I was dragged out of my daytime sleep with a jolt by a feeling of uncontrollable panic and an irrational terror. For a moment I had no idea what was going on. I reached for my phone and checked the time on the illuminated screen. It was 6 o'clock in the evening, what on earth was happening to me? I calmed down for a moment only to be hit by another jolt of panic as I realised that it was not me that was in trouble, it was Alex. I was feeling her terror flooding through the bond. I leapt out of bed and hurriedly checked the suite. There was no sign of Alex. What was happening to her? What could I do? I stared at the clock on the wall, it would not be dark for a hour or so. I snatched up my phone again and called her number...nothing, it went straight to answerphone. This was serious. Alex almost never switched her phone off.

I struggled to calm myself and think. Obviously something had happened to her, but what? I sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to relax. I had felt a sudden shock of pain and fear, that was what had woken me. Now I could only feel a generalised fear, but it was strong. Something terrible had happened, was still happening. I got up and began to pace up and down, it didn't help but I had to do something. Suddenly I had an idea, Chris...he might know where Alex had gone. I opened the door of the suite, and rushed next door to Claudia's room.

Chris was sitting on the bed reading and he jumped up when I burst in.

"Bill!" he dropped his book and stared at me, shocked. "What are you doing up?"

"Where's Alex?" I demanded abruptly.

"Um... I think she went out with Susie. They were going to the market I think." he said, looking totally confused. "Why, what's happened?"

"I've no idea, but I intend to find out." I headed back to the honeymoon suite and picked up my phone. I called Charles and Ulrich and left messages to say that Alex was missing. Then I called the Hotel reception desk and asked what time Alex and Susie had left the Hotel and if they had left any message. They had left about an hour ago but there was no message, presumably she had intended to be back before dusk. I then called the local police station and after a short argument with a particularly unhelpful Inspector I learned that no emergency calls had been received in the last hour. By this time it was only half an hour or so before dusk and there was nothing else I could do from inside the room. I paced up and down impatiently, glancing at my watch every few minutes, convinced that the Hotel's automatic shutters were set incorrectly until finally, with a sharp click, the shutters disengaged and slid up.

I raced down to reception and was asking for a map showing the market when Charles and Ulrich appeared. "What's happened?" asked Charles.

"I've no idea. But Alex is in trouble, I can feel it. Chris said she went to the market with Susie, I'm on my way there now.

"Hold it you two!" I turned to see Nan coming in to the reception area with Gerry and Claudia close behind. "Don't you go rushing off. I've just had a call from Security, there's been an incident with the press. One of the reporters covering the conference has just gone missing in the town. It may be nothing to do with..."

"Which reporter?" I asked.

"I didn't ask, what difference does it make?" she looked puzzled.

"Oh for heavens sake Nan! Find out!" I yelled, furious with her uncaring attitude.

She raised her eyebrows slightly but took out her phone and pressed a few buttons. "Hello? I need the reporter's name, repeat that please. Fine." She shut the phone and turned to me. "Susie Parkinson" she said "her name was Susie Parkinson apparently."

Suddenly my legs wouldn't hold me up and I sat down on one of the wicker chairs that were scattered around the reception area. "Was there anyone with her?" I asked.

"They found her bag with her press card." Nan's smooth brow furrowed slightly "but there was something else that was odd, my security people have been to the market to check it out. They're on their way back now." I put my head in my hands and tried to remain calm. A few moments later the outer door opened and three burly human security guards came in. "Well?" asked Nan. "What happened?"

"The girl was gone when we got there Ma'am, She had been attacked and knocked to the ground, but there was no indication that the attackers intended to harm her. In fact, the witnesses said that they seemed more interested in the other girl."

"What other girl?" asked Nan.

"Alex." I whispered. "Alex was with her."

The man turned to me. "Did you know her sir?" he asked.

"Yes, I do know her. I also know that she's not dead and I would be obliged if you would not speak of her in the past tense! What happened?"

"There were three of them, they knocked your friend unconscious and when the other girl tried to help her one of them lashed out and caught her on the side of the head too, knocking her to the ground. They bundled them both into the back of a van and drove off."

"Were they locals?" asked Ulrich. "A kidnapping for ransom maybe?"

"No sir, they were Europeans, the witnesses say they spoke English."

I stood up, my fangs sliding out "The Fellowship, they were from The Fellowship, I'd put money on it. These are the associates of the man we arrested in Cairo, somehow, they found out who gave you the information!"

"That's not possible, the only people who had that information are members of The Authority." said Ulrich flatly.

I thought about this for a moment. "Someone could have seen us going into the conference room, put two and two together, overheard us in the bar perhaps. It's not impossible."

"So what will they do with her?" asked Claudia quietly.

"I've no idea. That's why I have to find her - before they have a chance to do anything!"

"We have to go and talk to the press team" said Nan. "They're waiting for information. "You three, come with me. Bill...good luck!"

I went out into the night and stood in the courtyard at the front of the Osiris. I could sense that Gerry and Claudia had followed me. I concentrated on Alex and I could feel her, yes, that way... "They've taken her over the river" I said quietly, "that way." I pointed in the direction in which I could feel Alex most strongly. The direction of the Valley of the Kings.

The first thing I noticed was the pain. I felt that my head was about to split open and my arms were twisted behind me. I was sure my eyes were open, but I could see absolutely nothing, there seemed to be something over my head, a hood of some sort. There was something in my mouth and, for a moment, I panicked completely as I couldn't breathe. I forced myself to calm down and breathe through my nose.

I had no idea what was happening to me or why, only that I was moving, in some kind of vehicle being jolted over a bumpy road. Quite suddenly my memory appeared to kick in and I remembered what had happened at the market. Susie! What had happened to her? Was she here too? Just at that point the jolting stopped and I heard doors being opened. Hands reached in, took hold of me and began to pull me out. I tried to struggle and discovered that my legs were tied at the ankles.

"Now then" said a voice. "We'll have to untie your legs so that you can walk, but don't for one moment imagine that you can run away darling, understand?" I sat, frozen, afraid to move.

"Do you understand?" A fist hit the side of my throbbing head, rocking me backwards. I nodded frantically, unable to make a sound through the gag. There was a pause and I was pulled to what felt like the edge of something, hands grasped my ankles and in a few seconds my feet were free again. For a moment or two I felt better and then the blood rushed back into my feet and I nearly passed out again from the pain. I was lifted down and set on the ground. I swayed, struggling to keep upright and two men hustled me forward and down a slight slope. The hood had loosened and, looking down, I could at least see my feet. I was being walked across a dusty limestone surface and it was daylight. I knew that once the sun went down, Bill would be looking for me, but how would he know where to look if even I didn't know where I was?

I was suddenly jerked to a halt and I heard a rattling noise ahead and then a scraping of metal and I was dragged through a rough stone doorway with an iron gate across it and walked across a chamber and through another stone doorway. I heard a muffled cry from behind me and guessed that it was Susie.

"Okay, you can take that off now!" said a voice ahead of me and the hood was roughly pulled off, taking what felt like a handful of my hair with it. I was in a dark chamber with a man behind me, holding my bound arms and another ahead fiddling with something on the ground. A light appeared in his hand and I realised that he was lighting a hurricane lantern. As it flared up I saw decoration on the wall behind him, painted figures and hieroglyphics, We were in a tomb! I turned my head and saw a cartouche on the wall beside the door. User-Maat-Re, Setep-En-Re, the throne names of Ramesses II. But this was not his tomb! That was entered through a long corridor. At this point I was grabbed from behind and hustled through the low doorway into a chamber full of columns and hurried through a door at the far end opening onto a long dark corridor. I knew now where I must be. This was KV5, the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II. I was dragged down the dark corridor into one of the chambers and pushed down into a pit. Another man appeared on the edge of the pit and pushed Susie in with me. One of our captors then climbed in and re-tied the ropes around our ankles. I curled up in a corner and lay still, wondering how long it would be before night fell and brought my lover to me.

I had no idea how long we lay in the darkness of the burial pit, I had no sense of time at all, it might have been minutes or hours, but gradually I became aware of something. A faint feeling of shock and distress, but this feeling wasn't mine, it was Bill! He was awake, but he felt far away. As I lay in silence the feeling grew stronger but I didn't know if it meant that Bill was coming closer or simply becoming more distressed. I tried to think through my headache. Bill would know that I was in trouble, that I was frightened and in pain, but would he know where I was, would he be able to find me? As the feeling of Bill's presence grew stronger I became convinced that he was close. I wondered if I could contact him, consciously. I knew he could feel me, feel my emotions, as I could feel his. How could I let him know where I was? Then I had an idea.

I crouched down and placed my hands on the limestone floor of the valley. We had arrived a few moments ago, myself, Gerry, Claudia and Alayah, the Egyptian guide who had accompanied us to the valley the previous evening. She was here somewhere, I could feel her. My whole body, every muscle, was taut with her fear. She was in one of the tombs cut into this rock, but which one? I closed my eyes and concentrated on her. The initial terrified panic had receded now and there was just a dull pulse of fear. I tried to remain calm so that my feelings would not blur the connection between us. I was trying to get some sense of direction when I realised that what I was feeling was not constant. What had I thought just now? A pulse, yes that was it. The feeling was changing, and then it would be constant for a while and then it would pulse again. I concentrated on the pulses, one, two, three, four, five and then it steadied. Then five again, and steady. Five.

I leaped up and spun to face Alayah. "Five! I cried. That's it Five, KV5 that's where she is!"

"The Tomb of the Sons?" he asked. "But Mr Compton, that tomb is closed, it's locked up."

"She told me about this, it's the tomb built for the sons of Ramesses II, yes? Close to the entrance to the valley she said."

"This way!" Alayah ran down the road past the closed stalls of the souvenir sellers and pointed to a narrow opening in the rock closed off with a barred iron gate held shut with a large padlock.

"See?" he said "the tomb is locked – it's not one which is open to the public, it's unstable."

I jumped down into the gully and went up to the gate. I heard Alayah jump down behind me as I took the rusty padlock in my hand. I gave a sharp tug and the padlock came off.

"Look" I said "It's been sawn open. The witnesses said there were three men who took Alex and Susie, that means there could be two inside." Alayah looked up at me, puzzled. "At least one of them must have come back out. This padlock has been put back from the outside." I stood up and called to Gerry and Claudia.

"Right, "I said "I'm going in, I don't expect anyone to come with me, we don't know what they might have in the way of weapons."

"They must have explosives" said Gerry "If they were planning to blow up the conference hotel."

"Explosives!" cried Alayah, horrified. "No, no you must not go in! The tomb is unstable, any explosion, even a gunshot could bring the whole thing down on you! The tomb is a maze of passages…"

"I know this Alayah." I explained. "Alex has told me. The tomb is like no other in the valley. There are several long passages with numerous rooms leading off each one. They come back under where we are standing, underneath the roadway where tour buses have stopped for decades and stood with their engines running. Alex told me the vibrations have seriously weakened the ceilings of the tomb." I took him by the shoulders. "But I have no choice, you understand? I have to go in and search for her, you stay here and wait for me."

Gerry laughed "You're not serious, you don't really think we'd let you go in alone do you?" He grinned at me, "We're coming with you! Right Claudia?"

Alayah took a deep breath and said firmly "I will come too."

"You don't need to…."

"Yes, I can help you. I know the layout and besides….I like Miss Alex and Miss Susie they are good people, I want to help! I have a flashlight!"

"No! no lights" I said. "You stay behind us Alayah, if there's any trouble get out straight away, understand?"

"You know there are no lights in the tomb Mr Compton?" he asked.

"We won't need them!" I said grimly.

I pulled open the iron gate gently, trying not to let it grate on the limestone floor, and slipped inside followed closely by Gerry and Claudia with Alayah behind them. The first two chambers were lit faintly by a strip of moonlight coming in from outside and we crept across them and through a doorway directly opposite the entrance into the large third chamber. In the faint moonlight I could just make out the sixteen pillars holding up the ceiling and beyond them a low doorway into a corridor which sloped downwards into utter darkness.

The corridor was about another 100 feet long and with our enhanced sight we could just make out a figure at the end. This must be the statue Alex had mentioned. By now we were well out of range of the faint moonlight coming in from the entrance and the darkness was complete. I could see faintly, certainly sufficiently to make out the statue of Osiris at the junction of the corridors, but I could only imagine Alex's feelings to be held in this impenetrable blackness.

No sooner had this thought crossed my mind than I edged around the corner of the corridor and saw a faint flickering light coming from one of the chambers. I held up my hand and Gerry and Claudia stopped. There was a muffled thump as Alayah walked into the back of Gerry. I stepped back into the main corridor.

"Alayah?" I whispered, "Fourth chamber on the left?"

I felt a hand on my arm and bent my head to hear him. "That is one which has a pit!" he breathed softly. To the back of the chamber, about three feet deep. It was thought to be a burial pit. Some human bones were found inside."

I beckoned to Gerry and indicated that he should move to the other side of the corridor. We crept around the corner and towards the doorway with the light. Gerry moved to the far side and Claudia stayed beside me, she would stay in the doorway in case there were more than two. Gerry and I pressed our backs to the wall on either side of the doorway and listened. I could make out three heartbeats inside, one I was certain was Alex. I signalled to Gerry and we leaped into the chamber and each flung ourselves on one of the guards. In seconds they were both unconscious, although alive and I moved to the pit at the rear of the chamber and looked in. At the bottom of the dark pit was a bundle rolled in what looked like a rug. I jumped down and carefully lifted the cloth.

Alex and Susie lay side by side at the bottom of the pit, their hands tied behind their backs and a couple of dirty rags stuffed into their mouths. I gently pulled out the rags and, as Alex began to cough, lifted her carefully in my arms and placed her on the floor of the chamber. I lifted Susie out as well and then looked up to see Gerry and Claudia each holding one of the guards by the scruff of the neck. As I did so I saw the gleam of metal and noticed the man in Claudia's hands had come round and was pulling a knife from his boot. Claudia was watching me lift the two girls from the pit and hadn't noticed.

Suddenly, for the first time in over a hundred years, I felt that dark, bestial rage that I had felt when I was first turned flood over me as my fangs slid out fully. With a snarl I leaped out of the pit and flung myself on the man slamming him back against the limestone wall of the tomb. I grabbed his wrist and hammered it against the wall, the sharp crack of the bones in his arm breaking mixing with the clatter of the knife falling to the floor. He gave a scream of pain and shock and gasped into silence as I hissed into his face.

"You move so much as a muscle again and I swear I'll rip out your throat!"

There was a shocked pause as I crouched before him, fighting to control the instinctive urge to kill him. Then Gerry reached down, picked up the flickering lantern which lighted the chamber and passed it out to Alayah telling him to head back to the surface. Claudia took the other kidnapper from Gerry and he picked Susie up from the dusty limestone floor. I picked Alex up again and held her tight in my arms. She lay with her head on my shoulder weeping quietly with relief. There was insufficient light to remove the ropes which bound her wrists and ankles so I carried her up the sloping corridor and back through the pillared hall and out into the cool desert air.

By now there were half a dozen cars parked in the roadway outside the tomb and a small crowd had gathered. I noticed several of the reporters who had been at the Hotel as well as Nan, Charles and Ulrich but I was only concerned with Alex. I carried her up the slope to the road and sat down on the ground with her in my arms. Charles came over and pulled a folding knife from his pocket.

"Here, let me" he said, opening the knife and sawing at the rope around her ankles. In a moment her wrists and ankles were free and she flung her arms around my neck and clung to me.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"Are you, sweetheart?" I whispered.

She pulled her head back to look up at me and I saw her face for the first time. It was streaked with dust and tears and one side was purple with bruising. I felt my fangs slide out again and struggled to hold back my fury at the men who had done this to her.

"I'll be okay" she said quietly. "I'll be fine now." She put her head back against my chest and then appeared to remember something. "Susie?" she said, looking back up at me, "where's Susie?"

"Gerry has her, she's safe." I held her tightly in my arms and felt her weeping softly against my chest. I looked up at Claudia, holding both of the struggling kidnappers by the necks and wished fervently that we didn't have to hand them over to the authorities. The authorities who were, just now, arriving I noticed. Led by the useless Police Inspector, who ignored me and marched up to Claudia and demanded she hand over her prisoners. Claudia hissed at him angrily and he stepped back sharply looking shocked. Charles went over to her and quietly persuaded her to give up the captives to the Police and, grumbling quietly, she complied.

At this point I found that I didn't care what happened to them, I just wanted to get Alex back to the Hotel and take care of her. I stood up and, studiously ignoring the Police, photographers and especially Nan, I carried Alex to one of the cars. Ulrich jumped in with us and told the driver to take us back to the Osiris.

I didn't remember much of what happened after Bill pulled the rug off me and carried me up from the pit and out of the tomb. The relief was so intense that I seemed unable to do anything other than cry with shock.

He carried me back to the Hotel suite, laid me gently down on the bed and went into the bathroom to run a bath. Then he came back and sat down on the bed beside me.

"Let's get you comfortable shall we?" he said gently and reached over to unbutton my shirt. I made what seemed like a huge effort and sat up.

"That's better." he said with a smile.

I heaved a sigh and pulled off my torn shirt and wriggled out of my jeans. Yes, a hot bath would be good! Bill slipped quickly out of his clothes and gently removed my bra and panties.

"You don't mind if I join you?" he asked, picking me up in his arms and carrying me into the steamy bathroom. He climbed into the huge bath and sank down into the hot water with me in his arms. Picking up a small flannel he began to gently wipe the dust from my face, carefully working around the bruises. Then he lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit quickly down into the vein and offered it to me. I watched for a moment as a drop of his blood dripped from the wound and traced swirling patterns in the bathwater.

I lifted my head and felt the sharp throb of my headache, I thought of Bill crouching on the valley floor, feeling my fear, tracking me through the bond we shared. Reaching forward I took his arm and kissed the palm of his hand.

"Thank you" I whispered as I placed my mouth on the wounds in his wrist and drank. I could feel my headache fading almost straight away and as Bill's fingers lightly brushed my cheek, I guessed that the bruising was fading as well.

"You are very welcome my precious" he murmured as he held me close and slid down a little, pulling us both further into the deliciously hot, scented water. "How do you feel now?" he asked quietly.

"I don't seem to feel anything at all" I said "I'm so relieved to be out of there, I was never so pleased to see anyone as I was when you pulled that rug off me. But somehow, I just feel, numb. Oh Bill, what happened?" I asked, turning to face him.

He sighed, "I'm afraid I don't know much" he said. "Nan had a call from the Hotel Security to say that Susie's bag with her press card in it had been found in the market place in the middle of the afternoon. The witnesses said that the two of you had been attacked by three men. When the emergency services got there you were both gone."

"But you knew that already? That they had taken me?" I asked.

"Yes….. well I knew that something bad had happened to you although I didn't know what it was exactly. I woke, mid-afternoon with your fear tearing through me. When we heard what had happened to Susie, I guessed they had taken you too, I knew you were still alive at least, but there was no clue as to where they had gone."

I could feel Bill's distress as he recalled the moment he had awoken and I began to gently rub my hand on his chest. "It must have been dreadful for you, not being able to do anything?"

He gave me a slightly sheepish look, "I'm afraid I did a bit of damage to the wall. I was so angry and frustrated I punched it….a few times…" he smiled at me, "I was out of here as soon as it was possible. I was able to tell which direction they had taken you but when we reached the valley it became more difficult. I knew you were there, somewhere, but that hillside is riddled with tombs." He smiled down at me again. "But fortunately, you are a very clever girl!"

I looked up at him, surprised. "What? You felt that?"

"Five!" he said smugly. "That's how I knew where to look!"

I was amazed "Wow, it worked!"

"I couldn't believe what I was feeling at first, I've never heard of anything like it happening before. But I soon realised it was not random, it was very deliberate. I found it hard to believe that you could be calm enough to control your feelings that way, but there was no other explanation."

I snuggled comfortably into his arms "I wasn't easy, but it was the only thing I could think of. Is there no other way?"

"Not that I know of. The blood bond transmits feelings, emotions, not specific information." At least, not until now!"

"What happened to the two men you dragged out of the tomb?" I asked "and the third man?"

"They were handed over to the Egyptian authorities at the scene" he explained. "I don't think the third man has been found yet. Nan is putting up a strong case for them to be handed over to us for trial but somehow I can't see any human authorities willingly handing over other humans to the Vampire Authority for punishment. Not if they can help it." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "However, if they even think they might be handed over to The Authority then maybe they'll become a little more co-operative!" He moved as if to drop a kiss on to the top of my head and then changed his mind. "Yech! Your hair is full of dust from the tomb!"

"Oh, no!" I wriggled out of his arms and ducked my head under the water, shaking my hair to try and get the worst of the dust out. As I surfaced Bill climbed out of the bath and fetched a bottle of shampoo from the shelf. He sat down on the edge of the bath and squeezed some into my outstretched hands and watched me as I soaped my hair. Just then there was a knock at the door and Bill stood up and reached for one of the towelling robes hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

"You stay here and try and relax." He said, going out and closing the bathroom door behind him. I heard him open the door and the soft murmur of voices before I lay back with my ears underwater and began to rinse the soap out of my hair. When I surfaced again I could still hear a quiet conversation going on. I strained to make out what was being said but could not quite hear anything. After a few minutes of wondering what was going on I gave up and got out of the bath.

As I came out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy hotel robe and with my hair wrapped up in a towel the first thing I noticed was a row of ragged dents in the plaster of the far wall. Bill hadn't been joking! I looked around to see Charles and Nan sitting in the two armchairs, Bill was sitting on one of the couches and Ulrich on the other. They all looked up as I entered and Bill got up and came over to me.

"Come and sit down Alex." He drew me over to the couch and sat down next to me.

Ulrich smiled "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Much better thank you." I said, giving him a smile in return.

Nan gave me a slightly watery smile, "Glad to hear it" she said, insincerely and turned back to Bill. "As I was saying we need to get the press on side with this. They're all ready all over it because the other girl is a reporter herself." Bill gave a patient sigh. "Oh come on Bill! It's great publicity. Girl gets kidnapped and held captive in an Egyptian tomb, of all places. Vampire lover rushes to the rescue. I couldn't have thought up anything better myself! In fact it's rather a shame I didn't think of it first!"

Bill glared at her in silence. "Well, you know what I mean! You deserve some credit anyway. After all, you did rush to the rescue didn't you? How did you know where she was by the way?" she asked.

"We have a blood bond." said Bill.

Nan's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't tell me that Charles! But that wouldn't tell you exactly which tomb she was in would it? I understand that you went straight to it?" she said, eyeing me suspiciously.

I smiled back at her as innocently as I could manage.

"It's a powerful bond." said Bill shortly.

I remained silent. Nan was a pain in the ass and I didn't want her having any more information about me or my relationship with Bill than was absolutely necessary.

Charles at least appreciated what I meant to Bill and, since he needed Bill, he was prepared to tolerate me, even possibly make an effort to like me, for his sake. Nan was not even prepared to go that far. To her, I was simply an inconvenience, something which took Bill's mind off politics.

Bill stood up "I think perhaps you should leave now" he said "Alex needs some rest."

"We have a lot to discuss Bill" said Nan, clearly unwilling to break off their conversation.

"I'm sure it can wait" said Bill firmly. "If not, I have no doubt that the three of you can handle it between you. I'll be available for the press conference later on." He walked to the door and opened it. Charles got up and headed for the door.

"I'm glad you're all right Alex," he said with a genuine smile.

Ulrich took my hand and, rather to my surprise, kissed it gently. "I'm truly sorry that this has happened, you have done us a great service." As he spoke I heard a buzzing noise and he stood up and reached into his pocket for his phone. He smiled at me and turned away, flipping it open. I watched him.

"Yes…you have! Good, that's very good. I'll speak to you later."

He turned back to me. "Well, it appears that Egyptian Security has just picked up the third man!" He smiled down at me. "I think you can relax now Alex." He nodded to Bill and followed Charles out of the door.

Nan got up reluctantly and left as well "Two hours! In the conference suite!" she said with a look that said, "Be there or else!"

Bill closed the door and looked back at me as I sat on the edge of the couch.

"Press conference?"

He sighed, "Look, you don't have to attend if you don't want to. I'll deal with Nan!"

"Oh...I suppose I should be there. Susie'll do most of the talking, she'll be used to it!" I got up and went over to the large wardrobe with a sigh. "What do you think you should wear to a press conference?" I asked.

Bill laughed. "Whatever you like darling. But I'll tell you one thing, I'm not letting you out of my sight again until we're safe at home!" He came over and wrapped his arms around me slipping his hands inside the fluffy robe and kissing me.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" I giggled.

"Well" he said thoughtfully, "We've got two hours?"

The press conference was just chaotic. Bill was as good as his word and stuck firmly to my side the whole time. I noticed with interest that Gerry was doing the same thing with Susie. She was in her element, answering the shouted questions and joking with senior reporters and TV correspondents who, only a day or so ago, wouldn't have given a novice such as her the time of day. I stayed back and let Bill take most of the questions with Nan and Ulrich explaining about the bomb plot and somehow, the question of how Bill had known exactly where to find us was forgotten in the general congratulatory atmosphere.

Eventually, Bill and I managed to get away and he followed me back to the suite, padding along the corridors like a hunting dog, practically sniffing the air for any trace of trouble. Once we were back inside with the door securely locked he appeared to relax a little and we undressed and fell into bed together. I rolled over against his hard muscular body and held tightly to him as I drifted off to sleep.

For the final few days of the conference I was entirely nocturnal. Bill absolutely refused to allow me out of his sight and, I have to admit, I felt so much safer in his company that I was quite happy to comply, for the time being at least.

"Don't you imagine that I'm going to live like this when we get home Bill Compton!" I warned him.

"So long as I can get you home in one piece!" he laughed "I'll be happy with that."

Ulrich was so impressed with Bill's rescue and all the good publicity associated with it that he let him off all the rest of the meetings and we were finally free to have our holiday. We arranged several trips with Claudia and Chris, and Gerry and Susie who appeared to be getting on so well together that I began to tease her about taking her research into vampires a little too far!

We visited the Great Temple of Karnak at Luxor and took a trip up the Nile to Aswan to visit the island temple of Isis at Philae. Both the temples have a Son et Lumière display at night but the one I remember best was Philae. We disembarked on the island, Bill lifting me out of the boat and walked hand in hand through the great pylons and courtyards as the spotlights lit up areas of the temple complex and the commentaries spoke of the history and the rescue of the great temple from the rising waters of the Nile.

We sat together in the boat for the trip back with our arms around each other and looked back at the island with the temple complex lit up with spotlights.

"Oh, Bill...this has turned out to be the most wonderful holiday I've ever had!" I sighed. "It's such a shame tomorrow is our last night."

"But we're going to Abu Simbel tomorrow night" said Bill "and I've arranged a little surprise of my own!" I tried hard but no amount of pleading would get Bill to say anything more. I'd just have to wait.

The next night we left the Hotel for the last time, our bags had already been collected by the Anubis Courier Service. Bill took me by the hand and we walked to the elevators, but to my surprise Bill pressed the button for the roof garden.

"Hey, I thought we were going to Abu Simbel?" I said

"Oh, we are!" said Bill with a secretive little smile. We walked out onto the roof garden of the Osiris and there, on the roof, was a helicopter!

"It belongs to Ulrich" explained Bill. "He offered me the use of it for tonight. We can use it to get up to Abu Simbel and to get back to the airport before dawn. We'd have very little time there otherwise."

I was speechless, for once! Bill took my hand and helped me up. "Ready?" he asked, when he had strapped me in firmly. I took hold of his hand nervously. "Yes" I said and with a roar, the engine started up and we lifted off from the roof and set off up the Nile to Aswan and across the great Dam. I thought that this was Bill's only surprise, but I was wrong. When we landed in the desert I saw my next surprise. Alayah ran up to us, beaming, and said "This way Mr Compton."

When the dust had settled I saw two camels sitting patiently waiting for us.

"Since you're such an expert now I thought this would be the best way to get there." said Bill with a smile. Alayah helped us into the saddles and said "Just follow the lakeside Mr Compton."

"Wait a moment!" I said "where's everyone else? The rest of the party?"

"There is no party" said Bill "There's just us, the Temple is closed to the public tonight. It is open only for you my precious." I sat with my mouth open as we set off along the lakeside my excitement rising as, ten minutes later, we rounded a bend and saw the two great Temples ahead of us lit up in the moonlight. At the foot of the larger Temple was Bill's final surprise, a large tent, lit up from inside with flickering lights. Bill dismounted and lifted me down, then tied up the two camels to a stout post beside the tent while I looked inside and smiled with pleasure. The floor of the tent was covered with a thick rug which was itself covered with a scattering of rose petals. Silken pillows lay scattered around and scented candles carefully held in glass holders were lined up around the edges of the little nest he had prepared for me in the desert.

"Oh Bill, it's beautiful" I said, turning to him as he picked me up in his arms and swept me into the tent. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him as he knelt down on the rug and pulled me onto his lap. He simply sat and stared into my eyes for a moment before his fingers moved to the buttons of my loose cotton shirt. Soon we were both naked and I reached for him but he stopped me.

"No, my precious one" he whispered "tonight is for you."

He eased me down onto my back on the rug and took both my wrists in his hand holding them above my head as he began to trail kisses down my body. I pulled at him, trying to get loose but it was as if my hands were nailed to the ground. Bill was always so gentle and considerate with me that I sometimes forgot how immensely strong he was. As soon as I gave up and relaxed he released my hands and continued his exploration of my flesh with his talented mouth. Before long I was moaning and wriggling on the rug as he continued to kiss me softly. He moved back up to kiss my lips and I felt his painfully hard shaft pressing against my thigh.

"Oh please Bill" I rubbed myself against him, shivering, "I can't take any more, I need you...please!" In a flash he had flipped me over onto my stomach and slid his hands under my hips, raising me up a little and pulling me back onto him as he drove himself into me. I gave a little cry of pleasure and he began to move inside me and I lost myself to the delicious sensation. But that was only the beginning. I lost count of the number of times I climaxed before he picked me up and carried me naked between the enormous seated statues of Pharaoh into the great Temple wrapped in one of the silk sheets.

We wandered hand in hand through the columned halls past the great statues of Ramesses II as Osiris and made love for hours wrapped in the silken sheet on the windblown sand, Bill focussing his fierce concentration totally on my pleasure.

When, some time towards dawn, he finally allowed himself release the shattering power of his climax hit me through the bond with such ecstasy that I thought I would truly die.

He had bitten me only twice during the night and taken only a little of my blood each time, simply to enhance my pleasure, and he insisted that I drink from him in return.

"To re-inforce the bond" he said. "Without it I might never have found you."

"But you would have kept trying, wouldn't you?" I asked drowsily.

"You know I would" he said "you would have done the same for me. You've saved me before." He chuckled.

"What?" I asked turning to him.

"I just can't get that image out of my head!" he laughed.

"What image?"

"You hitting Lazlo around the ear with a frying pan!" he said between giggles. "You know I could never have fought him off without your help" he said, suddenly serious. You are a brave, intelligent and resourceful woman Alex" he leaned over and kissed me gently, "and I love you" he whispered.

Afterwards, when we lay locked together on the sand, gazing up at the stars I sighed and said "Well, kidnappings apart, this was the best holiday I've ever had!"

Bill simply smiled down at me.

About a week after we returned home I came back to Bill's house on a Friday evening after a busy day at work. He was sitting on a couch on the terrace reading and smiled at me as I came in and dropped my bag with a sigh.

"Busy day precious?" he asked putting the book down and coming over to give me a hug.

"Yes" I stretched my arms up trying to get the kinks out of my back. I'd been sitting at a computer all day and I was as stiff as a board.

"Why don't I go and run us a nice hot bath?" he suggested. The little glint in his beautiful blue eyes hinting that getting relaxed and clean was not all he had in mind!

"Oh yes, good idea!" I said and moved to follow him out of the room. At the last minute I turned back and went over to the couch, curious to see what he had been reading. It was an old leather bound book of poetry with a bookmark lying across it. I picked up the bookmark to see the poem. It was "Ozymandias of Egypt". I gave a little smile and followed him to the bathroom.

Ozymandias of Egypt

by

Percy B Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".