spy.''
It was perfect. When Tom stopped by to check on his patient, he would think Danny was still in bed.
Danny held up a small leather bag. "I'm ready."
She pushed her hair back with a trembling hand. "We still have to get your medication," she murmured, more to herself than to Danny. "I thought she would be gone already. I wanted to have it all done by the time I came for you."
"I'll help you. It will be easier if I help."
She smiled. "Sure it will." She-inhaled deeply. "Okay, here goes."
Walking to the door, she opened it and peeked out. No one was in the hall. Had the nurse already begun her rounds? At that moment, Diana stepped into the hall and closed a door behind her.
Amanda ducked back into Danny's room, holding her breath. She counted to ten, then opening the door a crack, she saw Diana enter the next room. She reached back and grabbed Danny's hand. "It's time," she whispered.
Together, they ran the length of the hall. When they reached the nurses' station, she grabbed the empty carryall, and the two of them moved around the counter to the door at the back of the small cubicle.
She still had the key in her hand, but now it was slick with her perspiration. She fumbled trying to insert it into the lock. It wouldn't go in. She couldn't make it go in.
"Let me," he said, taking the key from her.
His face was calm as he inserted it without a problem. It was then that Amanda finally realized they were in this thing together. It was as important to Danny as it was to her. Seconds later the door swung open.
The drug room was merely an outsize closet, but wooden shelves covered every available inch. Amanda quickly studied the labels on the shelves until she came to the one she was looking for.
Dumping the newspaper out of the nylon bag, she placed the bag on the floor and began to grab the boxes she knew contained vials of Danny's medication. In her haste, she brushed against a row of tall bottles, and the noise sounded thunderous in the small room.
"Shhh," Danny said behind her.
Amanda stifled a hysterical laugh. Somehow she felt she had been demoted to assistant. Over her shoulder she whispered, "We need two boxes of disposable syringes. I think they're on the shelf over there."
Danny opened several boxes before he found the right one, and by the time he had placed the syringes in the bag, Amanda had finished her own task. She didn't even try to lock the door as they left; Danny took care of, it.
Once more she checked to make sure the hall was clear, then grabbed the large suitcase from in front of the counter, and walking side by side, they moved silently around the corner to the staircase.
They were going to make it, she kept telling herself. They were really going to make it.
The lounge, empty of guests, seemed enormous as she pushed open the door leading into it. It was like standing on a mountain, surveying a vast desert. There was no help for it; it had to be crossed.
They were so vulnerable here, she thought, so exposed. With every step she was sure someone would walk in and stop them. The deep carpeting muffled their steps, but to her own ears, even her breathing sounded loud.
They skirted the edge silently, knowing the guard could appear at any moment, knowing that he would spot them at once if he did.
They were only yards away from the front door when Amanda heard the footsteps. At first she thought it was the pounding of her own heart, but her heartbeat had never echoed.
She froze at the same moment she felt Danny grip her arm in warning. It was long seconds before she realized the footsteps weren't coming from the lounge, but from a carpet less hall or room nearby.
Silently motioning Danny to stand against the wall behind a tall Boule cabinet, she took the suitcase from him and waited for the guard to appear.
A door to the side of the room opened and a guard walked in. "Randy," she said, her voice sounding unnaturally loud. "I wondered where you were."
"Did you need something, Miss
It was perfect. When Tom stopped by to check on his patient, he would think Danny was still in bed.
Danny held up a small leather bag. "I'm ready."
She pushed her hair back with a trembling hand. "We still have to get your medication," she murmured, more to herself than to Danny. "I thought she would be gone already. I wanted to have it all done by the time I came for you."
"I'll help you. It will be easier if I help."
She smiled. "Sure it will." She-inhaled deeply. "Okay, here goes."
Walking to the door, she opened it and peeked out. No one was in the hall. Had the nurse already begun her rounds? At that moment, Diana stepped into the hall and closed a door behind her.
Amanda ducked back into Danny's room, holding her breath. She counted to ten, then opening the door a crack, she saw Diana enter the next room. She reached back and grabbed Danny's hand. "It's time," she whispered.
Together, they ran the length of the hall. When they reached the nurses' station, she grabbed the empty carryall, and the two of them moved around the counter to the door at the back of the small cubicle.
She still had the key in her hand, but now it was slick with her perspiration. She fumbled trying to insert it into the lock. It wouldn't go in. She couldn't make it go in.
"Let me," he said, taking the key from her.
His face was calm as he inserted it without a problem. It was then that Amanda finally realized they were in this thing together. It was as important to Danny as it was to her. Seconds later the door swung open.
The drug room was merely an outsize closet, but wooden shelves covered every available inch. Amanda quickly studied the labels on the shelves until she came to the one she was looking for.
Dumping the newspaper out of the nylon bag, she placed the bag on the floor and began to grab the boxes she knew contained vials of Danny's medication. In her haste, she brushed against a row of tall bottles, and the noise sounded thunderous in the small room.
"Shhh," Danny said behind her.
Amanda stifled a hysterical laugh. Somehow she felt she had been demoted to assistant. Over her shoulder she whispered, "We need two boxes of disposable syringes. I think they're on the shelf over there."
Danny opened several boxes before he found the right one, and by the time he had placed the syringes in the bag, Amanda had finished her own task. She didn't even try to lock the door as they left; Danny took care of, it.
Once more she checked to make sure the hall was clear, then grabbed the large suitcase from in front of the counter, and walking side by side, they moved silently around the corner to the staircase.
They were going to make it, she kept telling herself. They were really going to make it.
The lounge, empty of guests, seemed enormous as she pushed open the door leading into it. It was like standing on a mountain, surveying a vast desert. There was no help for it; it had to be crossed.
They were so vulnerable here, she thought, so exposed. With every step she was sure someone would walk in and stop them. The deep carpeting muffled their steps, but to her own ears, even her breathing sounded loud.
They skirted the edge silently, knowing the guard could appear at any moment, knowing that he would spot them at once if he did.
They were only yards away from the front door when Amanda heard the footsteps. At first she thought it was the pounding of her own heart, but her heartbeat had never echoed.
She froze at the same moment she felt Danny grip her arm in warning. It was long seconds before she realized the footsteps weren't coming from the lounge, but from a carpet less hall or room nearby.
Silently motioning Danny to stand against the wall behind a tall Boule cabinet, she took the suitcase from him and waited for the guard to appear.
A door to the side of the room opened and a guard walked in. "Randy," she said, her voice sounding unnaturally loud. "I wondered where you were."
"Did you need something, Miss
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