The story picks up right after Sydney and Vaughn are caught on the opposite
sides of the door in ATY. This is just the prologue and the actual story
will pick up a few weeks later. Let me know what you think and if I should
keep going.
******
As much faith as he had in Sydney, he knew that her battle against the inch thick glass the that stood between the two of them was fruitless - she'd never be able to break the glass and even if she did, the water wouldn't drain out fast enough and he sure wasn't fitting through that window. If he ever wanted to breathe fresh air again, he had to find some other way out the current hell he was swimming in.
On the dry side of the door, Sydney struggled against the door - pounding on it with all her might, ignoring the pain as her whole body shook with each blow - reverberating against the non-moving steel door.
Watching him slam into the door was the worst part - the unfelt force of it almost knocking her off her feet. Before her was another man she loved - even she only admitted that in herself - helpless and for all she knew dying. Images of Danny in the bathtub and Noah in her arms flashed through her head. And now Vaughn. She couldn't help but fell responsible and presently, utterly helpless.
Vaughn locked eyes with her once through the window and then he was gone - the black water swirling in his place. When she was hit from behind she didn't have the energy to fight back - strength spent trying to save Vaughn. Her thoughts clouded together as she lost consciousness: Danny, Noah, Vaughn. all gone.
Blackness.
******
Vaughn pushed against the water, fighting his way to the top. In the ceiling he found what he was looking for, a vent leading to an air duct that was hopefully big enough for him to fit through. The screw driver he carried in his pocket (who knew what they were going to encounter in Teipei - certainly not this) was there when he reached for it and he was able to undo the screws enough to reach in and pry it the rest of the way off.
He had been able to get enough air next to the vent but by the time he finally climbed high enough to feel safe, his lungs were aching from lack of oxygen and pure physical exertion. After a short rest, he starting crawling to his left - away from the direction the water had just come from - hoping he was going the right way.
Fifteen minutes later, Vaughn was lowering himself out of the ceiling and into a dark hallway. He heard a sound to his right and couldn't turn fast enough before he felt the butt of a gun smash into the base of his skull.
Blackness.
******
Sydney woke to cold water hitting her face. Spitting and gasping, she tried to focus on the person in front of her.
"Wake up, sleepy head."
Sark.
Tensing her arms to test the strength of her restraints, she was disappointed to find there was no give.
"Don't worry, love," Sark smirked, "They're tight enough so you won't have to strain yourself trying to hurt me."
Sydney glared back at him, silent.
"It's a pity you don't have anything to say. I figured you would want to beg for your friend's life."
It was then that Sydney noticed the figure slumped on the floor at her feet, Sark's gun trained at the person's head.
Vaughn.
Clothes still wet from the earlier "swim" with a pool of dark blood on the back of his head - matting his hair together - he looked like shit but Sydney knew that he had never looked so good. Not that she wanted Sark to know that.
"What do you want?"
"Ahh, Sydney, I knew you would come around," Sark nudged Vaughn with his toe and then swiftly kicked him in the side, causing Sydney to flinch and Vaughn to writhe in pain, "Just making sure Agent Vaughn doesn't take us by surprise. I hate surprises. Except for you, love, I was quite happy to find you in my custody."
"What do you want," Sydney repeated, spitting the words out like poison.
"Patience, dear Sydney," Sark smacked her sharply across the cheek with his free hand, "You don't want to make me angry."
Sark walked across the room and knocked on the door to Sydney's left.
"We have plans for you that still need some time to work out so you are just going to have to sit tight for a little while."
The door swung open and two guards came in, walked over to Vaughn and dragged him off from the floor. They maneuvered him behind Sydney and it took all her willpower to keep from turning her head to see what they were doing with him. She got her answer soon enough as she felt another chair hit hers and Vaughn's head knock against the back of hers.
"I'll let Agent Vaughn live a little longer," Sark said, bending forward and bringing his face within inches of Sydney's, "I have a feeling that his being alive might back you a little more cooperative. But he is expendable, don't forget that, love."
Sydney stared at on spot on the wall behind Sark's head and felt her stomach lurch has Sark leaned in and ran his tongue across her lower lip.
"I'll be back soon, love."
Sydney glared at Sark's back as he follow the two other men out the door and waited until she heard lock click into place before she started vigorously moving her arms, trying to loosen the ropes twisted around them.
"Vaughn! Are you all right," Sydney said urgently.
She could feel water (or blood) dripping from his hair onto her back - the mesh shirt she was wearing blocking nothing from soaking into her skin. Sydney felt Vaughn jerk and his head, still resting against hers, fell to one side as he started coughing.
"Sydney."
Her name came quietly from behind her.
"Vaughn," Sydney felt the tears spring up into her eyes, "I thought you were dead."
"I feel like I might be," Vaughn's voice rasped, "I think I have a couple broken ribs."
Sydney strained against her chair and stretched her left hand out as far as it would go, her fingertips brushed against Vaughn's.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, I'll live," Vaughn gave a little laugh, "How are you?"
"Better than you it sounds like, though my head is killing me and I can't move a muscle," Sydney's felt Vaughn's fingers close around the tops of hers, causing her to smile, "Well, maybe a couple muscles."
Vaughn smiled, glad to be able to touch her, even if they were tied up in an unknown location, not missing the irony of the situation. "So, you thought I was dead, huh? Did you miss me?"
Sydney's finger slipped from Vaughn's hold and curled around the top of his hand. Swallowing hard and pushing the images of Danny and Noah from her mind, Sydney spoke the closest thing to the truth that she could, "Yes. You're my guardian angel, what would I do without you? You weren't in the window anymore and I just gave up, I'd lost another."
"Another what?"
"Another person I cared about, another person I couldn't save."
"Sydney, if anyone could have saved me, it was you," Vaughn leaned his head back against Sydney's, "But it was an impossible situation, even for you. I knew that and I knew I had to find another way out."
"I'm glad that you didn't leave it up to me then, else you would have been dead," Sydney sighed, "Of course, we aren't in the best situation at the moment are we?"
Vaughn laughed, "We'll make it - I have faith."
"Vaughn," Sydney whispered, "Thank you for coming with me."
Vaughn sighed, knowing there was nothing he wouldn't do for the woman behind him and knowing that it could end up getting him killed, "Anytime."
On the other side of the door the sound of gunfire interrupted their conversation and Sydney stretched her other hand to grab onto Vaughn's.
The overhead lights, already dimly lit, flicked twice and then went out.
Blackness.
******
As much faith as he had in Sydney, he knew that her battle against the inch thick glass the that stood between the two of them was fruitless - she'd never be able to break the glass and even if she did, the water wouldn't drain out fast enough and he sure wasn't fitting through that window. If he ever wanted to breathe fresh air again, he had to find some other way out the current hell he was swimming in.
On the dry side of the door, Sydney struggled against the door - pounding on it with all her might, ignoring the pain as her whole body shook with each blow - reverberating against the non-moving steel door.
Watching him slam into the door was the worst part - the unfelt force of it almost knocking her off her feet. Before her was another man she loved - even she only admitted that in herself - helpless and for all she knew dying. Images of Danny in the bathtub and Noah in her arms flashed through her head. And now Vaughn. She couldn't help but fell responsible and presently, utterly helpless.
Vaughn locked eyes with her once through the window and then he was gone - the black water swirling in his place. When she was hit from behind she didn't have the energy to fight back - strength spent trying to save Vaughn. Her thoughts clouded together as she lost consciousness: Danny, Noah, Vaughn. all gone.
Blackness.
******
Vaughn pushed against the water, fighting his way to the top. In the ceiling he found what he was looking for, a vent leading to an air duct that was hopefully big enough for him to fit through. The screw driver he carried in his pocket (who knew what they were going to encounter in Teipei - certainly not this) was there when he reached for it and he was able to undo the screws enough to reach in and pry it the rest of the way off.
He had been able to get enough air next to the vent but by the time he finally climbed high enough to feel safe, his lungs were aching from lack of oxygen and pure physical exertion. After a short rest, he starting crawling to his left - away from the direction the water had just come from - hoping he was going the right way.
Fifteen minutes later, Vaughn was lowering himself out of the ceiling and into a dark hallway. He heard a sound to his right and couldn't turn fast enough before he felt the butt of a gun smash into the base of his skull.
Blackness.
******
Sydney woke to cold water hitting her face. Spitting and gasping, she tried to focus on the person in front of her.
"Wake up, sleepy head."
Sark.
Tensing her arms to test the strength of her restraints, she was disappointed to find there was no give.
"Don't worry, love," Sark smirked, "They're tight enough so you won't have to strain yourself trying to hurt me."
Sydney glared back at him, silent.
"It's a pity you don't have anything to say. I figured you would want to beg for your friend's life."
It was then that Sydney noticed the figure slumped on the floor at her feet, Sark's gun trained at the person's head.
Vaughn.
Clothes still wet from the earlier "swim" with a pool of dark blood on the back of his head - matting his hair together - he looked like shit but Sydney knew that he had never looked so good. Not that she wanted Sark to know that.
"What do you want?"
"Ahh, Sydney, I knew you would come around," Sark nudged Vaughn with his toe and then swiftly kicked him in the side, causing Sydney to flinch and Vaughn to writhe in pain, "Just making sure Agent Vaughn doesn't take us by surprise. I hate surprises. Except for you, love, I was quite happy to find you in my custody."
"What do you want," Sydney repeated, spitting the words out like poison.
"Patience, dear Sydney," Sark smacked her sharply across the cheek with his free hand, "You don't want to make me angry."
Sark walked across the room and knocked on the door to Sydney's left.
"We have plans for you that still need some time to work out so you are just going to have to sit tight for a little while."
The door swung open and two guards came in, walked over to Vaughn and dragged him off from the floor. They maneuvered him behind Sydney and it took all her willpower to keep from turning her head to see what they were doing with him. She got her answer soon enough as she felt another chair hit hers and Vaughn's head knock against the back of hers.
"I'll let Agent Vaughn live a little longer," Sark said, bending forward and bringing his face within inches of Sydney's, "I have a feeling that his being alive might back you a little more cooperative. But he is expendable, don't forget that, love."
Sydney stared at on spot on the wall behind Sark's head and felt her stomach lurch has Sark leaned in and ran his tongue across her lower lip.
"I'll be back soon, love."
Sydney glared at Sark's back as he follow the two other men out the door and waited until she heard lock click into place before she started vigorously moving her arms, trying to loosen the ropes twisted around them.
"Vaughn! Are you all right," Sydney said urgently.
She could feel water (or blood) dripping from his hair onto her back - the mesh shirt she was wearing blocking nothing from soaking into her skin. Sydney felt Vaughn jerk and his head, still resting against hers, fell to one side as he started coughing.
"Sydney."
Her name came quietly from behind her.
"Vaughn," Sydney felt the tears spring up into her eyes, "I thought you were dead."
"I feel like I might be," Vaughn's voice rasped, "I think I have a couple broken ribs."
Sydney strained against her chair and stretched her left hand out as far as it would go, her fingertips brushed against Vaughn's.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, I'll live," Vaughn gave a little laugh, "How are you?"
"Better than you it sounds like, though my head is killing me and I can't move a muscle," Sydney's felt Vaughn's fingers close around the tops of hers, causing her to smile, "Well, maybe a couple muscles."
Vaughn smiled, glad to be able to touch her, even if they were tied up in an unknown location, not missing the irony of the situation. "So, you thought I was dead, huh? Did you miss me?"
Sydney's finger slipped from Vaughn's hold and curled around the top of his hand. Swallowing hard and pushing the images of Danny and Noah from her mind, Sydney spoke the closest thing to the truth that she could, "Yes. You're my guardian angel, what would I do without you? You weren't in the window anymore and I just gave up, I'd lost another."
"Another what?"
"Another person I cared about, another person I couldn't save."
"Sydney, if anyone could have saved me, it was you," Vaughn leaned his head back against Sydney's, "But it was an impossible situation, even for you. I knew that and I knew I had to find another way out."
"I'm glad that you didn't leave it up to me then, else you would have been dead," Sydney sighed, "Of course, we aren't in the best situation at the moment are we?"
Vaughn laughed, "We'll make it - I have faith."
"Vaughn," Sydney whispered, "Thank you for coming with me."
Vaughn sighed, knowing there was nothing he wouldn't do for the woman behind him and knowing that it could end up getting him killed, "Anytime."
On the other side of the door the sound of gunfire interrupted their conversation and Sydney stretched her other hand to grab onto Vaughn's.
The overhead lights, already dimly lit, flicked twice and then went out.
Blackness.