Sloane studied him for quite a while. Jack was being honest, and he knew
that Sloane could see that. He just didn't want to.
"All right, you can have the time off, but when you find her, you will being double work for us, do you understand?"
"Yes, fine."
He turned away and left his office. He wouldn't be seeing it again for a short while.
Even as Jack was trying so hard to find her, Sydney was slipping further and further away. He kidnappers were still trying to get her to tell them what they wanted to know, but Sydney had stopped speaking over two weeks ago. They began to slap and punch her to get her to talk. She began to resort to hiding from them whenever possible. She was closing in on herself to try and survive. But she'd begun to wonder if her father was ever coming.
Maybe he didn't want her anymore, or maybe he'd just given up on finding her. She believed that one of these reasons must be true, otherwise she'd be home with him and Edith. She tried to cry but found she had no tears. Besides, the men outside would hear her. Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside the door. It sounded like someone was being slammed up against her door. She shivered and waited for it to go away.
After a moment, Sydney began to move again. She knew this was a chance to try an escape. Probably her only one. The people out there were obviously distracted, and soon she'd be too weak to attempt a getaway. She moved to the window and unlocked it, then slid it up. Her luck was in, there was no screen in it. She looked down to see how far she had to go. She was on the second floor. There was no section of roof, and nothing she could see to climb on.
Her vision faded in and out, and she knew if she was going to do this, it would have to be now. She jumped, hoping her weak bones wouldn't shatter when she hit the ground. Fortunately though, her shirt caught on a branch and she hung there for a moment, eyes shut tight before the branch gave way and she crashed onto the ground.
As soon as she hit the ground, Sydney just ran as fast as she could. Soon enough she reached a road. She waved from the shoulder, hoping someone could tell her exactly where she was, and which direction home was.
It took some time, Sydney didn't know how long, for someone to stop. The man who was driving gave her a very strange look when she asked what town she was in, but told her. Then all she wanted to know was what direction Los Angeles was. As soon as he told her, she began to walk, barely saying thank you.
Sydney moved fast, not really sure if she would be able to find her house when she did get to the city. But that didn't matter that much right now. What mattered is moving fast because if she didn't then the men might catch up to her. She had left only a little before the time they served her dinner so they would soon be realizing she was gone.
The thought of seeing everyone again made her move faster. Her body was so weak and malnourished that she didn't think she'd make it, but she pushed herself on and on and soon she was nearing the city.
That was when Sydney became sure a car was following her. They weren't immediately behind her, and she wondered why they didn't just speed up and catch her. Then she decided they were probably waiting on purpose. That they probably wanted her to get very close to home before pouncing on her again.
Sydney walked as fast as possible. She found she didn't have the energy to run. After another half hour to forty-five minutes, she could see her house down the next street.
She thought about her father and started to run. She screamed, hoping maybe he would hear her, if he was home. There were lights on in the house which gave her hope. She screamed again and ran faster. The car was speeding up. She was thirty feet from the house when her shoe hit a hole in the sidewalk, and she fell forward.
It was then that Jack opened the door. Sydney saw him as she got up, but no longer had the strength to even call out to him. She just started moving again, as fast as she could, toward the door. By the time she got there, she nearly collapsed into her father's arms.
She was so out of breath she couldn't speak. The car pulled up next to the house, and the men inside began shooting. Jack immediately threw his daughter into the house at Edith who wondered what all the commotion was about.
"No time, get back, go back into the bedroom." He reached for the gun he kept in the hall in case something like this ever happened.
The next few minutes were a confusion of activity. all three of the kidnappers burst into the house and started shouting, asking where the little girl had gone. Jack managed to shoot one of them in the leg, then the other two rushed toward the back of the house. As they did, Sydney came out of her bedroom, and one of the men grabbed her and tried to make his way back toward the exit.
Jack fired, hitting Sydney in the shoulder.
"All right, you can have the time off, but when you find her, you will being double work for us, do you understand?"
"Yes, fine."
He turned away and left his office. He wouldn't be seeing it again for a short while.
Even as Jack was trying so hard to find her, Sydney was slipping further and further away. He kidnappers were still trying to get her to tell them what they wanted to know, but Sydney had stopped speaking over two weeks ago. They began to slap and punch her to get her to talk. She began to resort to hiding from them whenever possible. She was closing in on herself to try and survive. But she'd begun to wonder if her father was ever coming.
Maybe he didn't want her anymore, or maybe he'd just given up on finding her. She believed that one of these reasons must be true, otherwise she'd be home with him and Edith. She tried to cry but found she had no tears. Besides, the men outside would hear her. Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside the door. It sounded like someone was being slammed up against her door. She shivered and waited for it to go away.
After a moment, Sydney began to move again. She knew this was a chance to try an escape. Probably her only one. The people out there were obviously distracted, and soon she'd be too weak to attempt a getaway. She moved to the window and unlocked it, then slid it up. Her luck was in, there was no screen in it. She looked down to see how far she had to go. She was on the second floor. There was no section of roof, and nothing she could see to climb on.
Her vision faded in and out, and she knew if she was going to do this, it would have to be now. She jumped, hoping her weak bones wouldn't shatter when she hit the ground. Fortunately though, her shirt caught on a branch and she hung there for a moment, eyes shut tight before the branch gave way and she crashed onto the ground.
As soon as she hit the ground, Sydney just ran as fast as she could. Soon enough she reached a road. She waved from the shoulder, hoping someone could tell her exactly where she was, and which direction home was.
It took some time, Sydney didn't know how long, for someone to stop. The man who was driving gave her a very strange look when she asked what town she was in, but told her. Then all she wanted to know was what direction Los Angeles was. As soon as he told her, she began to walk, barely saying thank you.
Sydney moved fast, not really sure if she would be able to find her house when she did get to the city. But that didn't matter that much right now. What mattered is moving fast because if she didn't then the men might catch up to her. She had left only a little before the time they served her dinner so they would soon be realizing she was gone.
The thought of seeing everyone again made her move faster. Her body was so weak and malnourished that she didn't think she'd make it, but she pushed herself on and on and soon she was nearing the city.
That was when Sydney became sure a car was following her. They weren't immediately behind her, and she wondered why they didn't just speed up and catch her. Then she decided they were probably waiting on purpose. That they probably wanted her to get very close to home before pouncing on her again.
Sydney walked as fast as possible. She found she didn't have the energy to run. After another half hour to forty-five minutes, she could see her house down the next street.
She thought about her father and started to run. She screamed, hoping maybe he would hear her, if he was home. There were lights on in the house which gave her hope. She screamed again and ran faster. The car was speeding up. She was thirty feet from the house when her shoe hit a hole in the sidewalk, and she fell forward.
It was then that Jack opened the door. Sydney saw him as she got up, but no longer had the strength to even call out to him. She just started moving again, as fast as she could, toward the door. By the time she got there, she nearly collapsed into her father's arms.
She was so out of breath she couldn't speak. The car pulled up next to the house, and the men inside began shooting. Jack immediately threw his daughter into the house at Edith who wondered what all the commotion was about.
"No time, get back, go back into the bedroom." He reached for the gun he kept in the hall in case something like this ever happened.
The next few minutes were a confusion of activity. all three of the kidnappers burst into the house and started shouting, asking where the little girl had gone. Jack managed to shoot one of them in the leg, then the other two rushed toward the back of the house. As they did, Sydney came out of her bedroom, and one of the men grabbed her and tried to make his way back toward the exit.
Jack fired, hitting Sydney in the shoulder.