Chapter 5
Before Syd ever opened her eyes, she know that something had happened. No longer was she lying on the cold floor. Someone was holding her. Slowly she opened her eyes and was startled when she saw a man only inches from her face. She didn't know what else to do, so she hit him. She wasn't handcuffed anymore, so should be easy to escape. After hitting the first man, and instantly dropping him, she brought her elbow back hard against the chin of the man that was holding her. The shock of the impact was enough to cause him to drop her. She jumped up and readied herself for the expected attack.
"Syd, what are you doing?" She knew that voice. "I guess the Bristows hate me today."
"V-Vaughn?" His only response was a crooked grin. "I-I thought you were..."
"No, I'm not."
She ran over and threw her arms around him. She tried to keep her tears of joy from falling, but she failed. "I can't believe it. How did you--?"
"Shh...Don't think about it. I'm just glad you care. For a minute there, I thought that you and Will were...I'll admit, I had my doubts when you punched him, but-"
"Oh my gosh, Will!" She'd completely forgotten about him. She pulled away from Vaughn so quickly that he almost fell, and went over to where Jack was helping Will up off the floor. He looked terrible. His mouth was swollen, he had a black eye, his shirt was covered in blood, and, thanks to her, he also had a bloody nose. She reached out her hand to touch his face, but stopped when he pulled away. "Will what's wrong?"
What's wrong? Let me see...I've just been kidnapped, had my tooth pulled by some psycho dentist, and then I got punched it the face by my friend! I don't know...what could possibly be wrong with me?"
Syd's eyes filled with tears. Tortured--Will had been tortured. "I'm so sorry Will. I should have gotten here sooner, I--did you say that I hit you? I didn't...wait--that was you?" He just starred at her. "Will, it was just a reflex. I opened my eyes, not knowing what was going on, and saw a man only an inch from my face." She could tell that he wasn't convinced, and she needed him to understand. "Will, the last thing I remember seeing, was someone getting ready to shoot me. Then I woke up, and...you just startled me. What were you doing anyway?" Will lowered his head, but not before Sydney saw that he was blushing. She looked at Jack, but instead of getting an answer, he asked a question.
"Syd, I wasn't going to ask this in front of Will, but there's no use trying to protect him now, he's heard, and seen too much. Was it you mother? The one that tried to kill you?" The tears that returned to Syd's eyes, and the pain etched across her face was all the answer he needed.
"Dad, was it you? Were you the one that shot her?"
Jack looked even more confused than ever. "No. You didn't see who it was?"
Syd broke down. She only managed to get out a strangled, "No," before she collapsed back into Vaughn's arms. She never heard Vaughn's soothing words, or Will's confused questions. The only thing she could hear was the words of the man that had saved her life,
"You may have been willing to kill my daughter, but I wasn't."
Before Syd ever opened her eyes, she know that something had happened. No longer was she lying on the cold floor. Someone was holding her. Slowly she opened her eyes and was startled when she saw a man only inches from her face. She didn't know what else to do, so she hit him. She wasn't handcuffed anymore, so should be easy to escape. After hitting the first man, and instantly dropping him, she brought her elbow back hard against the chin of the man that was holding her. The shock of the impact was enough to cause him to drop her. She jumped up and readied herself for the expected attack.
"Syd, what are you doing?" She knew that voice. "I guess the Bristows hate me today."
"V-Vaughn?" His only response was a crooked grin. "I-I thought you were..."
"No, I'm not."
She ran over and threw her arms around him. She tried to keep her tears of joy from falling, but she failed. "I can't believe it. How did you--?"
"Shh...Don't think about it. I'm just glad you care. For a minute there, I thought that you and Will were...I'll admit, I had my doubts when you punched him, but-"
"Oh my gosh, Will!" She'd completely forgotten about him. She pulled away from Vaughn so quickly that he almost fell, and went over to where Jack was helping Will up off the floor. He looked terrible. His mouth was swollen, he had a black eye, his shirt was covered in blood, and, thanks to her, he also had a bloody nose. She reached out her hand to touch his face, but stopped when he pulled away. "Will what's wrong?"
What's wrong? Let me see...I've just been kidnapped, had my tooth pulled by some psycho dentist, and then I got punched it the face by my friend! I don't know...what could possibly be wrong with me?"
Syd's eyes filled with tears. Tortured--Will had been tortured. "I'm so sorry Will. I should have gotten here sooner, I--did you say that I hit you? I didn't...wait--that was you?" He just starred at her. "Will, it was just a reflex. I opened my eyes, not knowing what was going on, and saw a man only an inch from my face." She could tell that he wasn't convinced, and she needed him to understand. "Will, the last thing I remember seeing, was someone getting ready to shoot me. Then I woke up, and...you just startled me. What were you doing anyway?" Will lowered his head, but not before Sydney saw that he was blushing. She looked at Jack, but instead of getting an answer, he asked a question.
"Syd, I wasn't going to ask this in front of Will, but there's no use trying to protect him now, he's heard, and seen too much. Was it you mother? The one that tried to kill you?" The tears that returned to Syd's eyes, and the pain etched across her face was all the answer he needed.
"Dad, was it you? Were you the one that shot her?"
Jack looked even more confused than ever. "No. You didn't see who it was?"
Syd broke down. She only managed to get out a strangled, "No," before she collapsed back into Vaughn's arms. She never heard Vaughn's soothing words, or Will's confused questions. The only thing she could hear was the words of the man that had saved her life,
"You may have been willing to kill my daughter, but I wasn't."