Morning came around and Jim was surprised that Loveless had let them alone for so long. Lina came with the breakfast trays as usual.

"Careful with the napkin, and you'd better tell Mr. Gordon the same," Lina whispered as she pushed the tray through the slot.

"The rest," Jim asked as he bent down to retrieve his breakfast.

"There's a closet just outside the door there," Lina whispered back then pushed Gordon's meal through the slot without another word.

"Good. Drug their dinner as I said. After they collapse, come back and let me out."

Lina nodded imperceptibly and left.

Excellent. They now had a chance.

"Artie, wake up," Jim gently shook his partner's arm.

Artemus slowly sat up with a groan, "hey, Jim."

"How're you feeling?"

"Still pretty bad, but at least not as bad as before. Hey, breakfast."

"Yeah, you'd better eat that carefully."

"You mean, ah," Artemus tilted his head towards the door.

Jim gave his partner a tiny nod. "You're going to have a relapse -before dinner."

"How do you know that," Artemus asked around a mouthful of mush.

"You just will."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Interesting uh flavor," Artemus said as he slipped the items hidden under his napkin up his sleeve then discreetly into his pocket.

"Do you know what the cure is?"

Gordon shook his head imperceptibly.

"Do you know where Loveless keeps the cure then?"

"Yeah, I came to for a little while and the little doctor decided to do some bragging. Didn't say what the cure was, but I saw where he keeps it. I must have passed out after that."

"Good. You need to get a hold of the cure before we get out of here. After you have a relapse, I'll be right behind you," Jim cleared his throat and winced.

"Uh-oh, you're not coming down sick, are you," Artemus asked in concern.

"Don't worry about me, Artie. We'll both be a lot healthier when we can get out of here."

"Right. Show time." Artemus laid down on his small cot and after a while started groaning and rolling his head as if his temperature had spiked again. A little later he started gasping and faking spasms.

Sampson did not seem to be bothered about the prisoner's change in health at first but when Gordon started to gasp and have muscle spasms, he yelled for assistance. This time Willie came and ran off to get Loveless.

Loveless waddled through the door, obviously annoyed that his dinner was disturbed. "Now, what is all the ruckus this time," He looked from Sampson to Gordon rolling on the cot and apparently exhibiting muscle spasms again.

James West walked over to the front of his cell and raised his voice, trying to sound angry, which wasn't all that hard since he was angry. "What's the matter Loveless? Your little virus isn't as predictable as you thought?" Just those two questions caused his throat to burn and sting. If this was only the beginning of what Artie was suffering, he did not want to know more.

Loveless gave West an indignant look and then directed his attention to Voltaire. "Voltaire, your mask and gloves. Bring Mr. Gordon back to the lab." Loveless stood aside with his arms crossed and impatiently waited for Voltaire to gather up the prisoner.

West watched Loveless and Voltaire exit with his partner. He was proud of the show Artemus had put on, at least he hoped that it was a show like they had discussed and not a true relapse. Now he hoped that Lina was able to drug Sampson's and Willie's dinner enough to take effect soon. His throat was killing him and he was starting to sweat despite the cool air drifting in from the tiny windows.

Less than five minutes later Sampson slumped to the floor unconscious. West got busy with the lock pick that Lina had secreted in his breakfast. Right as he finished picking the lock, Lina entered and ran over to the cell to open the glass blocking the agent's escape.

"Good to see you, Lina. Did all of Loveless' personnel eat dinner?"

Lina nodded her head, "yes, but I don't know how much they ate, be careful!"

West ran after her into the hallway and grabbed his belongings and Artie's from the closet where Lina had hid their stuff. "Which way to the lab?"

Lina pointed down the hall, "last door on the left."

"Can you get out of here to safety?"

"Yes, I occasionally go to town to get supplies. I will not be questioned by anyone."

"Okay, good, get going! I will see you in town, now go!" Jim shooed Lina towards the outside door and ran down the hallway to the lab.

West burst into the lab and not a moment too soon. Voltaire was choking Artemus while Loveless was smashing all of his vials.

"Let him go or I'll shoot!" Jim's voice was hoarse as aimed his pistol at Voltaire and cocked the hammer.

Loveless, Antoinette and Voltaire all froze and turned their attention to the angry James West. "Why Mr. West, are you feeling under the weather," Loveless smiled as he took a step aside.

James West ignored Loveless' taunt and the sweat dripping down the side of his face, "I said let him go!" West fired his gun so that the bullet creased Voltaire's upper arm.

Voltaire howled and dropped Gordon, who collapsed to the floor like a rag doll. Antoinette shrieked and Loveless started running down a previously concealed passageway with Antoinette and Voltaire on his heels. Before West could reach the secret passage way, the door slid back into place; he looked all around but he could not find the mechanism to open the door.

Finally he gave up his search and rubbed his sleeve across his sweating face. Jim turned to his partner, who was on his hands and knees scooping powder into a vial.

"Good thing this vial survived the trip in my jacket pocket. This is the cure to Loveless' virus. Ouch!" Gasping, Artemus dropped his vial and grabbed his elbow. "Jim, get as much of that as you can in the vial," he said through gritted teeth.

West corked the vial and put it into his jacket pocket then gently helped his partner up. "Artie, let's get out of here. Can you make it?"

Artemus nodded and gasped as the pain traveled from his elbow to his shoulder, "if you lend me an arm."

"Of course," West helped his partner outside. There was no sign of Blackjack in the stable, which was not surprising. Assuming that Loveless' men unwrapped Blackjack's reins from the back of the carriage, the horse would have bolted from the strangers. Going around the front of the house, Jim gave a whistle and grimaced.

"Jim, you've got it too?"

Blackjack galloped up and stopped in front of his master. Jim took the reins as Artemus mounted, "yeah. I hate to say it but we'd better get to the hospital. Not only are we going to need help figuring out the cure, we don't want to spread it to anyone else." Jim mounted behind his partner and nudged his horse in the direction of the town and the hospital.