Disclaimer First Chapter
Chapter Five
Sydney and Sark walked around to the back of the Credit Dauphine building. She found the trap door on the side of the bricks. She opened it. Sydney led him down the backways of the hall to the vault. Sydney had agreed to help him get the box before getting Vaughn. She placed a small compact on the keypad and unscrambled the code. They entered quickly and quietly. He glanced around at all the numbered boxes.
"Which one?"
"Umm...that one."
Sark used a gas to melt the lock and opened the door. He put the box in the bag he had on his shoulder. Sydney looked at him expectantly.
"All right. Let's go save your lover boy."
Sydney protested immediately. "He's not. He's just my handler."
"Whatever you want to call it."
Sark smiled a genuine smile and Sydney could see a glimpse of the real Sark. She couldn't stop herself from grinning back. Sark held out his hand. Sydney took it. The went to the depths of Credit Dauphine to the conversation room. Sark slipped behind a wall and Sydney prepared to take down the guards. She walked quietly and stood directly in front of the guards.
"I do apologize. You have no idea what you're doing."
With that, Sydney knocked the two guards down. She took out a key card and slid it through the keypad. She found Vaughn laying in the chair, semi-concious.
"Vaughn!"
"Sydney." He lifted on arm, but couldn't because he was strapped down. Sydney undid two of the restraints when she heard the door open again.
"I knew you would come save your precious handler. This, Sydney, is why the CIA hates emotional attachments."
Sydney faced Sloane, who had a gun trained on her. She shook her head.
"There is no problem with it in my books."
"It caused you to come out of hiding and, in the end, got you killed."
"I'm not dead yet."
With that, Sark came in and shot Sloane in each leg.
"You didn't say you were going to shoot him!"
"I didn't think you would mind, Miss Bristow. You aren't this biggest fan."
Vaughn was awake now. "What...Sark...doing...here?"
"Helping us escape. C'mon. Put your arm around me."
Vaughn tried, but it hung limply by his side. Sydney gasped, "Sark, help. Please."
Sark grumbled and went over, draping Vaughn's arm around him. Sydney took his good arm and they dragged him away. Sloane was wailing in the conversation room. The guards were starting to come to. They pulled Vaughn to the car and drove away from Credit Dauphine.
Sydney watched Sark drive away.
"Why did you help?"
"I wanted the artifact."
"You could have deserted me after you retrieved it."
"I am a man of my word, if nothing else. Once I make a deal, I stick by it."
Sydney tilted her head.
"I'm a murderer, not a promise breaker."
Sydney smiled. "Just as long as you don't murder me."
"What fun would that be, Luv?"
Sydney shrugged and turned her attention to Vaughn.
"He kept trying...can't have her. She's safe."
"What?"
She realized Vaughn was unconcious, but muttering incoherently.
"Can't hurt...no...not her. No."
"Come on, Vaughn. Wake up, please. Come on."
Sark watched in the rear view mirror.
"Syd...no...don't."
Vaughn was shuddering.
"We need to go to a hospital."
Sark's voice softened a little.
"Sydney, you know we can't take him to one. It isn't safe for any of us, Luv."
"I know. But he's in so much pain."
"I can get us some morphine for him. You've trusted me this far, continue. Hold on to your happy thoughts."
Sydney cracked a smile.
"Fine."
"He'll be fine, I promise."
Sydney nodded, understanding the hidden meaning behind his words.
Chapter Five
Sydney and Sark walked around to the back of the Credit Dauphine building. She found the trap door on the side of the bricks. She opened it. Sydney led him down the backways of the hall to the vault. Sydney had agreed to help him get the box before getting Vaughn. She placed a small compact on the keypad and unscrambled the code. They entered quickly and quietly. He glanced around at all the numbered boxes.
"Which one?"
"Umm...that one."
Sark used a gas to melt the lock and opened the door. He put the box in the bag he had on his shoulder. Sydney looked at him expectantly.
"All right. Let's go save your lover boy."
Sydney protested immediately. "He's not. He's just my handler."
"Whatever you want to call it."
Sark smiled a genuine smile and Sydney could see a glimpse of the real Sark. She couldn't stop herself from grinning back. Sark held out his hand. Sydney took it. The went to the depths of Credit Dauphine to the conversation room. Sark slipped behind a wall and Sydney prepared to take down the guards. She walked quietly and stood directly in front of the guards.
"I do apologize. You have no idea what you're doing."
With that, Sydney knocked the two guards down. She took out a key card and slid it through the keypad. She found Vaughn laying in the chair, semi-concious.
"Vaughn!"
"Sydney." He lifted on arm, but couldn't because he was strapped down. Sydney undid two of the restraints when she heard the door open again.
"I knew you would come save your precious handler. This, Sydney, is why the CIA hates emotional attachments."
Sydney faced Sloane, who had a gun trained on her. She shook her head.
"There is no problem with it in my books."
"It caused you to come out of hiding and, in the end, got you killed."
"I'm not dead yet."
With that, Sark came in and shot Sloane in each leg.
"You didn't say you were going to shoot him!"
"I didn't think you would mind, Miss Bristow. You aren't this biggest fan."
Vaughn was awake now. "What...Sark...doing...here?"
"Helping us escape. C'mon. Put your arm around me."
Vaughn tried, but it hung limply by his side. Sydney gasped, "Sark, help. Please."
Sark grumbled and went over, draping Vaughn's arm around him. Sydney took his good arm and they dragged him away. Sloane was wailing in the conversation room. The guards were starting to come to. They pulled Vaughn to the car and drove away from Credit Dauphine.
Sydney watched Sark drive away.
"Why did you help?"
"I wanted the artifact."
"You could have deserted me after you retrieved it."
"I am a man of my word, if nothing else. Once I make a deal, I stick by it."
Sydney tilted her head.
"I'm a murderer, not a promise breaker."
Sydney smiled. "Just as long as you don't murder me."
"What fun would that be, Luv?"
Sydney shrugged and turned her attention to Vaughn.
"He kept trying...can't have her. She's safe."
"What?"
She realized Vaughn was unconcious, but muttering incoherently.
"Can't hurt...no...not her. No."
"Come on, Vaughn. Wake up, please. Come on."
Sark watched in the rear view mirror.
"Syd...no...don't."
Vaughn was shuddering.
"We need to go to a hospital."
Sark's voice softened a little.
"Sydney, you know we can't take him to one. It isn't safe for any of us, Luv."
"I know. But he's in so much pain."
"I can get us some morphine for him. You've trusted me this far, continue. Hold on to your happy thoughts."
Sydney cracked a smile.
"Fine."
"He'll be fine, I promise."
Sydney nodded, understanding the hidden meaning behind his words.