DISCLAIMER: JQ belongs to HB I am only borrowing them for fun

ARCHIVERS: I'd be honored

CATAGORY: Adventure, Violence, Angst

AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, this might sound strange but it is important. There
is a line in this fic '....found paradise....only to lose it....' (I
don't want to write the whole thing and give away the scene) Anyway, I
have this strange feeling that I MIGHT have seen this line in another
Race fic. But I've gone through and read the 3 Race Angst fics I'm
familair with and didn't find this line. The point I am trying to get to
is that IF this line belongs to someone else and I have inadvertently
stolen it a public apology will be immediate. I didn't remove it because
I may just be imagining things (I hope!) And this is my favorite angst
scene of the whole story (sniff). That is all.

BLOOD AND JADE: PART 5
BY SHENSA swndc@sprintmail.com


CAIRO, EGYPT
JULY 13

    They threaded their way through the droves of early tourists,
already beginning to sweat in the early morning sun.
     "I hate this place!" snarled Jade as she ducked around a group of
German tourists arguing loudly amongst themselves.
    Race followed close behind. Keeping a sharp eye for anything unusual
but then again this was Egypt. A magical land and your usual definition
of normal didn't always fly here. He eyed the crowd suspiciously and
wondered for the fifteenth time that morning just where she had put that
statue.
    They wandered through another row of shops and stalls; successfully
beating off a persistent pack of merchants and pick-pockets. Then
rounded a corner.
     "There it is!" breathed Jade with relief, brushing the hair from
her eyes. Before them stood a fairly impressive tent with a large wooden
sign painted in Englist and Arabic.
    CRAZY ALI"S SOUVENIERS OF THE PHARAOHS
    Jade started forward. Race grabbed her by the arm pulling her back.
     "Wait a minute!"
    He reached beneath his shirt to the holster freeing his gun.
Watching as a few tourists left the shop and a couple entered followed
shortly by a small group of elderly tourists.
     "Come on"
    He guided her through the throng. Alert for anything amiss. For once
Jade kept her wise-cracks to herself. They stepped through the rug that
served as the door into the stuffy interior.
    There were tables everywhere, cluttered with every Egyptian object
imaginable, including a full-sized replica of Tut's funery mask for the
more discerning collector. Tourist milled about in dazed confusion or
squealed with delight when the perfect treasure was found.
     "Darling" he felt a tug on his arm. "Maybe now would be a good time
to find a little something for the kids."
    He wandered with apparent aimlessness up and down the aisles keeping
one trained eye open for trouble. He watched Jade work her way over to
the counter. She smiled at a man with a bristling moustache and a wild
swirl of hair on the top of his head. Crazy Ali, Race could only guess.
The merchant laughed loudly and he heard Jade's own tinkling laughter in
accompaniment as they both made their way to the back of the tent. Race
put down the statue he had been holding.
     "Oh no, you don't leave my sight Lady!" he hissed under his breath;
moving with quick strides after the pair.
    The two stood in a small alcove leading to the back-room. Crazy Ali
was gesturing wildly at Jade who shook her head snapping something at
the merchent that seemed to make him angry. Race moved silently forward.
Suddenly the merchent jerked and stiffened, his face a strange mask of
pain and surprise. He stumbled forward clutching at Jade who backed away
in confusion. Blood frothed from his lips as he fell to his knees and
toppled forward, the dark hilt of a knife protruding from his back.
    Jade drew a breath to scream, more from surprise then sheer terror
when a hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
     "Just keep quiet."
    She struggled in the iron grip. The hand released her and she drew a
gasping breath that she immediately used to snap at Race.
     "What are you trying to do? Send me to the after-life personally?!"
    He glanced down at the deadman.
     "Just tell me you made your contact."
     "Affirmative Houston, we had contact." She nudged the body with her
foot "is he really-"
    He saw the blur from the corner of his eye. A dark figure hurtled
towards them. He grabbed Jade and spun throwing her onto a pile of rugs
as the attacker closed. Race dove under the flashing blade of a knife.
Hooked the man's arm and flipped him across a table that collapsed
beneath the weight of the impact. People screamed and scattered.
     "Race! Look out!"
    He ducked as a statue flew past him and crashed into a collection of
vases sending shards of pottery flying in every direction. A second
later a shoulder caught him hard in the stomach doubling him over. He
grunted as the air was driven from his lungs but managed to land an
elbow in the middle of his assailants back. The man twisted away was
broad-sided by a screaming hysterical tourist and went down beneath the
stampede.
    Suddenly he heard Jade yell above the squawking din and turned. She
was battling a thug who had a grip on her arm and was slowly dragging
her toward the door. He watched as she ducked under a swinging fist only
to be yanked off her feet.
     "Shit!"
    Shoving past a pair of cowering honeymooners he tried to reach her,
stumbled and went down as a hand caught his leg. He rolled and kicked
out hoping for his enemy's skull, splintering a small wooden sarcophagus
instead. A knife struck stone inches from his head. He looked wildly
about for Jade but couldn't see much from his vantage point. He tried to
get to his feet when a hard arm caught him across the throat slamming
his head into the floor. White pain flashed through his skull. His world
spun even as he reached out to seize the thug's wrist with one hand.
With a snarl he wrenched the man's arm, heard the sound of snapping bone
rolled and kicked the screaming assailant into a wall of glassware.
    Over the din he could hear the sounds of approaching sirens. The
struggling Jade was less then a yard from the door. He grabbed the
nearest object, leapt to his feet and launched himself at her attacker.
With a sickening crunch the sharp corner of the stone pyramid
encountered skull. The guy dropped like a rock. Grabbing Jade he hauled
her to her feet.
     "Come on! Move!"
    He half drug her to the back of the tent. Leaping over the body of
the dead merchent as he heard the shouts of the police outside. She
pulled away dashing back to grab her knapsack before following him
through the back of the tent. He pulled a knife from his boot and
slashed through the thick fabric, disappeared for a moment then reached
back to pull her out. They stood squeezed between the tent and a
crumbling wall about ten feet high.
     "Up!"
    Jade shoulderd her pack, stepped into his laced hands and was flung
to the top of the wall where she landed with a cat's grace. He was
beside her in a second. They lay there for a moment. Below they could
hear the screams of the tourists and the shouts of the police. The tent
rose higher then the wall blocking their view of the commotion. Looking
about they saw nothing but the tops of the merchents stalls as far as
the eye could see.
    The police had made their way to the back of the tent. Race grabbed
her hand eyeing the bowed top of the stall behind them. Jade grinned.
Race found himself answering with a mad smile of his own. They jumped.
Somersaulting down the roof and springing over the awning to land on the
dusty street before the shop. Barely having time to catch their breath
as the screaming owner charged out the door wildly swinging a broom and
swearing vehemently in Arabic. They fled into the crowd.


     "We've got to get out of here!" she whispered as they ducked in a
crevice seperating two shops. He tried to concentrate through the
pounding in his skull.
     "Where'd you hide the damn statue?"
     "Valley of the Kings, in the Temple of Hapshepsut."
     "The Valley of the Kings?! That's two hours away!" he hissed
theough clenched teeth.
    She shrugged "it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now that
Croft's men have made us I guess it's going to be a bit more difficult
then I thought. Then again, thanks to your handy work that's two less to
worry about."
    He stiffened "wait a minute, Croft? Simon Croft has been the one
breathen' down our necks. He's the competition you were talking about?"
      "Well yeah, Simon Croft the slimeball. Though I don't know why he
has the hots for this statue. I never really figured him for the artzy
type but then he and Lathan have been trading insults for a while now."
    Race groaned. "Look lady this isn't the plot to some who-dun-it, so
if you know Colonel Mustard did it in the library with the candlestick,
I'd appreciate it if you'd let me in on it!"
      "You are so obtuse!"
      "What does Croft want with the statue?"
      "What do we all want with the statue?!" she snarled in reply.
"What difference does it manke?"
      "It makes the difference of two dead people, you and me!"
      "I don't know, he must have gotten wind of this whole thing
somehow. You know crime-lords always poking in to one anothers business.
Lathan's been babbling about this statue for as long as I can remember.
There's two, Lathan already has one. Maybe they're a pair of
two-thousand year old bookends. What good is one without the other? I
don't know. I just steal the stuff dear, I don't ask why."
    They threaded their way between the booths, careful to stay out of
full view. The crowd seemed to be thinning as the noonday sun began to
rise overhead.
     "We need to find a way out of this circus" muttered Race. They
looked across the blinding pavement. There, sitting in the haze of the
Egyptian sun its huge white flank painted elegantly in gold and lapis
sat a wonderful air-conditioned monument to modern transportation.
     "I always knew this place was magic" breathed Jade.
     "I'll go check it out."
     "You? Have you looked at yourself lately?" she questioned.
    Race patted his jeans. "Gee, I must have left my compact back at the
hotel" he hissed
    Jade scowled "wake-up on the wrong side of the sarcophagus this
morning?"
    She dug into her knapsack and flung a grey T-shirt at him.
     "I know its not red but it's the best I could do." He raised a
questioning brow. 
     "Hey, I've hung out with you enough to know fist-fights, knives,
guns and shredded clothing are pretty much a given." She tossed him a
bottle of water.
     "Thanks" he ginned that crazy lop-sided grin that drove her nuts
and pulled off the tattered remains of his shirt. Bronzed skin glistened
in the sun. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Maybe he'll forget the
part about two ships passing in the night; she thought hopefully to
herself.
     "While you're, um. freshening-up I'll just go see where yonder
chariot is bound."
    Jade tucked her hair neatly beneath a cap and pulled put a pair of
sunglasses. Sauntered across the burning pavement and reached out to tap
the sweating guide on the shoulder.
     "Pardon me, could you tell me where this bus is headed?"
     "To the Valley of the Kings last time I checked" he snapped.
     "Perfect" she purred, turning she motioned to Race.




LIVORNO, ITALY
July 20      
 

    Benten Quest stood outside of Race's room, watching as his friend
slept. He had been removed from the respirator early that morning and
had proven stong enough to breath on his own, though he was still being
given oxygen. Dr. Stephenson had been more then optimistic. He had been
amazed. Benten simply shook his head, he had known Race for many years
and knew that his friend's tenacity was a force to be reckoned with.
    Jessie had been there when her father had awakened for the forst
time since the surgery. Benten still battled the swell of emotion when
he remembered seeing Race's pale blue eyes open in panic. Searching the
room in frantic confusion, taking in the strange surroundings as if he
had just awakened from a nightmare; in a way, Benten supposed he had.
The familiar faces of his family had quickly calmed him and though Race
fought a valiant effort he had not been able to stay awake for long. He
fell quickly into a deep exhausted sleep. Jessie had stayed with him.
Her head pillowed on the edge of the bed watching nad waiting. It had
been the first time Benten had seen her smile since they had recieved
the terrible news.
    Suddenly he heard his name called and knew the voice even before he
turned to greet her.
     "Estella!"
    She rushed to him and he held her tight.
     "I came as soon as I could. The roads were washed out and it took
forever just to get out of camp" she finished breathlessly.
    He suddenly felt her stiffen and pull away. She walked to the
window. Palms pressed against the glass.
     "No...Race, mi corazon."
    He stood beside her, a comforting arm about her shoulders as they
watched the quiet form on the bed.
     "He woke this morning, not for long" sighed Benten. "But at least
he's breathing on his own. That's no small accomplishment for a man who
was a fingers-breadth away from death almost 4 nights ago; but that's
Race."
    Benten laughed bitterly.
     "You know, when they called to tell me the news; they said he
wasn't expected to live through the night. 'He had lost too much blood'.
'The trauma of the gunshots and the surgery woul most likely kill him'.
Who know, maybe somehow he heard them. He's always taken a lot of
satisfaction in defying the so-called 'experts', I should know" finished
Benten ruefully.
    Estella laughed softly. "A man of science and fact he has never
been; it used to agravate me to no end. Maybe I should be a bit more
thankful."
     "maybe we should both be."
     "How is Jessie taking all of this?"
     "Considering what has happened, she's holding-up the best of us
all. You should be very proud of her. She has been with him most of the
morning. I sent her and the boys to the cafeteria, they needed a
break...It should give you enough time." She looked anxiously at him,
biting her lip, suddenly nervous and haunted by the ghosts of her past.
    He paused, looking away from her, back to Race.
     "Estella, It's been so hard" he whispered simply, not knowing what
else to say. How to describe what he had been through these past days.
Trying to look after the kids and keep himself together at the same
time. *He* was a man of science and fact. Emotion did not come easily to
him, and this, how had this happened? It was so far beyond the realm of
reality it had no place in his world. He looked to her again. His eyes
an open window to his soul and he knew she understood. That she had
lived with this every day of her life, until one day, she couldn't face
it anymore.
    She moved toward the door, hesitated, her wide eyes like a roiling
emerald sea.
     "Benten..."
     "Go to him Estella."



    It was so strange to see him like this, helpless but no she
whispered fiercely to herself. He could never be that. There was always
within him a will that would never be defeated. She could see it in him
now, a bit tarnished perhaps, weary beyond measure but it had been
enough to see him to the edge of death and not let him fall.
    She called his name softly. Feeling a bit selfish, thinking that
perhaps she should let him rest. But she needed to look into those
glacier eyes and know that everything would be all right. She reached
out slowly, placing her hand over his heart careful not to disturb the
bandage.Beneath her palm it beat slow and steady, as strong as it always
had been.
    His eyes opened slowly as he fought his way through the haze of
drugs and axhaustion. He stared at her for a long moment, confusion
clouding his mind. When he at last spoke her name it was barely more
then a whisper.
     "Estella?"
    For a time she couldn't speak, all she could do was look at him as a
tidal wave of emotion threatened to wash over and pull her down. As hard
as she tried she could never stop loving him. Not through the years of
lonliness when he was gone more often then he was at her side. Not
through the bitterness that had grown in her heart at having found
paradise only to lose it to the mundane harshness of the outside world.
Nothing had really changed at all. Every time she looked at him she lost
her heart all over again.
     "I hate you Race Bannon" she whispered fiercely through her taers.
     "The moment I first laid eyes on you I should have run. Instead I
gave you my heart and look what it has cost me."
    She knew she hurt him, that each word was like a blow and she was
sorry for it. He was too weak to hide behind that cold gaze as he had so
often in the past. Too weak to make a joke or to sweep her into his arms
and make her forget her anger.
     "You know all the time we were married and you went off on your
missions and assignments to face so many dangers and I was left behind.
You were so brave...no one spoke of my courage" she said bitterly. "How
I faced the end of my life every time that phone rang. But what I was
most afraid of never came." She almost laughed, her eyes glistening
through the tears.
     "Until now, so many years later and it hurts and frightens me even
more then I ever believed possible. I hate you Race Bannon for all the
pain and grief you have caused me but I love you even more for all that
you have ever given me."
    He gimaced and drew a ragged breath.
     "Estella...I..."
     "Shhhh" she pressed a finger softly to his lips. "Don't speak, no
apologies, no regrets" she whispered gently.
     "Rest"
    Her finger traced lightly over his skin, smoothing away the line of
tension and pain from between his eyes. An old habit that came suddenly
to her and she watched as she had so many times before as he drifted
peacefully to sleep.


END 
PART 5: BLOOD AND JADE

(c) SHENSA 1998