A Summer Smile (9 page)

it does."

"You seem to know quite a bit about scorpion stings," Zilah said faintly. "Is that required instruction for Clancy's agents?"

"I learned this particular knowledge on my own," Daniel said as he rolled down the cuff of her jeans. "One of the favorite amusements of those bastards who held me in that shack was to throw a scorpion or snake into the room with me and watch me scramble to cope with it. After 1 got out I made it my business to

know everything there was to know about poisonous vermin of all types. I never wanted to be that helpless again."

Poor Daniel. How horrible that experience must have been for him. And how many other experiences had he gone through that were equally hair-raising and potentially tragic? He had led a hard life and he was a hard man, yet there was kindness in him and humor and sensitivity. . . . She was finding it hard to concentrate through the haze of pain surrounding her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He glanced up in surprise. "Why?"

He actually didn't know, she realized. When he went through a hellish experience he just tried to make himself better prepared for the next one. It was a way of life to him. "The pain and the sadness and . ."She shook her head helplessly. "I'm just sorry."

Daniel's throat tightened. She was the one who
was
hurting and still she was worrying about him. He touched her cheek with one gentle finger. "Are you?"

he asked softly. "Don't be. I survived it." His finger moved down to trace her upper lip. "Did I ever tell you I love to see you smile? It reminds me of warmth and summer and all the good things of life. I haven't seen
you
laugh yet, but I'm looking forward to it." He bent forward to brush her temple with his lips. "I survived and you're going to survive, too, Zilah. Count on it."

"What are you doing?" she asked as he slung the can teen and the M-l on one shoulder and reached down to gather her in his arms.

"It's generally called a fireman's carry," he said as he slung her facedown over his shoulder. "I want to move fast and this is the easiest way for me to carry you over the kind of terrain we'll be crossing. I'll have to leave the backpack behind. Once we're out of the foothills I'll try to switch your position so that you'll be more comfortable."

"But you can't carry me all that distance," she protested. "Let me try to walk."

He gave her derriere a little slap. "Hush! I can do anything I damn well want to do. It's my decision, and we've already agreed that I'm not a team player. If I let you walk, that poison is going to pour into your bloodstream. Now, be quiet and think good thoughts. That's as far as you're going to be allowed to participate in this little project."

"I think we're going to need all the good thoughts we can beg, borrow, or steal," Zilah murmured hazily. "And even that may not be enough."

"It will be enough." Daniel's voice was grim. "I'll make damn sure it's enough."

"I hope that you ..." Whatever she had been about to say drifted away as consciousness fled.

Turquoise eyes. They shone cool and glittering in the dark hard face of the stranger. Cool. Zilah's gaze clung to them with desperation. The world was on fire but here was coolness. His voice was cool as well and tinged with dry amusement. "Really, Daniel, I realize the woman is ill but did you have to react so violently? My overseer objected most volubly to being shot at."

"I wasn't shooting at him," Daniel said grimly. She was being carried down an interminably long hall of mosaic tile, passing white-fretted windows whose intermittent glare hurt her eyes. "He wouldn't have been able to object at all if I had been. I just shattered the exterior mirror on his jeep. The stupid bastard wasn't going to stop when I hailed him down."

"Well, you must admit you do look a bit of a wildman at the moment. Abdul isn't the most courageous man under the best of circumstances. He probably thought you were a bandit."

"Bandits aren't usually wandering around the countryside burdened with an unconscious woman." Daniel growled. "The man is a fool."

"Perhaps," the man with the turquoise eyes drawled. "But he's an excellent overseer. One can't have everything."

"Don't try to give me that bull, Philip," Daniel said. "You know damn wejl that you'll have everything your own way or blow up the whole world trying."

"I do find life far more convenient that way." Zilah saw again the flint of those turquoise eyes as he glanced down at her dispassionately. "Your Miss Dabala seems quite ill. Was she shot in the escape?" "Scorpion sting," Daniel said tersely. "She's been in intense pain and drifting in and out of consciousness for the last few hours. She's burning up with fever. As soon as I can get her to bed I want a doctor to see her."

"I've already sent for him. I told Raoul to phone for Dr. Madchen when he informed me that you'd roared into my courtyard with an unconscious woman in the jeep. He should be here shortly."

"She'll need antivenom."

"We keep some here in the first aid room. I'll have Raoul check to be sure it's still fresh. If not, I'll send a courier to pick up some at Dr. Madchen's dispensary."

"Good." She was being placed on a bed whose cool, silken sheets felt like a blessed balm to her hot flesh. Daniel's eyes were narrowed in concern on her face. "Hold on, Zilah, we've almost got it made."

Zilah tried to smile but it hurt too much. Everything hurt too much. She closed her eyes wearily to block out the light that was burning her eyes. She heard Daniel mutter something violent beneath his

breath. She paid no attention to it. She had gotten accustomed to that fierce murmur beneath her ear in the last few hours. Now it brought only a feeling of comfort and protection like the growl of a grizzly to her cub.

"You called her Miss Dabala and mentioned the escape," Daniel was saying somewhere above her head in the darkness. "Who told you about Zilah?"

"Your old friend Clancy Donahue became concerned when you failed to contact him last night as arranged. He flew in to be on the spot in case you needed him. He filled me in on the details of your little adventure. It sounded quite entertaining. Just the sort of thing that would amuse you."

"Oh, yes, very amusing," Daniel said caustically. "Next time I must remember to invite you along for the ride." She felt Daniel's hands unbuttoning the collar of her shirt. Strange that she recognized that touch even with her eyes closed. "Where the hell is that doctor?"

"Patience isn't one of your major virtues, Daniel. It's been less than ten minutes since I called him."

"And it's been over two hours since the scorpion stung her. She should have had an antidote at once." "The doctor's right behind me. I ran into him in the foyer." It was a new voice, deep, authoritative, and vaguely familiar. "He stopped to place a phone call to Karim Ben Raschid's palace to check on her medical history with Zilah's mother when I informed them her records would be there. How is she? I told you to get her out, not get her shot, Daniel."

"Dammit, Clancy, I did get her out," Daniel said harshly. "It was a scorpion, not a bullet. Nov/, get that doctor in here, or I'll do it myself with a hell of a lot less diplomacy."

Clancy. It must be Clancy Donahue. He had been very kind to her in the past and she wanted to open her eyes and greet him. Yet when she did she could

make out only three surreal figures standing before her. Dark, looming, and somehow menacing. Something stirred deep in her memory and started panic coursing wildly through her. Why had she thought she was safe? She was never safe. She would never be safe from them. "Daniel! Daniel!"

One of the shadows bent swiftly. "It's all right, Zilah. I'm here."

"No! Don't touch me. Please don't touch me." Suddenly an agonizing new pain struck her and she clutched at her stomach with a moan.

"What the devil?" The man had Daniel's voice but how did she know they weren't deceiving her again? It had happened before. "What's wrong with her?"

"I would say the venom is causing severe stomach cramps." Another voice, this one with a slight German accent. "It's not unusual." This shadow was shorter, with a silhouette that was almost rotund. Your servant informed me that it's a scorpion sting on her right ankle?"

"Don't just stand there looking at her as if she's some kind of bug under a microscope. Get rid of that blasted pain!"

He sounded so concerned. But then, they were always like that, so sleek and smooth, with their soft, mocking voices. She mustn't be fooled into thinking them friends. They didn't care about her pain. It was a weapon they used to make her do what they wanted.

The man with the German accent shrugged. "I was going to give her the antivenom serum first, but it doesn't matter." He was gone from her vision for a moment and when he returned he was much closer and there was something in his hand. The needle, shining and deadly and evil.
The needle!

She screamed.

She scrambled to her knees. Dear heaven, she was so weak. They must have given her something before that she didn't remember. Sometimes she didn't remember. She could feel the headboard pressing into her back as she cowered like an animal. "No! I don't want it. Please!"

"Zilah, for God's sake. It's only morphine," the man who was pretending to be Daniel said. "It will take away the pain."

She shook her head wildly. "No shots! I won't let you. It's bad. It's all bad. You're going to let them hurt me again."

"Oh, my God," Clancy breathed. "My God!"

But it wasn't Clancy. She had to remember that. He was one of them.

"Is that all you've got to say?" Daniel's voice was shaking. "I can't take this. Why the hell is she so frightened of us?"

"She's remembering that other time," Clancy answered hoarsely. "And I'm not standing up so well under it myself."

"You will have to hold her," Dr. Madchen said briskly. "She's delirious and will fight the needle. I might hurt her."

"I'll hold her." Turquoise eyes. "Daniel, you hold her other arm."

They closed on her with lightning swiftness and she was helpless. She struggled wildly, panting with fear. "No, don't hurt me. I won't do it. Let me go." The tears were pouring down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this to me? I want to go home."

"Shh. It's all right." Daniel's voice was broken. "No one's going to hurt you. Will you give her the shot, dammit?"

The familiar hot pain in her arm. It was happening again. Despair welled up in her. She stopped struggling. Then the needle was gone and she felt the soft, swooping mist begin to enfold her. The tears

continued to rain down her cheeks and she made no attempt to halt them.

Daniel's expression clearly revealed his agonized concern for her. How had they managed to find someone who looked so much like Daniel? For it couldn't have been Daniel. He wouldn't have betrayed her like this. He was easing her stiff body into a reclining position on the bed and releasing her arms. He knew she wouldn't be able to fight him now. They always knew.

"Please. Stop crying. It's tearing me apart."

She shook her head slowly. She closed her eyes so that she could no longer see the face of betrayal. "I just want to go home," she whispered. "Please let me go home."

Her breathing became deep and even. "She's unconscious," Dr. Madchen said. "I'll give her the serum now." He raised a brow at Daniel. "With your permission."

Daniel nodded jerkily. "Give it to her. Is she going to be all right?"

"You've scarcely given me a chance to examine her," Dr. Madchen said caustically as he prepared the syringe. "How would I know?"

Daniel took a step closer, his hand flashing out and closing on the man's throat. "I'm not in the mood for sarcasm at the moment," he said with menacing softness. "I'll ask you again. Is she going to be all right?"

Dr. Madchen s lips tightened. "I see no-reason why she shouldn't. There are very few deaths these days from scorpion stings. She should be a bit weak for a few days. However, ifl'm allowed to treat her, she should recover in a short time."

Philip El Kabbar was frowning. "Let him go, Daniel. I apologize, Dr. Madchen. Daniel is terribly upset at the moment." His blue-green eyes were suddenly

twinkling. "Though I suppose you should be grateful he didn't shoot at you as he did at Abdul. He has a tendency to become a bit violent on occasion."

Daniel's hand slowly released the doctor's throat. He stepped back. "You might keep that in mind while you're taking care of her. I want her well." His eyes were blazing fiercely in his white face. "Do you hear me? I want her
well."

"Then leave the room and let me do my job." Dr. Madchen turned away. "I would appreciate it if you would get this man out of my way. Sheikh El Kabbar. I don't work well under intimidation."

"Daniel." Clancy's tone was surprisingly gentle. "Come on. You need a drink. She'll be better off without you prowling around getting in the doctor's way." His lips curved in a slightly rueful smile. "I think I could use one myself. I wasn't expecting this to be quite so grueling."

"Grueling." Daniel's nostrils flared. "Hell yes, it was grueling. I feel as if I've been put through a meat grinder. Why the hell would she react like that? She should know that I would never hurt her." His hands clenched at his sides. "My God, she should
know
that."