in view as the doors slowly closed on them. He felt Karen wrap her arms around him.

"He'll be okay," she assured softly. "Have faith.

He closed his eyes, trying to maintain control of his emotions. I do care, Nigel. I do.

Orderlies carefully lifted Nigel onto an examination table and the medical team went to work. They examined the bruise and the puncture wound, drew blood, took his pulse and blood pressure, and checked his pupils and respiration

They started an IV and administered oxygen, then hooked him up to an EKG and waited for the test results.

Sydney parked her car and rushed to the emergency entrance of the hospital just in time to see Karen heading for her car.

"Karen," Sydney called to her getting closer. "What's going on?"

"They're, um," she faltered. "The doctors are examining him now." She ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Did Dean Berger tell you what he gave Nigel?"

"No," Sydney replied sadly. "Carson found a syringe in Berger's pocket, but I didn't stay to find out. Maybe I should have."

Karen rubbed Sydney's arm. "Nigel's with the doctors now. They'll find out."

Sydney nodded. "Hopefully in time to help him."

Time dragged and Sydney became more and more anxious with each passing minute. She wondered if Karen had been right all along: maybe the job can get a bit too overwhelming at times. Usually, Sydney thrived on adventure with all its challenges and risks, but betrayal and murder among colleagues was a different story.

She paced the crowded waiting room as she thought about the day's events. First there was Glover, then Berger. Dennis' framing of Nigel had been bad enough but planting drugs in his desk was something she never suspected him to be capable of.

Then there was Russell Berger. What he had done had shook her more than anything. What made this mild mannered, highly respectful man lose his cool so much that he would kill? Was it really as he said? Was it to clean up the department? Was it that important to kill for?

"You okay, Sydney?" Karen asked walking up to her.

Sydney noticed that her administrative assistant looked as drained as she felt at that moment. "Yeah," she replied, squeezing Karen's arm. "I'm just thinking about Dean Berger and what he did."

"Soon to be former Dean," Karen said bitterly. "I hope he rots."

Sydney sighed and nodded. "I just can't believe he would be so cold blooded. It just doesn't make sense."

"Did he tell you why?" Preston asked her as she paced past him. He leaned awkwardly against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Sydney crossed her arms and stared at the floor as she walked. "He said something about cleaning up the department. He's blaming me for everything."

"He's crazy," Karen said in disgust. "You've done so much for the university. And all your students love your classes."

"But maybe he's right," she said sadly. "Maybe..."

"You're going to believe a crazed killer?"

A hazy array of lights and shadows danced before him in slow motion. Nigel wanted to reach out and touch them, but he felt too tired to move. He heard a moan and some soft voices, fading in and out. Then darkness.

"I'm looking for Preston Bailey," a woman's voice said from the entrance to the waiting room.

Preston jumped to his feet. His heart raced. "I'm Preston Bailey," he said quickly joining Sydney and Karen in front of the doctor who glanced at all three of them.

"I'm Doctor Andrews," she said. "Are all of you relatives of Nigel Bailey?"

"No," Sydney responded. "But we're close friends. How is he?"

"He's drifting in an out of consciousness," she said frankly. "At this time his condition is listed as serious but stable. Blood an urine tests show large traces of opiates in his system."

Preston suddenly felt cold. "Opiates?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. We found traces of other drugs, but the one with the highest concentration was heroin. We gave him some Narcan, and he seems to be responding well to it, but it's still a little too early to give you a definitive prognosis. We need to monitor him for at least an hour for any adverse reactions. After that we'll have to keep an eye on him and see how he progresses from there, and give him additional doses if needed."

Preston heard her words, but his head reeled from the thought of Nigel being drugged with heroin. Karen clutched his arm and rubbed his back, but it took a while for the news to sink in.

"Can we see him?" Sydney asked.

"I don't advise it at this time," the doctor said cautiously. "I would wait another twenty minutes to allow the drug to do its work. As I said, right now he's drifting in and out of consciousness. Also, his pupils are still dilated, which means he may be having hallucinations. Even if he's not hallucinating, I can't guarantee he's fully aware of his surroundings yet."

"Will you let us know?"

The doctor nodded. "Of course." She then turned and left the trio to digest the information.

Preston watched the doctor go and wished he could have said something, perhaps given her a message for Nigel. He couldn't bear the thought of his brother laying in the emergency room with an overdose of heroin in his system. For the first time that afternoon, Preston seethed with anger.

"Bloody hell," he spat, his form trembling. "That tried to kill my brother with heroin." His vision blurred with tears, and he tried hard to blink them back, but it was no use. "Who was I fooling, trying to believe it wasn't anything serious? I must be mad."

Sydney pulled him into her arms. "It's okay, Preston. None of us wanted to think about it. Nigel's going to be all right."

"Heroin. Of all things it had to be heroin."

"It's all right. We'll see him soon."

"Oh, God. I can't lose him. I can't."

Sydney broke off the hug and said sternly, "You won't. Do you hear me? The doctor said he's hanging in there and it looks promising. Now we're going to hold on to that and be strong. Right? Nigel needs us. He needs you, Preston. He's going to make it."

"She said it was too early to tell."

"You've got to think positively, Preston." She smiled. "When have you ever given up on a challenge? You and Nigel have been competing for years. And I've seen you give him advice on how to succeed. He needs your advice, your strength, Preston. Show him he can make it. Show him he can survive."

"You've shown him that. Not me."

"Then we'll do it together. He needs us. All of us. He needs you to be positive for him, Preston. I need you to be strong...for me. Can you do that?"

He nodded, trying his best to regain control of his emotions. "You're right," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Preston," Sydney assured. "It'll be okay."

A nurse stood by watching Nigel's progress as he took slow, deep breaths. The oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal tube, only there as a precaution. His shirt lay open, exposing his chest to the wires from the EKG machine. He stirred and moaned. The nurse placed her hand on his arm to prevent him from moving it and tearing out his IV. With her free hand she dabbed his moist skin with a cloth and whispered reassurances while keeping an eye on his heart rate.

Francois had figured that they had waited long enough for Sydney and Nigel to return, and he decided that they should go their separate ways. Francois shook Trent's hand and walked down the hall, leaving the young man alone in the office.

Trent couldn't get the bad feeling in his gut to go away. Ever since he had heard that Glover committed suicide, he feared that Professor Fox or Dean Berger would tell the school how he broke into the Dean's office or attacked Nigel. He had no defense, no proof, except the backing of the Dean, but the fact that Berger hadn't called him about Glover didn't make sense. Was the Dean going to back out on him after promising to support him? Would Professor Fox be capable of doing the same thing? Was Nigel going to turn him in?

Earlier he had tried to call a lawyer, someone one of his friends had used in the past, but all he had gotten was a voicemail message, and he hung up the phone choosing not to leave one.

He heaved a sigh and told himself to try again tomorrow. He reminded himself of what Francois had said about Sydney honoring her promises, and she had promised him she would not turn him in. He clung to that hope.

Detective Carson sat down in Lieutenant Brocade's office to give him the rundown of the situation involving Russell Berger. "He confessed to everything," Carson said, leaning forward in his chair and counting on his fingers. "The murders of Dallas Carter and Kurt Reiner, the threats made on Preston Bailey and Stewart Harper, the death of Dennis Glover, and the attempted murder of Nigel Bailey."

Brocade rocked in his chair. "What's his motive?"

Carson scratched his head. "He claims he was doing it for the betterment of the university. He blames Sydney Fox for bringing in a bad element on campus."

"What kind of bad element?"

"Rival relic hunters, which was what Carter and Reiner were. He also accused her of neglecting her students and taking her teaching assistant on frequent relic hunts, which he felt were bad for the school's reputation."

"Doesn't sound like a reason to kill three people." Brocade straightened in his chair. "What about Dennis Glover. Why did he kill that guy?"

"Berger thought it would be bad publicity for Trinity to be exposed to a court case."

Brocade shook his head. "Now they'll have to deal with it anyway."

Carson nodded. "Something doesn't feel right about this, though," he said warily. "I think there's something more he's not telling us."

Brocade threw him a knowing look. "Like the real motive, you mean."

"Exactly."

Russell Berger sat alone in the interrogation room waiting for his lawyer to arrive. His handcuffs had been removed when Detective Carson had brought him into the room. He also had been stripped of his tie, belt, and shoelaces as a precaution.

The door opened and Emilio Pena entered. The door closed after him as he sat down across from Berger and opened his briefcase. "I'm sorry to see you here, Russell," Pena said grimly. "We had high hopes that you would succeed for us."

"I did my best," he insisted.

"Your best wasn't good enough. You should have done exactly what I told you."

Pena's words cut deep. "Hey, if Ennio hadn't messed up in Malta, I wouldn't have had to get involved."

"Ennio is not the problem here. You are."

"Me? I'm not the one who screwed up. You wanted me to bring Sydney Fox down, and I did."

"You should have killed Bailey to begin with."

"Bailey is not the threat, and you know it."

Pena shook his head. "The long he worked for Fox, the more of a threat he would become."

"That's why I tried to get rid of him the clean way – eliminate his job, get him kicked off campus."

"You underestimated Sydney Fox. You didn't realize she'd fight for him. You should have let him take the drugs that Cathi planed in his desk. You should have let Glover taken the fall."

Berger frowned. "Perhaps, but Fox and Bailey were hatching a plan to nail Glover anyway. If I didn't tell them about the drugs, they would have found out on their own, perhaps by Glover himself long before Nigel might have taken one or more of those pills.

"I needed them to trust me. It was the only way to get close to them."

Pena threw him a piercing glare. "Trust doesn't get the job done."

Berger glanced away and said nothing.

"I'll take care of the loose ends," Pena continued. "Starting here and now."

Berger froze. "What do you mean?"

Pena leaned forward. "What did you tell the police?"

"I said it was all done for the good of the university."

Pena smiled. "Good."

A young woman dressed in a nurse's uniform entered the emergency room. The

nurse monitoring Nigel eyed her curiously. "Can I help you?" she asked her.

The woman walked up to her and said, "I was told to get you. The doctor wants to see you outside. He says it's important."

The nurse canted her head. "Which doctor is that?"

"Mr. Bailey's doctor, of course. Don't be stupid," snapped the woman impatiently.

"Dr. Andrews?"

"Yes. Will you move it?!"

"I don't think so," the nurse said sternly. "Dr. Andrews is a female."

Caught in a lie, the woman spun around and left the room.

The nurse rushed to the door and called out to anyone who can hear her. "Stop that woman! Call security."

The woman ran into the hallway and headed for the emergency entrance. She spotted two security guards there and she quickly fled in the other direction. She then turned down another hall and entered a doorway. To her surprise she found herself in the waiting room.

"You!" Sydney exclaimed catching sight of her.

The woman turned to run and collided with the security guards at the doorway. They grabbed her and held her still as Sydney approached.

"You were the student who told us about Doctor Glover," Sydney said moving toward her. "What's going on?"

The woman said nothing.

Sydney's eyes narrowed. "You're not a student are you?"

The woman set her jaw and stared straight ahead.

"Who are you?"

Dr. Andrews entered the room. "Good, you found her," she said to the security guards. "This woman tried to lure one of my nurses out of Mr. Bailey's room."

Sydney's eyes widened. "What were you going to do to Nigel?"

Again, the woman kept silent.

"I'll call the police," Dr. Andrews said. The security guards took the woman out of the room.

"Let's talk about Dennis Glover. What did you tell the police?" Pena asked taking an envelope out of his briefcase.

"I said I didn't want the university involved in a messy court case," Berger replied eyeing the packet nervously.

"What about Cathi?"

Stunned, Berger repeated, "What about Cathi? I never mentioned her."

"Good. Keep it that way."

Berger smiled, relieved. "I'll just tell them that I got the drugs from Glover, which is the truth. When I confiscated them from Nigel's desk, I kept them. Then I used them on Nigel. No one has to know who supplied them."

Pena's cellular phone rang, and he answered it. After listening for a few seconds, he spat, "Shit!" He disconnected the phone and slammed it down on the table. "This is what I get for using amateurs.

"What happened?" Berger asked him in a shaky voice.

"Cathi Sorenson just got caught trying to clean up your mess."

Preston followed Sydney and Karen as they walked toward Nigel's room in the Emergency Ward. Dr. Andrews cut off their path.

"You can't go in there. Not all of you," she warned. "He needs his rest."

"I'm not going to sit back and wait for something else to happen to him," Sydney snapped. "Nigel needs protection."

"I have security for that."

"That's not good enough. We were led to believe Nigel's attacker was in prison, and now this woman turns up. I'm determined not to let Nigel out of my sight until I know what's going on."

"I promise you," Preston implored to the doctor. "We won't do anything to harm Nigel."

Dr. Andrews glanced from Preston to Karen and Sydney, then gave in. "All right. Just keep your voices down and try not to upset him when he comes around. He's still weak, but he's more aware of his surroundings."

"Thank you," Sydney said with a smile.

Dr. Andrews nodded, then turned to lead them into Nigel's room.

They stepped inside to see him lying on the examination table unconscious. Preston froze at seeing the tubes and wires connected to his brother. He had read about this in books and how the main characters would be shocked by the image. And there he stood reacting the same way.

Sydney and Karen approached Nigel on either side of the table, both taking care not to interfere with the strings and cords that monitored his vital signs and kept him alive.

Sydney signaled to Preston to come closer, and it took a few seconds for him to finally find his feet. He stepped up to his brother and was relieved to see some color on Nigel's face. He noticed that to the casual eye Nigel appeared to be sleeping. Preston clung to that thought and took a deep breath, trying not to let the other things interfere with that image.

One thought would not leave, however. Who is trying to kill Nigel now? And why?

Stewie sat down in the airport lounge, hiding his face behind a newspaper, hoping not one would spot him and stop him from sneaking out of the country. He feared not only that the police would find him, but the killer, or killers, as well. Once he had heard about a dead body at Trinity University, he had feared he would be the next victim. So, the minute his guard, Detective Carson, had passed him on to another officer, Stewie had made his getaway, first to Sydney's office, then when she wasn't there, he fled further from campus.

Now, sitting in the bustling airport he shrunk down in his seat and waited for his flight to be called. He tried to calm down and take his mind off of the death threats and the killings and focus on getting out of there. He could hear a TV nearby and the voice of a newscaster from CNN. My life can't be worse than the rest of the world, right? he thought to himself as he listened to the headlines, while still hiding behind the newspaper.

"We're following up on a story about a string of bizarre deaths in a New England town this week," the newscaster said.

Oh-oh.

"Today we've received reports that an English professor at Trinity University, one of the more popular academic institutions in the region, has died from an apparent suicide nearly a day after two murders were reported at a hotel nearby. No one has confirmed whether or not the killings and the suicide are related, but police are checking into it."

An English professor? He heaved a sigh, relieved to know it wasn't Sydney.

"CNN has also learned that another employee at the university has been arrested. We don't have all the details at this time, but sources have told CNN that the Dean of History has allegedly attacked a Teaching Assistant at the school and that he is in serious condition at a local hospital. We go live now to Debra Young for this report. Debra?"

Stewie forgot about his anonymity and lowered his paper, his attention solely on the report.

Debra Young appeared on the screen. "The latest report we've received is that the Dean of History, a Russell Berger, has been arrested and charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. It turns out that the two slayings in the hotel last night are connected to the apparent suicide of the English professor, a Dennis Glover, and sources have indicated to me that Glover's death may in fact have been murder as well.

"As for the attempted murder victim, the Teaching Assistant Nigel Bailey, he is still listed in serious condition after apparently being injected by Berger with an overdose of narcotics."

Stewie let his newspaper drop to the floor. "Nigel?" he said aloud in disbelief. "No. Not Nigel." He jumped to his feet, his first instinct to go back to Trinity, but he hesitated. "Sure, they caught the killer, right?" he reassured himself. "I've got nothing to worry about, right?"

He thought about the death threat he got and wavered once again. He gazed heavenward and cried softly, "Why? Why do you do this to me?" He sighed, grabbed his things, and rushed out of the airport.

"Stupid, bitch," Pena snapped. "If she hadn't gotten hooked on drugs and fallen in love with that idiot Glover, we wouldn't be in this mess." He pointed to Berger. "Your orders were to go after Fox and Bailey, not deal with local issues."

"Glover had to be dealt with," Berger insisted. "He would have implicated Cathi soon enough, and she would have pulled me into it. It was too risky. Surely, Rennes will understand that." Berger tried to sound calm despite his nerves. He felt betrayed by his own people, the very ones he had fought to protect. He wanted to serve with honor, not be treated like a cast-off, as he felt Pena was doing. Honor among thieves. He knew that was an oxymoron, but he still believed in it.

"Rennes knows and understands everything. Just like you understand what you must do." Pena opened the envelope and produced a small plastic pouch containing two small capsules. He opened the small bag and removed one of the pills, then pushed the bag toward Berger, repeating, "You know what you must do."

Berger reached out then pulled back his hand. He had been willing to protect the Gural Nataz and save his allies, but to be rewarded like this was not what he expected. To die in battle, to die with honor was his dream. To die in a police station being treated like pond scum, this wasn't what he had aspired to during his tenure in the Gural Nataz.

"I won't say a word," he implored. "I swear it to you. The lie is solid. It will hold."

"You know the code of the Gural Nataz, Russell. You cannot break it now."

"But I won't."

"The code," Pena said firmly.

With a shaky hand, Berger slowly slid the bag toward him, took out the capsule and placed it in his mouth and swallowed. Knowing the drill, he opened his mouth and raised is tongue to prove that he had definitely swallowed the poison.

Pena nodded. "Good."

He felt foolish, lured into the glory of the order only to be betrayed by it. He had shared their goal. Relics were to be obtained and traded, not stuffed into a museum. Infiltrators had to be dealt with. The honor of the Gural Nataz had to be maintained. When he had heard of others dying in prison, he had thought they were martyrs. Right now, he didn't feel like one.

A knock at the door made Berger jump. Pena held up his hand and repeated once more, "The code." He walked to the door and opened it. Detective Carson and Lieutenant Brocade stepped in.

"We'd like to question Mr. Berger now," Carson said stoically.

"Of course," Pena said, returning to his seat and locking up his briefcase.

Carson gestured to his boss as the two men sat down. "This is Lieutenant Brocade. He'd like to sit in on the questioning." He pulled out a small tape recorder and pressed the record button.

"Mr. Berger," Carson began, "Let's start at the beginning."

"Yes," Berger said nodding. "We should." He took a deep breath. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if someone strapped a belt to him and had tightened it too much. He suffocated under the pressure.

Carson and Brocade were on their feet trying to help him as he fell onto the floor in a fit of convulsions. He saw them over him and forced himself to speak. "Gu...ral...Na...taz...," his voice rasped. Faces swam before him and faded into tiny dots before disintegrating into darkness.

Cathi Sorenson sat in a chair in the small room where she was being held by hospital security. The police hadn't arrived yet and she started to feel a craving coming on. Her hands clawed at the back of her shirt, her wrists bound by handcuffs.

She needed one of two things: her drugs, or the dreaded pill she knew she had to take because of the vow she took with the Gural Nataz. At that point in time, she could not reach either of them.

She blamed Sydney Fox and Nigel Bailey for the death of her lover, Dennis Glover. She blamed Sydney more than Nigel because Dennis never got over her. But finishing up Russell's job meant getting to Sydney and showing her what it felt like to lose someone. Nigel had to die.

She consoled herself that even if she was unable to complete the job, someone else would.

Cate Hemphill sat in her office at Interpol and keyed in some information on her computer when the phone rang. She picked up the receiver and wedged it between her ear and shoulder while she continued typing.

"Cate Hemphill," she said. Her eyes widened as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. With a gasp she grabbed the phone and said, "What? Why wasn't I alerted sooner?"

The explanation wasn't good enough. She slammed down the phone and dialed another number. She drummed her fingers on her desk as she listened to the ringing on the line, muttering, "Come on, Sydney, answer the phone."

When no one picked up, she disconnected and dialed another number.

Sydney stood and watched Nigel as he rested quietly in the emergency room. The doctor had told everyone not to do anything that might disturb him, so she held back from touching him or speaking. They all did, it seemed. No one spoke or moved. They all stood and watched.

She wanted to find out about the mysterious woman who posed as both a student and a nurse and who tried to lure the nurse out of Nigel's room, but she didn't want to leave Nigel. His safety was more important. For the first time in her life she set aside her own curiosity and personal goals and put her friend first. She had her close friends whom she would defend to her death, but if she heard the word relic and she would always find herself torn.

Not this time.

Nigel stirred and his eyes fluttered open. Sydney felt her breath catch and she forced calm on the surface. His gazed drifted around, then landed in her. She wondered if he was lucid, since he seemed aware, even though his lids drooped slightly.

"Syd...," he said softly, his voice trailing off.

A collective sigh filled the room, as everyone exchanged relieved smiles. "I'm right here, Nigel," Sydney replied.

"Wha...?"

"Don't try to talk too much, Mr. Bailey," the nurse said. "You need to rest up."

"Rest...?"

"It's all right, Nigel," Sydney assured leaning over him. "You're at the hospital. You're going to be all right."

"Oh." He smiled dazedly, then swallowed as he gazed around the room. "Preston?"

"Here, Nigel," Preston said gently, moving closer so that Nigel could see him. "I'm right here."

"Don't take the job... Berger's bad."

Preston nodded. "No worries, Nigel."

"Berger's bad," Nigel repeated, turning to Sydney. "...Have to stop him..."

Sydney saw how distressed Nigel looked and placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently. "It's okay. Berger's in jail. Just take it easy. Everything's going to be fine." The instant the words left her mouth, Sydney felt a pang in her gut. Something told her things weren't fine, and that it was far from over.

Her cellphone rang, and she apologized for the disturbance, rushing out into the hallway to answer it before the ringing persisted. "Hello," she said hurriedly, eager to end the call.

"Sydney, it's Cate Hemphill."

"Cate," Sydney said. "Have you got something on the information I gave you?"

"Maybe. I've just heard some disturbing news."

Sydney detected the tension in Cate's voice. "What's wrong?"

"The Gural Nataz is on your campus, and they may be involved in the murders. And the word is that there may be more than one killer lurking around."

"Where are you going, Mr. Pena?" Lieutenant Brocade inquired curiously, standing outside the interrogation room while paramedics worked on reviving Russell Berger. He had just noticed Pena heading away from him at a quick pace.

"I'm just moving out of the way," Pena said, turning around wearing a look of concern on his face. "I hope Russell will be all right."

Brocade felt suspicious. "Do you have any idea what brought this on?"

Pena shook his head. "Not a clue. He was fine, and then..."

"Do you know if he has a heart condition?"

"I really don't know."

Brocade's eyes narrowed. "You don't know much about your client, do you?"

"He never shared his medical history with me. You'll have to ask his doctor about it."

"Oh, I will. You can count on that." Brocade moved closer to him. "In fact. I've done a lot of asking lately, especially about you." He stopped a couple of feet from Pena. "You have quite a record."

Pena stood up straight and met Brocade's gaze. "I do what I can to help my clients."

"Like buy off witnesses."

Gaping at him, Pena said, "That has never been proven."

"Only because said witnesses died mysteriously. Just like Berger."

"He's not dead yet. The paramedics..."

"He's dead," Brocade interrupted. "You and I both know that. And I think I know how it happened. I'll bet that when I call his doctor, I'll find out he never had a heart condition. So why not save me the quarter and tell me what you gave him?"

"I will not stand around and..."

"My detective is on the phone right now with Interpol. They have a lot of information on the Gural Nataz that they're willing to share with us. They even asked if we could detain you for a while for a little chat."

Pena whipped his briefcase at Brocade, who knocked it out of Pena's hand. He then grabbed the man's wrist and held firm. Reaching out for Pena's free hand, Brocade did not see the kick that hit him in the groin. The lieutenant cried out as he fell down to one knee, waiting for the pain to subside as he watched the lawyer turn to run. Officers blocked Pena's getaway. He spun back around, reached in his pocket, and popped something into his mouth.

Brocade saw the move. He forced himself onto his feet and grabbed Pena by the throat, slamming him against the wall. "What did you take? What was that?"

Pena laughed. "You'll never stop us. We are too powerful for you." He choked and Brocade let go of him. Pena slid to the floor, gasping for air and convulsing until he too drifted into consciousness.

"No!" Brocade shouted. He dropped to the floor and tried giving Pena mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR with the assistance of the officers, but he knew it was useless. "Shit!"

The door to Cathi's mini prison burst open and Sydney barreled her way into the room and up to Cathi, knocking her off her chair. Sydney picked her up and slammed her against the wall. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," Cathi spat.

Sydney seethed. "I know you're with the Gural Nataz. Now tell me the rest of it."

"You know the rest of it."

A security guard entered the room slightly dazed, his appearance suggesting he had lost a fight. He rushed over to them, and right into a knockout kick from Sydney who sent him sprawling to the floor. "Tell me anyway," she said to Cathi without faltering.

"There's a Gural Nataz bounty out on both you and Bailey."

"What about Russell Berger? How long was he involved?"

"I don't know."

Sydney slammed Cathi against the wall. "How long?"

"I don't have to answer your questions." She shuddered, the craving getting stronger.

Sydney reacted. "What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Nothing." Cathi squeezed her arms against herself and shivered again.

"Listen to me. I can help you. The Gural Nataz are not your friends. They don't care about what happens to you."

"You know nothing!" Cathi shrieked. "Dennis was my friend. Now he's dead." She started crying and slid to the floor pulling her legs close.

Sydney knelt down in front of her, still keeping a firm grip on her arm. "You were in love with Dennis?" Sydney asked, stunned.

"He loved you! He never loved me! And now he's dead because of you!" Cathi tried to get to her feet, but her handcuffs limited her movement.

Sydney held her down. "Berger killed Dennis," she snapped. "I didn't do anything."

"Berger didn't kill Dennis! I did." Cathi sobbed. "I killed Dennis!"

"Why?"

"Because I had to uphold the code of the Gural Nataz. Because I screwed up."

Just then the police arrived and surveyed the scene. The two uniformed officers pulled their guns.

Sydney let go of Cathi and held up her hands. "It's all right. She was trying to get away."

They saw the handcuffs on Cathi and lowered their weapons. "You Sydney Fox?" one officer asked her.

"Yes?"

"I have a message for you from Detective Carson. He'd like you to call him as soon as you can."

She nodded, then looked down at Cathi who tried to regain control of herself. "Let me help you," she offered softly.

Cathi shook her head. "It's too late," she said sadly. "I'm already dead."

"What do you mean?"

"It's our honor code. I can't be arrested. I have to die."

Sydney's mouth dropped open. "The police can protect you. Interpol can help you."

"No." Cathi sniffed. "No one can."

The officers helped Cathi to her feet.

"What if I don't press charges?" Sydney offered. "You can go free. Just let me help you."

Sydney's words surprised her. "Why would you want to help me so badly?"

"No one deserves to die."

Cathi thought about it, then realized her predicament. "I can't," she said, as new tears welled. "It's too late."

The cops took her by the arms, and they led her to the door.

"Wait!" Sydney called, rushing up to them and circling in front of the trio who stopped. "Who else is here from the Gural Nataz?"

"One more person. I don't know his name."

"Can you describe him?"

Cathi shook her head. "I've never seen him."

Sydney's face hardened. "You better not be lying to me."

Cathi met her gaze. "There's no reason for me to, now."

Sydney nodded, appearing to accept the answer. "Why three of you?"

"I came here to keep an eye on you, learn your routine, track your movements. Russell was supposed to do the job, and the third man was here as back-up. Things went wrong when Dennis got greedy about that new job." She shook her head. "I should never have gotten him the drugs."

"You were the drug supplier?"

"I'm a user, an addict. Dennis knew it and he asked me to get him some drugs and to put them in Bailey's desk, including the amphetamines in that aspirin bottle."

"Why didn't Berger let Nigel take the drugs? Why save his life?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Sydney frowned. "Who killed Dallas Carter and Kurt Reiner?"

"The third man."

"Not Russell?"

Cathi shook her head. "He took the fall to protect us. He's probably dead now."

Sydney gaped at her. "Russell's dead?"

"Most likely. We all die. It's the way."

Sydney stepped aside and let them go. Cathi walked silently with the two officers, knowing that her time had come, and if she did not take her own life, someone would do it for her.

They walked outside the hospital and to the police car. One of the officers opened the rear door and helped her inside, closing it after her. Then the two cops climbed into the front seat. The man driving turned the key in the ignition and Cathi heard the click.

A loud boom reverberated through the hospital. Sydney ran to the nearest window and peered outside, following the trail of smoke down to a car immersed in flames. She could make out the police lights, and she knew the young woman who just left in handcuffs had given her life to the Gural Nataz.

She squeezed her eyes shut, shedding a tear for that unfortunate woman and her futile cause.

A short time later, as police and onlookers rushed outside to survey the scene, Sydney called Detective Carson and the two agreed to meet at the hospital to discuss this latest event and compare notes. After she disconnected her phone, she rushed back to Nigel's room to see how he was holding up.

Preston and Karen were pacing outside the emergency room when they caught sight of Sydney. They rushed to her side, both talking a mile a minute. Finally, they started to calm down, much to Sydney's relief.

"Sydney!" Karen exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"We were worried sick," Preston added.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "How's Nigel."

"Hanging in there," Karen said. "We heard the explosion and feared the worst. I think the nurse was worried about upsetting Nigel, so she asked us to leave."

"What happened?" Preston asked. "Did that woman escape and try to blow up the hospital?"

"No," Sydney replied shaking her head. "It's more complicated than that. I'll explain as soon as I can, and Cate Hemphill can fill in the rest when she gets here."

Karen gaped at her. "Cate Hemphill? Why is Interpol involved with Dean Berger and the killings?"

"He was Gural Nataz."

"What?"

"I'll explain everything later." Sydney headed to the door to the emergency room. "Right now, I want to see Nigel." She entered the room to find him still laying on the table with his eyes closed. "How is he?" she asked the nurse.

The woman frowned at her.

"I promise I won't do anything to disturb him," Sydney assured. "How is he?"

The nurse's facial expression softened as she replied, "He's improving."

Sydney thanked her and stood closer to her friend and colleague. He stirred slightly but did not open his eyes. He seemed distressed. Sydney wondered if he was hallucinating. She brushed her hand against his cheek, then took his hand in hers and whispered, "Everything's fine, Nigel. Everything is all right."

Detective Carson arrived just in time to see the firemen putting out the blazing police car. He entered the hospital and went searching for Sydney. He soon found out where Nigel's room was, and gingerly opened the door.

Sydney wheeled around to see who entered, then nodded to him. He saw her squeeze Nigel's limp hand and then head his way. Carson saw that the young man was unconscious and pale. The detective stepped out into the hallway and with Sydney and asked, "How's Nigel?"

She smiled. "The doctor said he'll be fine. He just needs some time to recover."

Carson nodded. "What happened outside?"

"They were taking a woman in for questioning."

"I heard she tried to attack Nigel."

"Something like that," Sydney said with a sigh.

Carson turned to her. "What do you know about the Gural Nataz?"

Her eyes widened. "How much time have you got?"

They went outside to survey the damage as they discussed what had happened since they had last spoke. While Sydney tried to get over the shock of Berger's death, Carson learned more about the Gural Nataz and the mysterious third person.

"Could it have been Emilio Pena?" Carson asked. "Berger's lawyer?"

"I don't know," Sydney replied sadly. "It doesn't explain who planted the bomb."

"If what you and Interpol say about this gang of thieves is true, this thing may never be over. They'll still send people after you two."

"They're too clever to try again, here. That bomb might have been their last clean up attempt. When they've failed in the past it means it's time for them to back off, regroup and try again in another place. Nigel and I will just have to keep an eye out when we're traveling."

"And I thought I led a dangerous life," Carson quipped.

She threw him a fleeting grin. "Let's just hope this mission is definitely over."

Stewie had heard the explosion and had panicked, scolding himself for leaving the airport and not taking that flight out of the country. He hid in the bushes and watched as Sydney and Detective Carson stood near the car talking. He wanted to get her attention, but he was still unsure if being there was the right thing.

So, he sat and waited and prayed no one could see him. After a few minutes he started to feel uncomfortable in the bushes. He started to itch. Fearing it was poison ivy, Stewie decided to get away from the area and sneak inside the hospital, where he hoped he would be safer.

He made his way out into the parking lot and half tip-toed, half jogged toward the main entrance of the hospital.

"Hey, Stewie!" He heard Sydney call to him. He froze and winced, waiting for her and the detective as they approached him.

"How nice to see you again," Carson said facetiously.

"What are you doing here?" Sydney asked him in disbelief. "I thought you'd have left the country by now."

Stewie flashed his trademark smile and lied through his teeth. "What, me? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Sydney gazed upward as if lost in thought. "Oh, how about that time in Sweden? Or that time in France?"

"Come on, Syd. People change."

She made a face and asked again, "What are you doing here?"

Stewie lost the false bravado. "I heard about Nigel." He sighed. "And, I just couldn't leave." He shrugged. "Maybe I have changed." He grew nervous standing out in the open. "Look, I could be killed just talking to you two. Can we go inside?"

"I'm not finished with you yet," Carson said. "Why did you run off?"

"I got scared."

"Do you know who threatened you?"

"No. I told you the truth. He disguised his voice."

"Have you heard of the Gural Nataz?"

Stewie felt faint. "The Gural Nataz? You don't mean...?" His knees buckled. Sydney and Carson caught him and helped him into the hospital.

After they had settled Stewie down into a chair and gave him some water to help him recover, Sydney left the two men and headed back to Nigel's room. As she approached, she found the door wide open. She quickened her step and ran into the room.

It was empty.

Sydney's head reeled. She had done what she thought she wouldn't. She left everyone open and vulnerable, left them without a word as to where she was going. Now they were gone.

She spun on her heel and headed for the nurse's station. She felt frantic. "Where's Nigel?" she asked quickly. "Where are the people who were with him?"

The nurse threw her a puzzled look and held up her hand. "Calm down. Who are you looking for?"

"Nigel Bailey!" She pointed to the empty room. "He was in that room. Where is he?"

The nurse checked her computer, then said, "He has been admitted. He's on the fourth floor."

Sydney didn't linger. She ran to the nearest bank of elevators and pushed the button several times. Her patience waned further as she waited. Then she gave up and ran to the staircase, running up to the fourth floor as quickly as she could. She burst open the door and sought out the nurse's station on that floor and breathlessly asked for Nigel's room. The nurse on duty directed her to his location and she rushed o the room. She came to a halt in the doorway when she saw what was inside.

Nigel sat propped up in bed. He smiled weakly at her. "You're back."

The police and press started to gather at the hospital. An armed guard was posted outside Nigel's room and police officers took up patrols at both the hospital and on the Trinity University campus. Interpol agents had arrived to brief officers on what to look for and what measures to take to bring down any suspicious characters.

Stewie paced the hallway outside Nigel's room. He hadn't gone inside yet, still worried about whether or not he should be there at all. Detective Carson had told him that there were three Gural Nataz operatives in town, and while three were dead, he had cautioned Stewie that the lawyer might not have been the third man. For the second time that day, he went from feeling scared to safe to scared once again.

"Do you want to take that pacing somewhere else?" the police officer guarding Nigel's room asked Stewie impatiently. "You're making me nervous."

Stewie held up his hands. "Sorry." He stopped his pacing and decided to head downstairs to Detective Carson and tell him he'll happily go back into protective custody. Anything to keep him out of harm's way until this thing blows over.

Nigel looked tired, though his face was full of concern. His bed had been propped up and he lay back against the pillow, staring directly at her. "I heard about the explosion," he said softly, his voice betraying his still weakened condition.

Karen and Preston hovered near his bedside, still visibly nervous.

Sydney smiled, forcing calm into her voice. She didn't want to upset Nigel any further. "I'm fine."

"What news do you have from Detective Carson?" Preston asked.

She tried to throw him a look that said, 'Not now,' but Nigel - knowing her too well - caught it.

"Sydney, please," Nigel begged. "I won't rest unless I know."

She sat down on the bed and smiled at Nigel. He wore a hospital gown. The EKG was gone, no more tubes taped to his chest. An IV was still connected to his wrist, however. His color had returned, though not fully.

"How are you feeling?" Sydney asked him.

"Better," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "I'm still a little tired. The doctor says I've still got some drugs left in my system. She gave me another dose of that Narcan stuff, but she says that should do the trick."

"The doctor said," Preston added cheerfully, "that if he's up for it, he can go home tomorrow."

Nigel met her gaze. "What happened? Preston mentioned something about Dean Berger and the Gural Nataz. What's going on?"

She sighed. "I think we all should stay here tonight. The police are guarding the room and the rest of the hospital."

"So there are other killers?" Preston asked anxiously."

"There may be one other person," Sydney replied. "He may already be dead. No one knows for sure." She turned to Nigel. "Berger's dead, and so is his lawyer."

Nigel's eyes widened. "What?"

"I don't have all the pieces yet, but it seems Berger and two others were sent her to fulfill the bounty on our heads."

"Do we know who the other two are?"

"One is dead. The girl who found Dennis' body. She was posing as a student. She's the one who planted the drugs in your desk."

"And what of the third person?" Preston asked.

"No one knows who that is yet. Berger's lawyer was involved with the Gural Nataz, and he killed himself before the police could get information from him."

"So he might be the third man?"

"Maybe." She glanced at the other two. "We'll stay here tonight just to be safe."

"What if that third person is still out there tomorrow or the next day?" Karen asked. "What then?"

"Let's hope Cate Hemphill will have some answers tonight."

"Cate…?" Nigel asked.

Sydney nodded turning back to him. "She has someone working undercover inside the Gural Nataz High Council."

"She's coming here?"

"Yes."

Preston forced some cheer into his voice. "Perhaps her arrival will bring some good news."

Nigel did not seem to be listening anymore. His eyes drooped and a soft moan escaped him. "I can't…," he muttered, running a weary hand over his face. "Too much…."

Concerned, Sydney placed her hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, Nigel."

"Syd…," he said softly. "Don't leave."

"I won't leave you. I promise."

A phone rang. Rennes picked it up, expecting the call. "What news do you have for me?" He listened, his fingers angrily squeezing the receiver as he listened to the news about the deaths of his three operatives. "Do what you can." He hung up the phone, seething.

Rachel entered the room, her red hair pulled back accentuating her piercing stare. "What's happened?" she asked him.

"Everything," he said bitterly. "And nothing. Bailey and Fox are still alive. Berger, Pena and Sorenson are dead."

"So, they failed," she said flatly. "I never trusted Berger or Sorenson."

"Too late for that now."

She walked up to him and caressed his cheek. "We still have one ace up our sleeve." She nibbled his ear.

In a secret location in a distant land far away from North America and the troubles involving Sydney Fox and Nigel Bailey, there convened a group of people all cloaked in red robes, sitting around a large table with a statue of a cobra in the center. This meeting of the High Council of the Gural Nataz had been called to discuss the events happening in an otherwise sleepy New England town miles away.

The meeting went on for over an hour, the discussions heated at times, but the vote unanimous. When all had settled, a decision had been reached, an agreement had been made, and an ending was decided upon.

Nigel awoke with a start. His IV was gone and he was fully dressed. He glanced around the room and discovered he was alone. Throwing back the covers he jumped out of bed and rushed to the door.

Outside his room stood several large men wearing black cloaks, their faces obscured by the shadow of their hoods. Nigel panicked. "Gural Nataz!" He spun and ran inside the room, but they followed, grabbing him and dragging him outside throwing him against the wall. He tried to run once more, but they held on to him forcing him to watch something down the hall.

Sydney stood against a wall bound, gagged, and blindfolded. The hooded men raised machine guns and fired.

"Sydney!"

He saw her limp form fall to the ground. He fought against his captors, eager to rush to her side, but they pushed him to the floor and started stabbing him.

"No!"

In the darkness of his room Nigel tossed and turned in his sleep, moaning and muttering. He called out Sydney's name a few times as he became more and more agitated. "No!" he cried. "No."

He jumped and pulled the covers back. "I've got to get out of here," he said quickly.

Someone held him down and he struggled against them. "No!"

"Nigel, calm down!" the person ordered, switching on the light.

He wrestled until he opened his eyes and saw who sat in front of him. "Cate?"

Cate Hemphill smiled, relieved. "Hi, Nigel."

He quickly glanced around the room. "Where's Sydney?" He started to panic. "Preston?" he called. Turning back to Cate he asked her frantically, "Where are they?"

"Take it easy," she consoled him. "They're getting something to eat. There are police officers with them. They're all right."

Nigel heaved a sigh of relief and settled back against the pillow. "How long have you been here?"

"I arrived an hour ago, but I've been watching you for just a few minutes. Sydney, Karen, and Preston didn't want to disturb you. They were hungry so I said I'd be more than happy keep an eye on you while they grabbed something to eat." She took his hand in hers. "How are you feeling?"

Nigel pulled away and drew the covers closer to him. "Fine."

She sensed his discomfort. "Good," she replied awkwardly. "I'm glad. I was worried about you."

"Have you heard anything new from your informant?"

Cate's smile faded. "No. He hasn't called. I've been on the phone the whole way up here with the police, the FBI, the university…." She ran a weary hand through her hair. "It's been a long night and it's not even ten yet."

"If you have someone on the inside, why not bust the Gural Nataz?"

"Because it's not that easy, Nigel. Even if we caught everyone on the High Council, there are still hundreds of other members all over the world. And as you know, they're not easy to spot."

Nigel nodded, taking a deep breath, and releasing it slowly. "I would never have thought of Dean Berger as a member of a group of killers."

"I know. Sydney told about that. I'm really sorry."

Nigel closed his eyes. "You know, I never thought they'd come after us like this. I took it for granted that we were safe at Trinity." He opened his eyes and laughed uneasily. "How silly I was."

Cate tried again to take Nigel's hand in hers. This time he did not pull away. Instead, he gave hers a squeeze.

She hated leaving Nigel, but Sydney needed to refuel and clear out the cobwebs in order to think of a way to meet their nemesis head on. She just hoped Nigel would be all right, even with all the protection he had.

"I feel like a sitting duck," Karen said, nibbling on her turkey sandwich in the hospital cafeteria. She glanced up at both Preston and Sydney, who munched at their meals. Preston seemed on edge. Karen placed her hand on his. "Sorry," she said.

"Quite all right," he replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Sydney swallowed her morsel and said, "I don't like it either, but until we hear otherwise, this is the best we can do against the Gural Nataz."

"This isn't like you, Sydney," Karen pointed out. "I always thought you were the type who meets danger head on."

Sydney nodded. "You're right. But if the Gural Nataz wants Nigel and me, they're going to come after us no matter what. Whether I stay here or leave it won't make a difference."

Preston dropped his sandwich. "Are you saying we could be attacked right now?"

"I'm saying that I'm not just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I'm trying to think of a way to catch this guy. Unfortunately, the Gural Nataz aren't your typical group of bad guys. Sometimes it pays to lay low and see. Go with the flow, as my father would say." She took another bite of her sandwich.

Preston picked up his meal with a shaky hand and took another bite, glancing around nervously as he chewed.

Francois camped outside the hospital, hidden in the bushes, watching and waiting for an opportunity to get inside and close to Sydney. With the restraining order against him it was too risky to waltz in with all the police around. He had to think of another way to get to her.

"Nigel, I...," Cate started.

He pulled his hand back. "Please don't, Cate. I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Okay." She nodded solemnly. After a moment of silence, she added, "I missed you."

He looked away. "Cate, please."

"I'm sorry."

He gazed at her and said sadly, "Me too."

An ambulance pulled up to the Emergency. Paramedics opened the rear doors and rushed someone inside on a stretcher. Amid the chaos in Emergency, no one saw another man slip out of the ambulance and into the main section of the hospital.

Rennes' peaceful night had been interrupted by a knock on the door. Rachel went to answer it and returned with three Gural Nataz operatives.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked angrily.

"We have been ordered to terminate your leadership," one of the men said. He glanced at Rachel. "Both of you."

"I don't believe it," Rennes barked. "By whose decree?"

"By the order of the High Council. They have voted unanimously for your end."

"You can't do that. I won't allow it."

The man handed him an envelope and Rennes read the order on paper. He crumpled it up and threw it against the wall.

"Your reign of terror has ended, Rennes," the man said. "You no longer are leader of the Gural Nataz."

Another man entered. He did not look like the other three men. This man carried an air of authority. He was dressed immaculately in a well-tailored suit.

"What is the meaning of this, Serna," Rennes asked him.

"It is done, Rennes," Serna said. "We are not assassins. We are thieves who kill as necessary. You have expended too much manpower and energy on Fox and Bailey. We have lost our focus, our purpose. The secrecy of the Gural Nataz has been jeopardized by your power hungry need to exert your authority. It is time for a new regime, a fresh start. We must invoke the Rule of Nine."

Rachel's gaze fell. She said nothing.

"No," Rennes snapped. "I forbid it. I overrule you!"

"Not this time. You must die. Rachel too. You both will be punished for leading us down a path not dictated in our doctrine."

"No!" Rachel cried.

"Call off the agent who is after Fox and Bailey."

"No!" Rennes said firmly. "They must be dealt with. I am right!"

"You are right. They must be dealt with, but you lost your focus, Rennes. You have compromised us to the rest of the world by grooming assassins instead of thieves and sending people to kill rather than steal. We must step back and let things quiet down for the good of the guild. We must reclaim our honor." He motioned to one of the operatives, who pulled a gun on Rennes. "Reveal the man's name or die a slow painful death."

Rennes stood firm. "We will die for the honor of the Gural Nataz. I will not disclose his name. Kill me now, if you must. I will not break the silence."

The operative shot Rennes in the kneecap. He fell to the floor in agony.

Serna grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head and asked again. "What's his name?"

Nigel shifted around restlessly. Cate tried to help him get comfortable, but it was no use. He felt anxious. He wanted to get up and do something and not lay in bed.

"Have you got any leads on this third man?" he asked Cate.

She shook her head. "No. We ran a check on all the names Sydney gave me and found nothing. It's hard to find card carrying Gural Nataz operatives."

"What about the woman who died in the explosion? Has anyone identified her yet?"

"No."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "So what happens now?"

Cate shrugged. "We wait."

"I can't just lay here and do nothing. Where are Sydney, Preston and Karen?"

Cate placed her hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy. They'll come back soon."

He shook his head. "I don't like this. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"Relax. You're still recovering from the OD. Your body needs to readjust that's all."

"No. It's not that. I really have a bad feeling about this." He grabbed her arm. "You have to find them. Please."

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Nigel," Cate said firmly. "I promised Sydney. She didn't want to leave you, but I insisted. They will be back soon."

"They'll be in danger!" Nigel pulled back the covers and swing his feet over the side of the bed.

Cate gaped at him. "What are you doing?"

"I've got to find them."

Cate tried to stop him. "Nigel, don't do this. You have to rest."

He tried to push her away but didn't have enough strength. Instead, he grabbed her arm to use as leverage as he got to his feet. Once upright the room swam and his lost his balance.

"Nigel!" Cate caught him in her arms and lowered him back onto the bed. "You're in no condition to do this."

He fixed his gaze on her and said breathlessly. "Find them."

Cate finally gave in and nodded reluctantly. She rose to her feet and headed to the door. "I'll be back soon." She stepped out of the room.

Her reassurances did little to comfort him. Nigel got to his feet and held onto the side of the bed to steady himself while he waited for the room to stop spinning. He removed his IV, then took careful steps to the closet where he grabbed his clothes and put them on.

Cate stepped into the elevator and punched the number for the main floor of the hospital. The doors closed as her cellular phone rang. She pulled it out of her handbag and answered it. "Cate Hemphill."

"We just got a message from our contact," a fellow agent said on the line. "Rennes is dead."

"Dead?" Cate asked in disbelief. "How?"

"Apparently the High Council ordered him to cease and desist on his vendetta on Sydney Fox and Nigel Bailey." He paused. "There's more. We have a name."

"Who is it?"

A man watched as the elevator doors closed on Cate Hemphill. He eyed the guard outside Nigel's room and made his move.

Nigel finished dressing and moved to the door, supporting himself against the wall along the way. He opened the door slowly, peering out into the hallway, glancing both ways, seeing nothing threatening in the quiet corridor. He closed the door and walked back into the room, pondering his next move. Suddenly, he froze and wheeled around to face the door.

"Where's the guard?"

His breath caught. Nigel swallowed hard as he walked slowly back to the door and opened it once more. He glanced around frantically when he spotted something on the floor by the doorway. It was a gun.

He knelt down and grabbed it, taking swift glances around making sure no one saw him. He rushed back into the room. His head reeled and he slipped to the floor. He slid to the nightstand, pulled himself into a sitting position and leaned against it, holding the gun at the door.

Cate stepped off the elevator and disconnected the phone. She ran to the cafeteria, and soon discovered that Sydney, Karen, and Preston were not there. She asked the police officers on patrol if they had seen them. One man informed her that they took the elevator back upstairs.

"Is Detective Carson around?" she asked him.

"He should be," the officer replied. "Want me to radio him?"

Cate nodded. "Yes, please. And tell him I know who the third man is."

Sydney, Karen and Preston emerged from one of the elevators onto the fourth floor with two police officers in tow. Sydney froze and raised her hand to stop the others. "Where's the guard?"

The police officers pulled their guns. "Wait here," one of them commanded. Sydney didn't like that order. She pushed Preston and Karen into a nearby room and checked around for any unwanted surprises. Fortunately, the only inhabitants were two patients watching TV. "Stay put," she ordered Preston and Karen, then left the room.

Out in the hallway she found the two cops lying motionless on the floor. No one else was in sight. She moved to the door of Nigel's room.

Someone grabbed her from behind. She felt the cold steel of a gun against her temple. Her breathing became more difficult with the tightening grip around her throat. She let out a yelp as she swung her leg against her attacker's in an attempt to trip him, but he held fast, as he forced her inside Nigel's room.

Nigel sat on the floor. He jumped when they entered, then raised the gun up to them, his hands shaking. His mouth dropped open in shock. "You!"

Sydney tried to elbow him, but she started to feel faint. With one last gasp the room faded into black.

"Sydney!"

Detective Carson joined Cate in front of the elevators. "You found out who the killer is?" he urged.

She nodded. "Yes. And it's someone they know."

"Who?"

"Francois Jourdan."

Nigel watched in horror as Sydney collapsed into the arms of Francois. The Frenchman kept his gun on her temple as he lowered her to the floor.

"Francois!" Nigel said, his hand shaking as he held up his gun. "Let her go!"

"She must die," Francois spat. "For the glory of the Gural Nataz, she must die."

"No!" Nigel's heart raced. "You love her. You can't kill her."

"I must."

"Why?"

"She betrayed me. She betrayed everything I stand for."

"That's not a good enough reason!" Nigel shouted. "Killing her won't restore honor. It will only make you a killer. You never killed anyone before, Francois. Stop now before it's too late."

Francois shrugged. "It is already too late." He cocked the gun.

Carson punched the button for the elevator and radioed the news to his men. "We'll need a photograph of this guy," he said to Cate when he was finished.

"Interpol will be e-mailing me one in a few minutes. I left my laptop in Nigel's room. We can download the photo from there."

The sound of the hammer being set in place sent a chill down Nigel's spine. Fear and terror gripped him. He knew a lot about guns, but he never actually fired one. He hoped he wouldn't have to now. "Please put down the gun," he implored. "Don't make me shoot you."

"You were supposed to die first," Francois said slowly. "Then the others. Then Sydney."

"What others?"

"You know."

Realization struck him. "Dallas and Reiner."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Thieves do not steal from thieves."

"They stole from you?"

"From the Gural Nataz."

"Why do this, Francois? You love Sydney."

Francois' eyes narrowed and he aimed his gun at Nigel. "You ask too many questions. Perhaps you should die now."

"No." Nigel's breath caught as he shrunk back against the nightstand. "Don't make me shoot." Fear gripped him tighter. "Don't."

Francois smiled and said, "Bang."

Kate stepped off the elevator first and spotted the two police officers laying in the hallway with nurses and doctors hovering over them. She glanced at Carson who pulled his gun. She reached in her handbag and pulled out her revolver. They exchanged another glance and headed for Nigel's room.

"Stay back," Nigel barked.

Francois snickered as he moved closer.

"Don't!"

"On the count of three. Une."

"No!"

"Deux."

"Three!" Sydney shouted.

Francois wheeled around just in time for Sydney to land a spiral kick, knocking the gun out of his hand.

Nigel sat frozen on the floor in shock, watching everything happen as if in slow motion.

Sydney threw several punches, knocking him unconscious to the floor. She threw a few more kicks to his groin, then grabbed him and shrieked, "Damn you! Why?! Why?!"

Detective Carson burst into the room followed by Cate. He pulled Sydney off of Francois and checked him to make sure he was still alive.

Sydney rushed to Nigel and knelt down in front of him. "Nigel?" she asked with concern. She took the gun in her hands. "Let go."

Her voice snapped him back to reality. He released the gun and Sydney tossed it aside. He took in a shaky breath and closed his eyes. He felt like sobbing. Sydney pulled him close and hugged him tightly, as he tried to regain control of his emotions.

"It's okay, Nigel." Sydney broke the embrace and turned to Cate who knelt beside them. "Is it over?"

Cate nodded and smiled. "Yes. The Gural Nataz are pulling back. It's over - for real this time."

Tears filled Nigel's eyes. "Oh, thank God," he exclaimed softly.

Sydney rubbed his arm. "It's okay," she repeated to him. "It's okay."

The fourth floor swarmed with uniformed police officers. Detective Carson escorted a dazed and handcuffed Francois out to a patrol car with a warning from Sydney to be careful and check the car first. Carson had radioed his team beforehand to inform them that Francois should be considered dangerous and must be under close guard at all times.

A police officer had been sent to retrieve Karen and Preston from their safe place. They arrived just in time to see Sydney and Cate help Nigel into bed. He looked pale and shaken. Once in bed, they buzzed for a nurse and told Preston and Karen what had happened. Nigel filled in the blanks, his voice wavering.

Detective Carson took Nigel's statements – one from the incident at Dean Berger's office and the other from recent events that evening. Nigel vividly described the pressure he had felt at the back of his neck just before he had lost consciousness in the Dean's office. "It didn't feel like a needle," he said.

Sydney mulled over this, then offered, "The bruise was too large to be from the syringe. It's possible Berger applied pressure to a nerve, rendering you unconscious."

Nigel nodded. "It's possible."

Once Carson got his information, he informed the group that he had to get back to the station. He said his goodbyes and well-wishes to everyone and departed.

Nigel sighed and fell back against the pillow. "I don't ever want to be put in that situation again," he said.

"Me neither," Sydney agreed.

"I'm just glad it's over with," Preston said.

A nurse arrived and took his pulse and blood pressure. Naturally, she did not seem pleased about Nigel's ordeal, but assured everyone that all he needed was to settle down and rest. She inserted a new IV and informed the group about visiting hours, and then left the room.

Everyone fell silent. Finally, Karen said with a smile, "It feels too quiet. This day has been the most eventful, terrifying day of my life. It's hard to believe I can actually calm down now."

"I know what you mean," Preston said. "I wouldn't wish these past twenty-four hours on anyone. Not even my worst enemy."

Nigel was uncharacteristically quiet, and Sydney noticed. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

He nodded sadly. "I was just thinking about that gun and how close I came to using it."

She smiled reassuringly. "You didn't. Everything turned out all right."

"What if you hadn't woken up?"

"Then Cate and Detective Carson would have been here."

"What if they hadn't?"

"But they had," Preston insisted, moving to his brother's side. "You can't think about what might have happened because it didn't. Don't get all worked up."

"Preston's right," Cate agreed. "You can't get upset over something that didn't happen."

Nigel took in a shaky breath and shook his head.

"He's exhausted," Sydney observed. "You just need to take it easy, Nigel. You'll be fine in the morning."

Preston gave Nigel's arm a squeeze. "Of course, you will."

"Maybe we should let him get some rest," Karen suggested.

Everyone voiced an agreement with this idea, though the look on Nigel's face seemed to suggest that he did not want to be alone, but he kept quiet.

Karen walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow."

Preston patted his arm. "Be back in the morning, Nigel. Get some rest."

Sydney eyed Nigel curiously and said, "Karen, can you give Preston a ride back to the hotel? I think I'll stay with Nigel for a while."

"Yeah," Karen said. "Okay."

"If that's all right with you?" Sydney asked Nigel.

Nigel brightened. "Sure." Suddenly he jumped up in bed. "Wait." The move was a bad idea. He swayed and Sydney and Preston grabbed hold of him.

"Lie down," she ordered.

He did so, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"We better get out of here," Cate cautioned. "We're upsetting him."

"No," Nigel protested. He turned to his brother. "Preston, take my keys. Stay at my place tonight."

"Are you sure?" Preston asked him.

"Yes." He pointed to the closet. "They're still in there – in a plastic bag." Preston went into the closet and retrieved Nigel's keys.

It occurred to Sydney that Nigel was still wearing his own clothes. "Maybe you should get out of those." She pointed to his outfit. "You'll be more comfortable."

"I don't want to put that silly hospital gown on," Nigel said disdainfully. "I'd rather sleep in what I'm wearing. It won't be the first time."

The group said their goodbyes, and Preston and Karen headed for the door. Cate seemed to linger, then walked up to Nigel and gave him a kiss on the lips and told him she'd be back tomorrow as well. Then she left the room.

Sydney let out a sigh and ran her hand through her hair. She smiled at Nigel. "You okay?"

He met her gaze and seemed to think about what to say next. Then he said finally, "Do you believe they really backed off?"

She nodded. "I know it's hard after all we've been through, but I trust Cate, and I believe her informant is on the level. Besides, you and I both know the Gural Nataz are never this vindictive."

"But why stop now, when they were so close."

"Maybe because they were losing their best people in the process." She sighed again. "We're better off not dwelling on it too much." She knew she didn't sound as convincing as she wanted. Sydney watched Nigel's facial expression, wishing he'd calm down just enough to get the rest he needed. "Try to sleep."

Reluctantly, Nigel closed his eyes. Once again, he wondered if he should move on and find that nice, quiet teaching job, so that he could get away from the perils associated with working with Sydney. He wondered if he should just go away for a while and think about what he wanted.

He knew that the Gural Nataz was not really done with them yet. The bounty had not been removed. They had only backed off. This meant that no matter what Nigel chose to do with his life, he would always be a target.

His mind started to wander sleepily, and he told himself not to resist. Sydney was right, he felt exhausted. He his head ached, and he felt weak. Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax and not think about the gun and Francois and the Gural Nataz. He finally drifted off to sleep.

The previous night was a tough one. As Nigel had feared, nightmares had kept him from sleeping through to the morning. At one point he had woken up to find Sydney gone. This had disappointed him, but he had figured she must have been exhausted as he was. Still with all the nightmares, he feared his lack of rest would result in the hospital keeping him another day.

In an hour's time the room was bustling with the arrival of Sydney, Cate, and Preston, who brought him a change of clothes. The doctor arrived sometime later.

"I heard what happened here last night," Dr. Andrews said. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," Nigel lied.

She threw him a disbelieving look. "You don't look fine."

Nigel sighed. "I just want to go home."

She checked his chart and examined him. "Okay," she said finally. "I'll release you on one condition."

"Anything," he asked hopefully.

"You get some rest. Take a few days off and take it easy. Then I want you to come see me for a follow-up examination."

"Why?"

"Heroin is a dangerous drug. I just want to make sure there are no long-term problems."

"I feel fine," he insisted.

"I know. And you probably will be fine. But it's a precaution I'm required to take. And so are you. Deal?"

He sighed. "Deal."

She nodded. "Good. Take care of yourself." She headed for the door.

"Thank you," Nigel said sincerely.

She said her goodbyes to everyone and left the room.

"So," Sydney said to him. "Ready to go home?"

Cate interrupted. "I have to head back to the agency tonight. I'm on another assignment." She smiled to Sydney and Preston. "Would you mind it I had a few minutes alone with Nigel?"

The two exchanged glances and excused themselves. "We'll be outside," Sydney said. They left Cate alone with Nigel.

He crossed his arms and said softly, "Cate, I don't think..."

"I know it's probably a bad time, but I think we need to talk about…us."

Nigel sighed.

"I know you're mad at me about dumping you - again," she said keeping an awkward distance from him. "And I'll understand if you hate me."

"I don't hate you," he said honestly. "I just... It took me a long time, but I finally figured out why we're not good for each other."

"I made a mistake," she said. "I realize that now."

"We made a mistake. We don't belong together."

"I disagree," she protested. "I know I was wrong, and I can make it up to you."

Nigel shook his head. "You can't. It won't work."

"Why not?"

Nigel took a deep breath. He hated what he had to say, but he knew he must tell her what he felt. "Remember the first time we broke up? You had asked me why I didn't call you and I had no answer. I didn't know why at the time. I recall making an excuse to you about how our relationship really wasn't one, and that our meeting wasn't normal. I knew that didn't make sense at the time, but I couldn't think of why it didn't feel right.

"Then we got back together, and after a while you stopped calling me. I told myself that I deserved it, especially after running you down with that Jeep…."

"Nigel…"

He held up his hand. "Hold on. It's not only that but considering I had stopped calling you the first time, I think it was fair that you had done the same thing to me." His gaze fell. "Then there was the Ian Worthingham situation."

"Nigel, I'm so sorry about that," she said sadly. "I was so stupid."

He sighed. "No. I was the fool who thought I could be what you wanted. I should have seen it coming. You told me flat out that you wanted someone more your equal. I had that power from the lancet in my system and you liked it. Once the power faded, I tried to be that man. It wasn't good enough."

Cate bridged the gap between them and sat next to him on the bed. "I was the one who thought you could be something you weren't. I was the one who forced you to be someone else. I was the insensitive one, Nigel. I was wrong." She reached out and caressed his hand. "I want you, Nigel. Not Ian. Not anyone else. You. I need you."

He turned to her, taking her hand in his. He wanted her back in his life so badly it hurt. "I can't," he said, his voice cracking. "I can't be who you want me to be. I can't go through his again."

"It won't be the same, Nigel," she vowed. "I promise."

He shook his head. "I'll never live up to your expectations. I'll never be that man you knew in Lisbon."

"I don't want you to change."

"We've tried, Cate. You've tried. I realize now that the reason I stopped calling you the first time was because deep down I knew this wouldn't work. Why do we torture ourselves?"

"Because I care for you."

"I care too!" he blurted out. "More than you realize. That's why I can't do this anymore."

She turned away. "Nigel, don't do this."

He wanted to put his hand on her shoulder and puller close, but he resisted. His mind raced and he forced himself to focus on what he believed was best for both of them. "Maybe, we need more time apart. Maybe, it's just too soon. You must find out what you want. Perhaps it's not me after all."

"I better go," Cate said quickly. She got to her feet and started for the door, then stopped. She wheeled around and leaned down giving Nigel a deep kiss on the lips before making a rapid departure from the room.

Her kiss took him by surprise and a tear escaped him. He brushed it away as Sydney entered the room. She stood just inside the doorway and canted her head sympathetically. "You okay?"

He nodded and bit his lip as another tear fell.

Karen stepped off the elevator just in time to see Cate enter the one next to hers. A twinge of jealousy ran through Karen. She liked Cate. The woman had it all: brains, an exciting job, great looks, and Nigel's heart neatly wrapped around her fingers. Deep down, Karen wanted to hate her, not just because of what she had, but because of what she did to Nigel.

She walked up to Preston who stood outside Nigel's room seemingly lost in thought. "Anything wrong?" she asked him.

He smiled. "Good morning, Karen."

"Good morning. Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Yes. Fine, though I think Nigel just needs a few minutes to work some things out with Sydney. I believe he had a bit of a scrap with Cate. Do you know about those two?"

Karen fumed. "What did she do to him now?"

Preston recoiled. "Oh. I don't know. She seemed pretty upset when she left. I was hoping you could tell me."

Sydney crossed the room, sat down next to Nigel on the bed and put her arm around him. "She'll come back to you," Sydney assured. "She always does."

"Not this time," he said sadly. "I told her it won't work and why. I think it's really over this time."

"Do you want it to be?"

Nigel sighed. "No. But I know it's for the best." Another tear fell. "I can't handle the breakups anymore, Syd. They get harder each time."

"I know." She rubbed his arm.

He wiped away his tears and apologized, "Sorry, I'm falling apart like this."

Sydney shrugged. "It's okay." She smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "You just need to go home and get some sleep and not worry so much about things. Everything will work itself out."

He nodded absently, running his hand through his hair as he tried to sort out his thoughts. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you." He took a deep breath and met her gaze. "Will you teach me how to fight?"

Her mouth dropped open, and Nigel couldn't tell if she was shocked or pleased by his question. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Nigel sighed. "I think so." He stared at the floor. "I know that no matter what I do with my life the Gural Nataz will always have that bounty on our heads. "I don't want to repeat what happened last night. I don't want to ever be put in a situation where I can't defend myself - or you." He turned to her. "I've got to learn."

"I can teach you but only if you really want to." Sydney wagged her finger at him. "Just don't let yourself think you're going to be invincible. If I had been in your shoes last night, I'm not sure what I would have done."

Nigel shook his head. "You wouldn't have picked up the gun. You wouldn't have hidden behind a weapon, thinking that it would protect you so long as you didn't pull the trigger. You would have thought of a million other ways to have stopped him."

"Maybe," she said gravely.

"Promise you'll teach me...please."

She met his gaze. "Okay. When you're strong enough, I'll teach you. All right?"

He nodded solemnly.

Sydney got to her feet. "Why don't you get washed up and changed?" she suggested. "I'll wait outside in the hallway with Preston. Then we'll get out of here." She turned to the door.

"Syd," Nigel called to her, and she turned to face him.

"Thanks," he said sincerely.

She smiled then left him alone to get ready.

Within an hour Nigel had been checked out of the hospital and brought home. Sydney and Karen decided to leave Nigel to relax, while Preston chose to stay and see if Nigel needed anything.

Preston watched as Nigel opened a window and took in the outside air, allowing the sun's warmth to filter into the room.

"What will you do now?" Preston asked uneasily.

Nigel turned to him. "I think I'll wash up a bit and just take it easy...try to forget."

"Is that what you always do after you've survived a dangerous situation? Forget?"

Shaking his head slowly, Nigel said, "No, but it doesn't hurt to try."

"Perhaps it's time to come home," Preston suggested. "Perhaps it's time for you to find something else. Something safer."

"Three years ago, I might have agreed with your line of thinking. But like I told you yesterday, I don't want to leave. I thought about it again this morning with all that had happened last night, and despite everything I still can't see myself doing anything else. Besides, even if I wanted to find other work, I'm always going to be a target. No matter what I choose to do with my life, there will always be a Gural Nataz bounty on my head."

"It's Sydney they want, not you," Preston insisted. "If you went away, you'd be safer."

Nigel's mouth dropped open. "You're forgetting that it was me they tried to kill yesterday. They tried three times. Francois even said that I was supposed to die first. Me. Not Sydney."

"She was going to be next."

"Oh, so if I hadn't been here, they would have killed her, and everything would have been fine, is that it? So Suddenly Sydney doesn't matter. Is that how you look at life? No wonder we never had a relationship in years. You never think about people's feelings."

"I'm thinking about you. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"Safe? Since when did you care for my welfare? I've been taking care of myself since mum and dad died. I don't need your help now."

Preston felt offended by Nigel's remarks. "How dare you speak to me in that manner. I'm older than you. I'm entitled to have a say as to what you need."

"You're not my father, nor my mother," Nigel said firmly. "You lost your say after you sent me off to boarding school."

"I did it for your best interest."

"You had no idea what I needed. You were too busy being smart and throwing your ego around. You weren't there for me then, and I don't need you now."

The words stung Preston. "I thought we worked this out. I thought you understood how I felt."

Nigel shook his head. He slumped into a nearby chair and said regretfully, "I thought I did too, but maybe it was just too easy."

"I don't understand. What happened at the boarding school?"

"I was beaten, ignored, treated like shit. You thought you had sent me to a highly recommended school, but instead...instead you sent me to hell. It was more like an asylum than a learning institution."

Preston tried to comprehend what Nigel was saying. "Beaten?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Nigel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, waving his hands for emphasis. "The teachers would snap at me if I did the smallest thing wrong. The bullies would kick me if I didn't give them money. Dare I go on?"

Preston's head reeled. He dropped onto the sofa, unable to speak.

Nigel continued. "I had no friends. As usual books were my only outlet. I studied everything and anything I could get my hands on just to escape it all."

"I had no idea."

Nigel straightened and glared at Preston. Then his eyes widened. "No, I guess you didn't."

"Nigel, I'm sorry. You should have told me. I thought I was doing right by you. I was only trying to help."

"Somehow I thought you knew what was going on. I hated you for it for years."

"I didn't know," Preston said adamantly. "I promise you, Nigel. I was assured it was the best boarding school in the country."

Nigel stared at the floor. "You know what hurt the most about being sent there? I felt like a piece of rubbish you were tossing away."

"That's not true," Preston protested. "I assure you Nigel, I didn't think that way." He shifted to the edge of the sofa, leaning forward as he spoke. "I had no choice. It was either send you to boarding school or let someone from the government take you away. You were under eighteen, and even though I was older, no one had faith that I could watch over you. I had to make that decision, and I only had those two choices. No more. I did it to protect you, Nigel. I did it for your benefit. I promise you, that was all."

Nigel gaped at Preston with a anguished look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because with all that happened, I felt you didn't need to hear any more bad news. I thought you would be happy at the school."

Nigel sighed and let his head drop forward.

"Nigel," Preston said sincerely. "I'm truly sorry."

"You should have told me."

Guilt washed over Preston. He slumped back against the sofa and said nothing.

"When you sent me to that boarding school," Nigel said sadly, "I felt like you just didn't want me around. Finally, I said, 'Fine with me. I'm better off.' But I wasn't. I hated you ever since."

Preston felt awful. He buried his head in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Nigel sighed. "Me too."

At the police station Lieutenant Brocade heard a knock at his door and he glanced up to see Detective Carson on the other side. He motioned his colleague to enter the office. The noise of the squad room filtered in as Carson did so, then dissipated as the detective shut the door behind him.

"Good morning," Brocade said with a smile, leaning back against his chair. He spotted the puzzled look on Carson's face and asked, "What's up?"

The detective leaned against a nearby filing cabinet. "Am I hallucinating or is Francois Jourdan gone?" He raised his hand. "And don't tell me he committed suicide like the others."

"Relax," Brocade said calmly. "Interpol took him into their custody last night."

"Does that mean this is no longer our case?"

"Not necessarily. Cate Hemphill told me last night that they'll be in touch to discuss the case with us, so I think we can continue to have two-way communication with them."

Carson placed his hands into his pockets. "Do you think they might cut a deal with him for information on the Gural Nataz?"

Brocade leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him. "Whatever they do, I doubt he's going to be out on the street for a long time."

Carson nodded. "Let's hope not."

Nigel stared at the floor. He felt drained, frazzled, and exhausted. Not only had he been through an ordeal involving the Gural Nataz, but his relationship with his brother had been put to the test as well. And after all these years of resenting Preston for the boarding school, he had found out that Preston had been forced to make that choice. Nigel couldn't bear the thought of what his life might have been like had he been sent to an orphanage or a foster home.

"Do you wish me to go?" Preston asked apprehensively.

Nigel gazed up at his brother sitting on the sofa. Then he straightened and said, "No."

Preston smiled. "I'm glad. I was afraid you were angry with me again."

"I was," Nigel said sadly. "There's so much I want to discuss with you, Preston, but..."

"About the boarding school?"

"That, and other things. Mum and dad for one. Well, maybe...," Nigel stopped.

"What?" Preston asked him curiously.

"Never mind. I'm just knackered." The stress of the last couple of days was catching up with Nigel, and he felt that it was best to let things be. He wanted his relationship with Preston to work, and he knew that the baggage he carried from his childhood could hurt their reconciliation. Preston could easily take things the wrong way and break off any further attempt at contact. Nigel did not want that to happen.

He smiled at Preston. "Do you know how long I've waited for a day like this, when you and I could sit like this and really talk and not bite each other's heads off?"

"We've had chats before."

Nigel shook his head. "Not like we have these past couple of days. Not like we are having now."

"So, here we are," Preston said cheerfully, "chatting away."

Nigel chuckled, then his smile faded. Although glad that he had a newfound bond with his brother, Nigel could not help but wonder how long it would last. He hoped this time it would be permanent, and he felt determined to succeed.

"Is something else wrong?" Preston asked curiously. Then he shook his head. "How silly of me. You've been through an ordeal. You did say you were tired." He rose and crossed to Nigel. "You should get some rest. Have you eaten?"

Nigel shrugged. "Just a bit of breakfast at the hospital before you arrived."

"How long ago was that?" He didn't wait for Nigel to respond. "Shall I make us something?"

Surprised by the offer, Nigel asked, "Since when do you cook?"

Preston grinned. "Well, I can make a sandwich, can't I? I know the food in the States is a little different, but I think I can manage."

Nigel got to his feet. "Thank you for the gesture, Preston," he said honestly. "Unfortunately, with the workload and the traveling lately, I haven't had much time to buy groceries."

"Is there a market nearby? Or maybe we can order some take-away? What's the popular fast food here? Don't tell me it's McDonald's. There's enough of that back home. I want something different, something typically American."

"McDonald's is American."

Preston frowned. "You know what I mean."

"Pizza, Chinese food, sandwiches." Nigel shrugged. "There's a pile of menus on the kitchen counter by the phone."

"Do you have a preference?" Preston asked heading for the kitchen.

Nigel shook his head. "Not really. I can eat about anything these days."

"Right," Preston said firmly. "I'll read through the menus and order us up some food. You wash up and leave everything to me."

"You sure?"

"I've got it under control."

Nigel turned and headed to his bedroom, leaving his brother to deal with the ordering of take-out food.

He closed the door with a sigh, then headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

When Sydney and Karen had arrived at the university, they were surprised to see a collection of flowers and cards with Nigel's name on them lying outside the office door. To Sydney's relief she noticed that someone had closed-up the offices the previous night, since neither she nor Karen had a chance to return to do so.

Everything had seemed to be in order when they entered. The two women picked up the gifts and laid them on Nigel's desk. "Should we bring these over to Nigel's later?" Karen asked.

Sydney stared at the assortment for a moment, then said, "Nah. Leave them here. It'll be a nice surprise when he comes back."

Karen smiled. "I'll check the messages, and then get some vases for the flowers." While Karen grabbed a pad and headed for the answering machine, Sydney went into her office and tried to sort out what she had left behind the previous day.

A few minutes later, Karen entered her office with a stack of messages. "The top one is from President Morris. She wants you to come to her office the minute you get in."

Sydney sighed. "I'm on my way."

Once Nigel had showered, shaved, and dressed, he and Preston sat down to a meal of fried chicken from a local place renowned for its southern style food. Nigel was about to take a bite out of a batter-fried drumstick, when he spotted his brother's perplexed look. "What's wrong?" he asked, setting his chicken leg down.

"Where are the biscuits? I ordered biscuits."

Nigel glanced around the selection of food in front of them and took a survey of items. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes... Then it hit him, and he smiled. "Oh," he said pointing to an open box in the middle of the table as he started to laugh. "Those are the biscuits."

Preston's brow knotted as he picked up a thick, flakey, bread-like item. "This?"

Nigel nodded, still chuckling. "I know. I thought the same thing when I ordered it the first time."

Preston seemed disappointed. "I was hoping to have it with my tea."

Nigel laughed harder at the image he had in his mind of Preston dunking that particular biscuit into his tea.

Preston took a bite out of it and made a face. "It's not even sweet."

Nigel couldn't contain himself.

"It's not that funny."

"I'm sorry," Nigel said pulling himself together. "I just remember how similar my reaction was and Sydney's face when I told her. It's pretty funny when you think about it." He got to his feet and went into the kitchen, where he opened a cabinet and pulled out a package of English biscuits. "They call them cookies in America, though sometimes you can find these packages at the market, which do say, 'biscuits' on them."

Preston held up the American biscuit in his hand. "And what do American's eat these with?"

"You're supposed to eat it with the chicken. It's like a dinner roll."

"Oh."

Nigel laughed again. "Sorry. You just look so mournful. You were the one who wanted to eat authentic American food."

Preston smiled. "Yes, I did say that didn't I?" He took another bite out of it, then grabbed a piece of chicken, while Nigel made his way back to his seat and started eating.

Sydney had waited for what felt like an eternity while President Morris had wrapped up a meeting with a few fellow faculty members. When the meeting had dispersed, Sydney was escorted into the office and left alone with the head of the university.

After initial greetings, Morris said, "I'm really sorry to call you in on this matter so soon after all the turmoil we've had on campus within the last twenty-four hours."

Sydney feared she was going to be blamed for it, and quickly started to apologize. "President Morris, I…."

"Sydney," she interrupted, apparently eager to speak her mind. "I hope Nigel is all right."

With a nod, Sydney replied, "He is."

"Good." President Morris rose, circled her desk and sat down in the chair next to the one Sydney occupied. "I wanted to clear up a few things before rumors start flying." She took a deep breath. "I was obviously unaware that Dean – Russell – Berger was trying to harm you and Nigel. And as a result, I had no idea he was planning on terminating Nigel's job as your Teaching Assistant."

Stunned, Sydney said, "Really? I thought he convinced the board…."

"He never met with the board. Nor did he confer with the Dean of Faculty or with me about it."

Sydney's gaze fell. "So, he lied."

"Yes."

"What about the new job position? Was that real?"

Morris nodded. "Yes. We need to replace Dr. Coster, so that was true."

Sydney sighed and turned to the president. "So, what happens now?"

"I'd like to talk to Nigel about that when he returns to the university," She said seriously.

Nigel awoke with a start. He found himself lying on the sofa. He glanced around the room and spotted Preston sitting in an easy chair, holding a book, staring at him.

"Are you all right?" Preston asked him, putting his book down on the coffee table.

Nigel rubbed his eyes. He felt extremely tired. "How long did I sleep for? And when did I fall asleep?"

"About an hour, and shortly after you sat down on the sofa."

He ran his hand through his hair. "That's only thirty minutes after we ate."

Preston nodded. "Some food can make people sleepy. It's a known fact. Besides, you needed the rest."

"You're right," Nigel agreed. "I did."

"You still do," Preston insisted, leaning forward. "Why don't you go to the bedroom and sleep some more? You'll be more comfortable in bed and not on that sofa."

Nigel yawned. "I suppose so." He slowly got to his feet and stretched. "What have you been doing?"

Preston shrugged. "Just reading."

"I've been a lousy host. Do you want anything? I can make us some tea. We have those biscuits left over."

Preston smiled and made a face at him. "Very funny. Go to sleep. I'm fine."

Nigel grinned. "Sure?"

"Positive." Preston rose and moved to Nigel's side. "Go. Get some rest, and maybe I'll order us some dinner for later."

Nigel eyed him curiously. "Do you need money?"

"No, thank you. I have plenty."

"Do you want me to translate the menu for you?" Nigel asked mischievously.

Preston gave him a shove. "Go."

Nigel laughed. Then he headed to the bedroom. It felt good having joking with Preston. They had that same rapport a long time ago before the competition set in. He had forgotten how close they had been once and hoped this would not be a fleeting thing.

The next morning, Nigel felt rested enough to go to work. He had spent most of the previous day sleeping, and he was feeling a little antsy about staying cooped up doing nothing.

Both he and Preston arrived at Trinity University to find the display of flowers and cards on Nigel's desk. Surprised and flattered by the gesture, Nigel found himself at a loss for words.

"It's nice to be loved," Karen said with a smile as she stood beside him admiring the bouquets.

Nigel grinned. He put his briefcase down and proceeded to take the vases, one at a time, and place them carefully on top of the bookshelf near the window. Then he took the envelopes of cards and stacked them neatly on a pile on his desk to read when he had a chance.

Sydney stepped out of her office. "I thought you'd take at least another day off," she said.

"I'm perfectly fine," Nigel insisted, then added with mock arrogance. "Besides, this place would fall apart without me."

She smiled. "Once your ego comes down to earth, we need to talk about a few things."

"Including?" he asked.

Sydney's smile faded. "Your future. The job situation hasn't gone away, Nigel. I met with President Morris yesterday. She would like to discuss it with you."

Nigel cheery mood faded. "When?"

"ASAP."

"Don't worry, Nigel," Karen said. "They'd be crazy to get rid of you."

Nigel nodded absently. With all that had happened, he had wondered if the job situation was something Dean Berger had concocted to get rid of him. Now he wasn't so sure.

"Buck up, Nigel," Preston encouraged. "You'll be fine."

"Shall I call her?" Nigel asked Sydney uneasily.

"I'd just go to her office if I were you. She did say she wanted to see you as soon as you got in, no matter when...today...tomorrow."

"Her office," Nigel muttered. He sighed. "Okay."

Sydney watched Nigel leave and wondered just what his reaction would be to President Morris' information. She walked into her office and sat down behind her desk as she recalled how she had whisked him off to China shortly after he had arrived on campus three years ago, barely giving him a chance to unpack and get settled.

"When I checked off travel on the application," Nigel had said to her while they tracked down the Buddha's bowl, "I thought it meant the occasional lecture in Boston. But this...?"

"You're going to love the hunt," she had told him.

Three years later they were still hunting together. And yet, when the situation was at its worst, Nigel would always say, "All I wanted was a nice teaching job."

His words echoed through her mind, and again Sydney wondered if he would decide to take this opportunity to leave Trinity altogether and find that quiet library.

She replayed her conversation with President Morris the day before. Even though the TA position had not been eliminated as Berger had led Sydney to believe, President Morris did echo the man's sentiment about Nigel's lack of experience. Still, the TA job was his if he decided to continue with it.

The next step was his choice to make. The university was more than happy to grant Nigel his old job back...if he wanted it.

Sydney bit her nail and leaned back against her chair, worrying about Nigel's fate. Whatever his choice, she would honor it. Despite her single-mindedness when it came to relics, she did care about his welfare, and was aware that she did not have a right to interfere in his decision. Still, she would miss him if he left.

She heaved a sigh and forced herself to stop thinking about the meeting. She gathered some term papers together and opened the first one. It took a few long minutes for her to finally focus on the words on the page, but she finally did only to be interrupted by Preston.

"I'm sorry, Sydney," Preston said with a smile. "I just realized that I never greeted you this morning."

"Good morning to you," she said pleasantly. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, yes. Thank you." He stepped inside her office and stood in front of the desk. Sydney gestured him to take a seat and he did so, nodding to her as he sat down.

"How are you and Nigel doing?" she asked him.

"Very well. There may be a few bumps here and there, but I think we're finally able to get past them and get along."

She grinned. "I'm glad."

"I am too," Preston said nodding. He took a quick glance around the office and took in a deep breath. "Do you think I'll finally see a normal day around here now that the excitement is over?"

Sydney's smile faded. "I don't know about that. When I met with President Morris yesterday, among the things we talked about was having campus meetings with the student body to answer questions and allay any fears. She wants both Nigel and me to speak at those sessions. A lot of people are pretty shook-up and upset by what happened on campus. It'll be a while before we have a typical day around here, I think."

"If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"Thanks, Preston. I will."

He took another deep breath. He seemed awkward, anxious. "Why is President Morris meeting with Nigel? Surely a university president would delegate such a responsibility to someone else." He gestured to Sydney. "You, perhaps?"

Sydney felt a tug in her chest upon thinking of Nigel's meeting. She forced a brave face and shrugged. "Since we don't have a Dean right now, she decided to take this on herself."

"I'm surprised she's acting so soon. With all that has happened, I would have assumed she would wait for things to settle down."

"Well, they're not proceeding with replacements for either Dean Berger or Dennis Glover just yet, if that's what you mean. I heard the school wants the shock of that to dissipate before moving forward. As for everything else, it's business as usual, Nigel's job included."

Preston leaned back in his chair and asked apprehensively, "Do you know what the President is telling Nigel right now?"

"Yes, I do," Sydney replied gravely.

Nigel stared at the floor in shock. He had been right after all. Berger had lied, and his job was safe. Still, Nigel never expected to be told he did not have the experience to be a full-time teacher. He had taught several of Sydney's classes. However, he knew what President Morris was saying. He had spent too much time away from campus to qualify him for Coster's job."

"I'm sorry, Nigel," President Morris said sympathetically. "I know you had your heart set on this job."

"It's all right," Nigel said, trying to mask his disappointment. "I understand."

"The Teaching Assistant job is still yours if you want it."

Somehow the thought of going back to that job didn't console him. Nigel tried to convince himself he just needed time to overcome the shock. He did want to continue his work with Sydney, and there was his thesis…."

"Nigel?"

"Yes?" he said, snapping to attention.

"I would like to discuss something else with you, however."

As curious as he was, Nigel was not sure he was of a state of mind to listen. He could not fathom thinking about anything when he just found out his three years at Trinity might have been a waste. Then again, he thought to himself, if the college thought me unworthy, I wouldn't still have a job, would I? Nigel took in a deep breath and gave her his full interest.

Karen interrupted Sydney and Preston's conversation by introducing a visitor. Detective Carson stood outside her office carrying a file in his hand. Sydney invited him in and he took a seat in the chair next to Preston.

"I just wanted to update you on a few things," he said. "First off, we released Stewart Harper from the safe house yesterday afternoon. I think he left the country for a while."

Sydney frowned. "He'll be back."

Carson threw her a fleeting smile then opened the folder as he continued, "Interpol tracked down the identity of the woman who tried to kill Nigel at the hospital." He pulled out a sheet of paper. "Her name is Catherine Sorenson. They found no priors, but she's been on their list of suspects in a string of museum thefts. When Cate ran your description of Catherine through Interpol's database, she popped up."

Carson passed the sheet to Sydney. It contained a photograph of Cathi and some information about her. "That's her," Sydney said solemnly. "What a waste."

Sometime later, Nigel wandered the halls in a daze. He could not believe what President Morris had told him. He still had trouble digesting the news. Everything happened so fast, and yet it felt like slow motion. Enrapt in his own world, Nigel didn't see Detective Carson until after he bumped into him.

Nigel jumped back in alarm and embarrassment. "I am so sorry," he said.

Carson had been knocked momentarily off balance by the collision, but he soon righted himself and smiled. "No problem. It's good to see you, Nigel. Glad you're feeling better."

They shook hands. "Thank you, Detective," Nigel said with a grin. "It's good to be back, actually."

"The campus doesn't seem strange to you after everything?" Carson asked curiously.

Nigel pondered Carson's question. "If this had happened three years ago, I probably would have been too scared to come back so soon. But I've experienced many things in the last several years, and even though I feel some sadness and apprehension, I also think about the students and what they're going through. I just can't imagine not being there to help them. And I feel it's my duty to help get this university back on its feet." Guilt washed over Nigel, and he sighed. "I feel I owe that to them after getting mixed up with the Gural Nataz."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," Carson assured him.

"Perhaps, but they did come here because Sydney and I got in their way. I suppose neither of us expected them to drag the university into it. I just can't sit on my hands and not do something."

Carson smiled. "You and Sydney are incredible people. I admire you, Nigel. You've got a lot of integrity."

"I do?" Nigel asked in dismay.

"Yes." Carson checked his watch. "Look, I gotta run. Great talking with you Nigel. I'll catch you later." They shook hands once more.

"Take care," Nigel said. Carson waved to him and walked down the hall.

A student walked past Nigel and greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Bailey."

Nigel returned the greeting. Another student passed doing the same and Nigel returned the greeting, soon recognizing Trent Woodhouse. The two stopped in their tracks and turned to face each other.

"Trent," Nigel greeted with a smile. "How are things? Are you all right?"

Trent shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. I still can't believe what happened to Professor Glover and Dean Berger. And that girl."

Nigel nodded gravely. "I know. It's a real shame."

"I'm glad to hear you're okay, Mr. Bailey."

"Thank you." He stared at Trent for a few seconds, then asked, "You didn't get into trouble for what you did? Tell me the truth and I'll clear your name."

Trent smiled. "Everything's cool, Mr. Bailey. I didn't get into trouble." He shrugged again. "I thought I would, and I'm real sorry for what I did, but Dr. Fox was right. No one blames me for anything."

Nigel grinned. "I'm glad." He shook Trent's hand. "Take care of yourself. If you need to talk, or perhaps some help with your English homework, let me know."

"I will, Mr. Bailey. Thanks."

With a wave they turned and headed their separate ways.

Soon Nigel walked into Sydney's office to find Preston and Karen inside with her. All three rose to their feet.

Sydney's eyes were wide in anticipation. "Well?"

"Well," Nigel sighed trying to get his thoughts in order, "Dean Berger lied about the TA job being made redundant. Despite that, President Morris told me I could not take Dr. Coster's position, because I don't have the experience."

Preston's mouth dropped open in shock. "What?"

Guilt lined Sydney's features. "I'm sorry about that, Nigel."

He held up his hands. "It's all right, really. She offered me an opportunity to make up for it."

"What else could she offer you?" Karen asked incredulously. "She just insulted you."

"In addition to continuing as a TA – working for Sydney of course," Nigel said, trying to contain his excitement, "I am going to have three semester-long seminars. Three! Can you believe it?"

Sydney beamed. "You accepted it?"

Nigel nodded with elation. "President Morris said it will help me gain more teaching experience." He laughed. "I can't believe it."

Sydney rushed over and gave him a hug. "Congratulations. I'm so glad you're staying."

Preston smiled. "Three seminars? That's terrific, Nigel."

"I'm confused," Karen said knotting her brow. "I thought President Morris told you she didn't think you had the experience."

"I don't. And believe me it was a bit hard to swallow, but she assured me that the university believes in me and she wanted to give me the chance to gain some more experience while still working with Syd. I'll be able to be flexible with the class schedule, and yet have classes all to myself. I can also still assist Sydney with her classes and teach a few sessions as I have been doing up to this point. And go on the hunts, of course."

Preston held out his hand and Nigel shook it. "Congratulations," Preston said. "That's a tremendous achievement. I am proud of you."

"Thank you," Nigel said, warmed by his brother's words.

Karen finally relaxed and smiled. She gave him a hug. "I'm so relieved. I'd have cried my eyes out if you left us."

"No such luck, I'm afraid. I'd have gone kicking and screaming."

Sydney shook her head. "I'd chain you to the desk, first. If President Morris hadn't asked you back, I'd have threatened to leave and have taken you with me."

Flattered and amazed, Nigel asked, "Seriously?"

"Yes," she asserted. "Like I told you in Poland, we're a team. Right?"

Nigel laughed. "Right."

Preston stayed until the end of the week. Nigel accompanied him to the airport and waited with him for the flight back to England.

"Do you miss not being home?" Preston asked.

Nigel shrugged. "Sometimes."

"I suppose England isn't as much a home for you since mum and dad died," Preston said regretfully.

Nigel shook his head. "It will always be my home. I have a history there. Their memories are there." He smiled. "I have a home here too, where I'm making my own memories."

Just then Preston's flight was announced on the loudspeaker.

"I better get going," Preston said. He held out his hand.

Nigel glanced at it, then pulled Preston into a hug. They held fast for a few moments. When they broke from the hug, Preston said to him, "Keep in touch. I'll do the same."

Nigel nodded. "Have a safe journey."

"Take care of yourself."

"I will."

They waved to each other, and Nigel lingered, watching his brother disappear past the gate toward the plane.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. Nigel wheeled around to find Sydney standing behind him. "Hi," he said. "If you're here to see Preston off, you just missed him."

She shook her head. "I got a call from the museum in Hong Kong..."

"Oh, no," Nigel interrupted. "What about the term papers, the school meetings...? Syd, we can't leave now."

"We can. Karen booked a flight. We leave in an hour." She walked off toward a newsstand. Nigel ran after her.

"Syd!" he cried. "Syd!"

~The End~