CAHPTER 10: GUILT
Sydney walked into the apartment she shared with Francie. It was dark and empty. Obviously, her friend was still at her party. Syd turned on a single lamp in the living room and sat down on the sofa. She couldn't believe what had just happened. There was a chance that she would be free. Free from the stress of sneaking around, Free from the fear of being caught and the fear of letting someone down. She was grateful for Francie's absence as she sat in the dimly lit room for a long time and eventually, she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes.
There was a soft knock at the door, which was repeated after a short pause. Sydney got to her feet and walked over to answer it.
Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled the door back. Standing right infront of her, looking more than a little angry was the last man she expected to see.
He placed a hand on the wooden door to prevent her closing it in his face.
"I trusted you Sydney!" he hissed. "You betrayed me!"
Sydney was glued to the spot. She couldn't move as the fear seized control of her body.
Slone smiled and evil smile as he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Don't worry, my little mole. It will all be over soon!"
Just then, all of the windows in her apartment exploded inwards as SWAT members threw themselves inside with her. Sydney turned slowly as they surrounded her. There was a loud noise, and a flash of machine gun fire aimed at her midsection.
Sydney sat bolt upright, clutching at her stomach. She was out of breath and sweating. Still holding her stomach, she ran into the bathroom and removed her dress. She stood infront of the mirror in her underwear and inspected her stomach. She was so sure she had been shot, but there was nothing there. She let out a sigh of relief then splashed her face with cold water before walking slowly into her bedroom once there she replaced the dress with a pair of faded jeans and a baggy pullover. She tied her bright red hair back loosely with a bobble from her bedside table.
She went back into the living room and curled up on the sofa again, only this time she wouldn't let herself sleep.
It was 4am when Francie got back. She was slightly drunk but she seemed to sober up as soon as she saw her friend looking pensive and scared.
"What happened?" she asked as she came to sit next to her on the sofa.
"There was an accident" she spoke quietly, wanting to tell her friend everything that had happened. "There was a bomb!"
Francie's face was filled with concern for her friend "at the bank?"
"No we had rented out a different building so we could get more people in. someone had planted a bomb there." She looked sadly at her friend "the whole building exploded!"
"How did you get out?"
"I went for some air and while I was out, it just blew sky high." Francie didn't know what to say. She leaned on her friends hiked knees and hugged them. "My friends were still in there. As far as I know only me, my father and two others weren't in the building whet it happened"
"Oh, Syd." Her heart went out to her. Then a thought struck her "was he at the party? The guy you were with a few nights ago"
Sydney lowered her eyes "I don't know" she lied. She knew Vaughn was safe. He had been in another building.
Francie pulled her friend into her arms as Sydney began to cry. She cried for all the lives she had just helped to destroy, and for all the lies she had to tell about it.
After holding her for a long time, Francie helped her get ready for bed. She tucked her in and brought her a large mug of hot chocolate! Sydney was grateful to have a friend like her around.
Francie called Will and told him what had happened to Syd, and he was round in a blink of an eye.
He pushed his head around her door and smiled warmly when he saw the colour of her hair. She looked like his sister.
"Hey there red head!"
Sydney tried to smile, but more tears escaped her eyes. She was overcome with guilt.
Will moved quickly across the room and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried harder.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's alright!" he held Sydney's face to make her look at him. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her lower lip was shacking. "Just be glad that you got out!"
"But my friends…"
"are gone" he finished for her bluntly! "I know it's hard but it's not your fault. * If only he knew! *
"Will, I lots friends tonight! And possible the man I'm in love with!" she knew she hadn't lost him but she had to make them believe that she thought she had!
Will pulled back slightly but kept his arms around her "what do you mean?"
"I have been seeing this guy I work with. I don't know if he was in the building when it went up, so I don't know if I've just lost him"
Will felt his heart sink, hearing that she had been in love with another man. He was extremely jealous of who ever this guy turned out to be. But he hoped, for Sydney's sake that he had gotten out alive.
"I'm sure he'll be ok Syd. Just hang in there and he'll contact you."
Will stay with her until she finally feel asleep three hours after Francie had gotten home.
He walked into the living room and sat down next to Francie who was nursing quite a big hangover.
"How is she?" she asked quietly as he sat down.
"She's upset." He paused and looked over at Francie "do you know anything about this …guy?"
"Yeah but not much!" she sighed "I hope he's ok, it would be terrible for Syd if she lost another man she cares about!"
All will could do was nod.
For the next four days, they did all they could to cheer her up. She never left the house and there was news of the explosion all over the papers and on the TV. Every time she saw something about it she would be overcome by powerful feelings of guilt.
On the fifth day after the party she had still heard nothing from either her father or Vaughn. She was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong, and SD-6 was still operating.
Another week passed and she was starting to feel better about what she had done. She kept telling herself that the lives that were lost at the New Years party were not near as numerous as the lives taken by SD-6 over the years. And what she had done had hopefully put a stop to any more murders.
The action had needed to be taken. If not by her, then someone else would have done it.
On the 17th of January, she was sitting in the living room with Francie next to her on the couch. They were sitting close to each other. Francie had her arm around Sydney as she had done ever since the night of the explosion.
"So, have you heard from him yet?"
Sydney lowered her eyes and shook her head no.
"I'm sure he's ok Syd"
"Me too" she looked back into the eyes of her best friend and found that she was smiling warmly "I just wish he'd call!"
Francie hugged her tightly "he will!" she reassured her, hoping she sounded convincing.
They had been sitting there another hour when someone knocked at the door. Sydney was instantly reminded of the dream she had had right after she had completed her mission.
She held her breath as Francie opened the door.
"Can I help you?" Sydney couldn't hear what the person at the door was saying. She assumed that it was one of Francie's friends when she laughed loudly and invited their visitor in.
"Who is it?" she called as she got to her feet and made her way to the hall.
Francie came round the corner, smiling widely at her.
"Francie?" she was a little confused "who was at the door?"
Francie didn't say a word, just held her hands out to her right. And their guest stepped around the corner.
She froze when she saw who it was. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't speak. She was shocked as she stood staring at him.
"Hey Syd" he said in a deep voice that sent a shiver down her spine.
She tried to greet him but the only sound she could make was a strangled squeak.
He was smiling brightly as he watched her. "You did it!" he informed her cryptically. "We won!"
Francie was smiling at Sydney as she stood behind Vaughn.
"Are you sure?" she managed to whisper and he nodded.
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't!" then he took two long steps and pulled her into his arms. She began to cry as he kissed her passionately.
Francie smiled even wider as she watched them embrace. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed "finally" she whispered under her breath as she watched them.
Maybe now, Sydney would get that little bit of Happiness they all knew she deserved.
And they all lived happily ever after
THE END…
Or is it?
Sydney walked into the apartment she shared with Francie. It was dark and empty. Obviously, her friend was still at her party. Syd turned on a single lamp in the living room and sat down on the sofa. She couldn't believe what had just happened. There was a chance that she would be free. Free from the stress of sneaking around, Free from the fear of being caught and the fear of letting someone down. She was grateful for Francie's absence as she sat in the dimly lit room for a long time and eventually, she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes.
There was a soft knock at the door, which was repeated after a short pause. Sydney got to her feet and walked over to answer it.
Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled the door back. Standing right infront of her, looking more than a little angry was the last man she expected to see.
He placed a hand on the wooden door to prevent her closing it in his face.
"I trusted you Sydney!" he hissed. "You betrayed me!"
Sydney was glued to the spot. She couldn't move as the fear seized control of her body.
Slone smiled and evil smile as he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Don't worry, my little mole. It will all be over soon!"
Just then, all of the windows in her apartment exploded inwards as SWAT members threw themselves inside with her. Sydney turned slowly as they surrounded her. There was a loud noise, and a flash of machine gun fire aimed at her midsection.
Sydney sat bolt upright, clutching at her stomach. She was out of breath and sweating. Still holding her stomach, she ran into the bathroom and removed her dress. She stood infront of the mirror in her underwear and inspected her stomach. She was so sure she had been shot, but there was nothing there. She let out a sigh of relief then splashed her face with cold water before walking slowly into her bedroom once there she replaced the dress with a pair of faded jeans and a baggy pullover. She tied her bright red hair back loosely with a bobble from her bedside table.
She went back into the living room and curled up on the sofa again, only this time she wouldn't let herself sleep.
It was 4am when Francie got back. She was slightly drunk but she seemed to sober up as soon as she saw her friend looking pensive and scared.
"What happened?" she asked as she came to sit next to her on the sofa.
"There was an accident" she spoke quietly, wanting to tell her friend everything that had happened. "There was a bomb!"
Francie's face was filled with concern for her friend "at the bank?"
"No we had rented out a different building so we could get more people in. someone had planted a bomb there." She looked sadly at her friend "the whole building exploded!"
"How did you get out?"
"I went for some air and while I was out, it just blew sky high." Francie didn't know what to say. She leaned on her friends hiked knees and hugged them. "My friends were still in there. As far as I know only me, my father and two others weren't in the building whet it happened"
"Oh, Syd." Her heart went out to her. Then a thought struck her "was he at the party? The guy you were with a few nights ago"
Sydney lowered her eyes "I don't know" she lied. She knew Vaughn was safe. He had been in another building.
Francie pulled her friend into her arms as Sydney began to cry. She cried for all the lives she had just helped to destroy, and for all the lies she had to tell about it.
After holding her for a long time, Francie helped her get ready for bed. She tucked her in and brought her a large mug of hot chocolate! Sydney was grateful to have a friend like her around.
Francie called Will and told him what had happened to Syd, and he was round in a blink of an eye.
He pushed his head around her door and smiled warmly when he saw the colour of her hair. She looked like his sister.
"Hey there red head!"
Sydney tried to smile, but more tears escaped her eyes. She was overcome with guilt.
Will moved quickly across the room and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried harder.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's alright!" he held Sydney's face to make her look at him. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her lower lip was shacking. "Just be glad that you got out!"
"But my friends…"
"are gone" he finished for her bluntly! "I know it's hard but it's not your fault. * If only he knew! *
"Will, I lots friends tonight! And possible the man I'm in love with!" she knew she hadn't lost him but she had to make them believe that she thought she had!
Will pulled back slightly but kept his arms around her "what do you mean?"
"I have been seeing this guy I work with. I don't know if he was in the building when it went up, so I don't know if I've just lost him"
Will felt his heart sink, hearing that she had been in love with another man. He was extremely jealous of who ever this guy turned out to be. But he hoped, for Sydney's sake that he had gotten out alive.
"I'm sure he'll be ok Syd. Just hang in there and he'll contact you."
Will stay with her until she finally feel asleep three hours after Francie had gotten home.
He walked into the living room and sat down next to Francie who was nursing quite a big hangover.
"How is she?" she asked quietly as he sat down.
"She's upset." He paused and looked over at Francie "do you know anything about this …guy?"
"Yeah but not much!" she sighed "I hope he's ok, it would be terrible for Syd if she lost another man she cares about!"
All will could do was nod.
For the next four days, they did all they could to cheer her up. She never left the house and there was news of the explosion all over the papers and on the TV. Every time she saw something about it she would be overcome by powerful feelings of guilt.
On the fifth day after the party she had still heard nothing from either her father or Vaughn. She was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong, and SD-6 was still operating.
Another week passed and she was starting to feel better about what she had done. She kept telling herself that the lives that were lost at the New Years party were not near as numerous as the lives taken by SD-6 over the years. And what she had done had hopefully put a stop to any more murders.
The action had needed to be taken. If not by her, then someone else would have done it.
On the 17th of January, she was sitting in the living room with Francie next to her on the couch. They were sitting close to each other. Francie had her arm around Sydney as she had done ever since the night of the explosion.
"So, have you heard from him yet?"
Sydney lowered her eyes and shook her head no.
"I'm sure he's ok Syd"
"Me too" she looked back into the eyes of her best friend and found that she was smiling warmly "I just wish he'd call!"
Francie hugged her tightly "he will!" she reassured her, hoping she sounded convincing.
They had been sitting there another hour when someone knocked at the door. Sydney was instantly reminded of the dream she had had right after she had completed her mission.
She held her breath as Francie opened the door.
"Can I help you?" Sydney couldn't hear what the person at the door was saying. She assumed that it was one of Francie's friends when she laughed loudly and invited their visitor in.
"Who is it?" she called as she got to her feet and made her way to the hall.
Francie came round the corner, smiling widely at her.
"Francie?" she was a little confused "who was at the door?"
Francie didn't say a word, just held her hands out to her right. And their guest stepped around the corner.
She froze when she saw who it was. Her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't speak. She was shocked as she stood staring at him.
"Hey Syd" he said in a deep voice that sent a shiver down her spine.
She tried to greet him but the only sound she could make was a strangled squeak.
He was smiling brightly as he watched her. "You did it!" he informed her cryptically. "We won!"
Francie was smiling at Sydney as she stood behind Vaughn.
"Are you sure?" she managed to whisper and he nodded.
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't!" then he took two long steps and pulled her into his arms. She began to cry as he kissed her passionately.
Francie smiled even wider as she watched them embrace. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed "finally" she whispered under her breath as she watched them.
Maybe now, Sydney would get that little bit of Happiness they all knew she deserved.
And they all lived happily ever after
THE END…
Or is it?