© Copyright 2006 by More Than Novellas

Part VI

Elizabeth Delayne
July 24, 2006
lizdelayne@hotmail.com

Alex came to in the ambulance. The siren roared through his ears. He tried to push himself up, but was held down. Not by hands.

He was just too weak.

“Ally?” her asked the EMT.

The man looked at him, but said nothing. And darkness claimed him again.

* * * Ally sat by Alex’s bed and watched him sleep. They had brought him out of surgery. It seemed like ... hours ago.

But in the past day or so she’d lost perspective of time. Had it only been a day since she’d been serving punch at her friend’s wedding? She’d met Alex, falling into what had turned out to be an international spy adventure, and stumbled further into her worst nightmare.

She watched as Alex opened his eyes and she reached out to take his hands. He saw her, his eyes coming into focus ... and she saw the moment he remembered.

He remembered her. He remembered it all.

“You’re okay.”

“Fair. A little soar, extremely tired. I guess okay is a good word. We’re both alive.”

“How am I?” he asked, moving his good hand up—still holding hers—to rub it against his bandages. “Ouch.”

“That about covers it. You’re whole. Lost a lot of blood. You were in surgery a long time. In and out of sleep a good bit ...” her voice cracked and she blinked back sudden tears. “I just ...”

“I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”

“We’re out of it,” she told him, and then thought of the questions, of the officials and of the reporters waiting outside. “Or somewhat out of it. More like out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

“Your brothers?”

“Your boss is handling them. It’s all very hush-hush. They may be saved because of that fact. Whatever you were looking for isn’t supposed to get out. In anyway.”

She saw the frown in his eyes and wondered, herself, exactly what had been in those papers. The papers with the dead man.

Who had finally been brought out of the cave.

“No—hopefully those documents will be destroyed.”

“You won’t tell me.”

“Baby, I don’t know exactly ... but I know they were linked to an organized underground group that distributes chemical substances and ... female smuggling. I’m afraid I put you in more danger then you knew. If I could go back ...”

“We never would have met. And someone would have gotten those papers sometime.”

“Then you forgive me?”

“I just know that I never want to go through that again.”

“No more spelunking?”

She shook her head. “No more.”

“And if we were to go on a honeymoon ...”

“If we were ... we could find more exciting places to go. In the sunlight,” she frowned. “Scratch the word exciting. How about sedate, calm, relaxing ...”

“Then you’re not repulsed by the honeymoon idea.”

“No ... but I think, maybe, we should get to know each other a little better first.”

“Sure thing,” he yawned. “But I think it will have to wait until I knock off a few of these drugs.”

“There is one thing though,” she told him as he blinked back sleep. It would claim him again, she knew. Soon.

“What?”

“If we do get married, one of these days ...”

“Yeah?”

“I suggest we serve the punch ourselves.”


... THE END



Return to The Reception Table of Contents!






Cybergrace Banner Exchange 2000