Chapter 4
Jack and Vaughn ran as hard as they could in the direction that they'd heard the shot. They both knew that Sydney was the reason for it, but the didn't want to believe it. The thought of losing this woman, that they loved so much, was unbearable. Both had only recently realized the depth of their love for her.
The two men were both forced to push their emotions aside. If they allowed their actions to be controlled by them, they would get themselves killed. Seeing Sydney may be enough to send them both into a blind rage, depending on her condition, if they were too emotional.
When they reached the door that they wanted, they opened it, raced down the hall, and rounded the corner at the end. They saw a man run out of a room and head directly for them. He was carrying a gun. Vaughn pulled his own, but stopped just short of firing. He'd almost shot Will Tippin.
"I told you to stay put!" Jack was barely holding his temper. "What if you'd been seen? Do you know what could've happened to you--to Sydney! -- if you'd been caught?"
"I couldn't just sit there and do nothing!" Now Will was furious. "She risked her life to save me? Twice!"
"And now," Vaughn cut in, "it may have been all for nothing!"
"We'll talk about this later! As far as we know, Sydney may have been shot. She may even be dead, so now is not the time for this argument."
Just then they heard someone moan. It was barely audible, but definitely female, and coming from the door opposite the one Will had used. Vaughn was the first one to respond. "I'm going in." When he saw that Jack was about to argue, he decided to stand up to this man that he admired so much. "We both know that I have no agent training, but someone has to protect Will. He's the reason we're here. Think about what Sydney would want. Will has a better chance with you. Besides, I started this mission with Sydney, and I'm going to be the one to finish it with her." With that, he turned and walked through the door.
What he saw was enough to stop Vaughn in his tracks. Sydney and Irina were lying in a pool of blood. He couldn't tell who's it was. His heart clenched when he realized that neither one was moving. Both dead, he thought. We're too late. He walked over and knelt beside his beloved Sydney. He reached down to brush the hair out of her face, but before he had the chance, she let out another moan. "Sydney? Sydney!" She didn't respond. "I have to get you out of here."
The first task was to get her from beneath her mother. When he rolled Irina over, he could see that she was dead, shot through the heart.
The next task was to find a key for Syd's handcuffs. He searched Irina's body, but he couldn't find the key. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he spread her hands apart and shot the chain.
Jack and Will entered after hearing Vaughn's shot. The first thing that Jack saw was his wife's body. He walked over to her and took one glance before his eyes filled with tears, and his heart with rage. When he turned and saw Vaughn kneeling close by with a gun in hand, he lashed out and kicked Vaughn in the middle of the back. "You just had to do it didn't you? You decided that you'd avenge your father by killing my wife! Laura..." he didn't finish. His anger had blocked his senses. He'd realized that this woman was a murderer, but it hadn't fully registered. When he realized what he'd said, and the name he's used, he remembered that she had betrayed him. "I-I'm sorry Vaughn. I..."
During Jack's outburst, Vaughn had scooped Syd up off the floor and turned to face the two other men, silencing Jack and stunning Will.
"Sydney?" Will couldn't believe that this was the same woman that he'd known for so many years, the same woman that he had learned to love. Even if Paris, with that crazy red hair, she had still been Sydney, a very scary Syd, but her none-the-less. Now, though, he couldn't find that woman anywhere. He couldn't explain it, but this woman in the black plastic pants and bra, with a fishnet shirt, looped chocker, blue hair, and dark makeup, was almost...she was just different. Maybe it was the blood that stained her skin, or the way that she laid limp in Vaughn's arms, more than the clothes.
Slowly Will approached Sydney. He could see the large knot on the side of her head. He leaned down until he was only a few inches from her face. Maybe, he thought, if I get close enough I can find her. He reached up and, using his thumb, wiped off her lipstick. Then he licked his index finger, and worked away her eyeliner. With all the makeup gone, her could finally see her. "There you are," he whispered. He gently kissed the knot on her head. He noticed the Vaughn stiffened when he did that, but he chose to ignore it. Just then Syd opened her eyes and threw a hard right hook into the side of Will's face.
Jack and Vaughn ran as hard as they could in the direction that they'd heard the shot. They both knew that Sydney was the reason for it, but the didn't want to believe it. The thought of losing this woman, that they loved so much, was unbearable. Both had only recently realized the depth of their love for her.
The two men were both forced to push their emotions aside. If they allowed their actions to be controlled by them, they would get themselves killed. Seeing Sydney may be enough to send them both into a blind rage, depending on her condition, if they were too emotional.
When they reached the door that they wanted, they opened it, raced down the hall, and rounded the corner at the end. They saw a man run out of a room and head directly for them. He was carrying a gun. Vaughn pulled his own, but stopped just short of firing. He'd almost shot Will Tippin.
"I told you to stay put!" Jack was barely holding his temper. "What if you'd been seen? Do you know what could've happened to you--to Sydney! -- if you'd been caught?"
"I couldn't just sit there and do nothing!" Now Will was furious. "She risked her life to save me? Twice!"
"And now," Vaughn cut in, "it may have been all for nothing!"
"We'll talk about this later! As far as we know, Sydney may have been shot. She may even be dead, so now is not the time for this argument."
Just then they heard someone moan. It was barely audible, but definitely female, and coming from the door opposite the one Will had used. Vaughn was the first one to respond. "I'm going in." When he saw that Jack was about to argue, he decided to stand up to this man that he admired so much. "We both know that I have no agent training, but someone has to protect Will. He's the reason we're here. Think about what Sydney would want. Will has a better chance with you. Besides, I started this mission with Sydney, and I'm going to be the one to finish it with her." With that, he turned and walked through the door.
What he saw was enough to stop Vaughn in his tracks. Sydney and Irina were lying in a pool of blood. He couldn't tell who's it was. His heart clenched when he realized that neither one was moving. Both dead, he thought. We're too late. He walked over and knelt beside his beloved Sydney. He reached down to brush the hair out of her face, but before he had the chance, she let out another moan. "Sydney? Sydney!" She didn't respond. "I have to get you out of here."
The first task was to get her from beneath her mother. When he rolled Irina over, he could see that she was dead, shot through the heart.
The next task was to find a key for Syd's handcuffs. He searched Irina's body, but he couldn't find the key. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he spread her hands apart and shot the chain.
Jack and Will entered after hearing Vaughn's shot. The first thing that Jack saw was his wife's body. He walked over to her and took one glance before his eyes filled with tears, and his heart with rage. When he turned and saw Vaughn kneeling close by with a gun in hand, he lashed out and kicked Vaughn in the middle of the back. "You just had to do it didn't you? You decided that you'd avenge your father by killing my wife! Laura..." he didn't finish. His anger had blocked his senses. He'd realized that this woman was a murderer, but it hadn't fully registered. When he realized what he'd said, and the name he's used, he remembered that she had betrayed him. "I-I'm sorry Vaughn. I..."
During Jack's outburst, Vaughn had scooped Syd up off the floor and turned to face the two other men, silencing Jack and stunning Will.
"Sydney?" Will couldn't believe that this was the same woman that he'd known for so many years, the same woman that he had learned to love. Even if Paris, with that crazy red hair, she had still been Sydney, a very scary Syd, but her none-the-less. Now, though, he couldn't find that woman anywhere. He couldn't explain it, but this woman in the black plastic pants and bra, with a fishnet shirt, looped chocker, blue hair, and dark makeup, was almost...she was just different. Maybe it was the blood that stained her skin, or the way that she laid limp in Vaughn's arms, more than the clothes.
Slowly Will approached Sydney. He could see the large knot on the side of her head. He leaned down until he was only a few inches from her face. Maybe, he thought, if I get close enough I can find her. He reached up and, using his thumb, wiped off her lipstick. Then he licked his index finger, and worked away her eyeliner. With all the makeup gone, her could finally see her. "There you are," he whispered. He gently kissed the knot on her head. He noticed the Vaughn stiffened when he did that, but he chose to ignore it. Just then Syd opened her eyes and threw a hard right hook into the side of Will's face.