"We're going to Barcelona."
* * *
"Anything?" Sydney asked.
"Not yet," Vaughn replied from his position. After a short pause, he said, "So hey, there are some great restaurants in Barcelona."
Sydney grinned at the comment. The familiarity and warmth of the conversation momentarily allowing her some relief from the stress caused by the last few days, she answered, "Yeah, I know."
"You know what I was thinking?" he continued.
"I think I do," Sydney said, smiling as she peered through her binoculars. To think, she had almost lost the chance to have this conversation with him... She abruptly turned her thoughts back to what Vaughn was saying, not yet ready to deal with the emotions that had been controlling her.
"... We'd get the Bible and get a bite," he finished.
Weiss' voice cut into their conversation, quickly reminding them that this was NOT the Vatican, and there were in fact other people hearing their conversation. A conversation that didn't exactly follow agent/handler protocol. "Yeah, can the whole team come? 'Cause I'm starving."
Sydney blushed slightly, realizing what had just been said in front of several CIA agents - including her father.
As a black sedan arrived, Jack cut in, his voice contradicting what the small uplifting of his lips implied, "Sydney and Vaughn! Would you concentrate on the task at hand and not on breaking as many rules as possible?"
Weiss smirked slightly at that - apparently his part in the conversation didn't warrant a lecture from Jack Bristow. Thank god.
"And Agent Weiss? I'll ask you not to encourage them," Jack added in a cold voice as an afterthought. Weiss winced.
From his vantage point, Vaughn saw another car drive into the area, thus ending his confusion over when he had become "Vaughn", without the "Agent" attached to the front.
"Everyone hold position. Get ready to move," another agent ordered. Sydney watched as the courier stepped out of the car holding a briefcase. Even without the other agen'ts next statement, she knew that the briefcase he carried had to contain the Bible.
"We move in on three. One... two..."
Even as he was counting, Sydney began moving, knowing that elsewhere, her father, Vaughn, and the rest of the team were doing the same. Just as they began closing in on Khasinau, who had since stepped out of the other vehicle and was now holding the suitcase, shots sounded, coming alarmingly close. Making a quick decision, Sydney turned and went after Khasinau, who had fled as soon as the gunfire started.
The rest of the CIA team scattered and took cover. Vaughn looked at Weiss from where he was crouched. "Weiss, I'm going after the shooter! Cover me!"
Behind a car, Weiss stared dumbly at his hand, which was covered in blood where he had placed it against the small gash on his neck.
"Weiss!" Vaughn called again, before scrambling over to where his friend sat in shock. Vaughn's presence brought him out of it, and he immediately nodded his head.
"Go. I've got your back."
Vaughn looked at him in concern before running in the direction of the shots, pausing to duck behind various objects offering cover. Jack watched as the younger agent ran past, the amount of respect he had for Vaughn growing more. Not many people would be willing to put themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, especially after just getting out of another. The rest of the team for instance. In annoyance, Jack yelled, "Bravo team, you take the dry dock to the East! Charlie team, take it to the West!"
In retrospect, Jack thought, two of those people are god knows where by now, and I'M here working with THIS.
Vaughn reached where the shooter had been and swore. Deciding that despite his newfound appreciation of them, screwdrivers were definitely now on his hate list, Vaughn began to head back the way he had come. If I was the shooter, where would I be going? he thought. A sinking feeling filled his stomach. Shouting into the comm link, he demanded, "Where's Sydney?"
She could take care of herself. He knew that. But it didn't make him feel any better about the situation.
* * *
"Freeze!" Sydney said, pointing her gun at Khasinau. The man stopped. "Drop the suitcase."
Khasinau obeyed.
"Hands on your head. Get down."
Khasinau laughed and got down. then, without warning, he swept Sydney's legs out from underneath her, sending her gun flying. As Khasinau attempted to choke her, Sydney kicked his leg and spun him to the ground. Both got up, and Khasinau immediately tried to punch her, but she managed to move in time.
Sydney roundhouse kicked him before retrieving her gun, dimly aware of a slight throbbing hin her arm. She pointed the gun at him, but froze as a voice she wished never to hear again came from behind her.
"Drop it."
She turned and faced her mother, who had a gun trained on Sydney. As the shot went off, her mind flashed backwards and once again she was in that chair, the pain in her arm intensifying. Realizing it wasn't her that had been shot, Sydney turned only to watch Khasinau as he fell to the ground, face frozen in shock.
She numbly obeyed Irina as she was ordered to get on her knees and put her head to the ground. As Irina left, her parting words echoed over and over in Sydney's mind, haunting her. The next thing she was aware of was Vaughn, gently pulling her up off the floor, and into his embrace.
* * *
"Anything?" Sydney asked.
"Not yet," Vaughn replied from his position. After a short pause, he said, "So hey, there are some great restaurants in Barcelona."
Sydney grinned at the comment. The familiarity and warmth of the conversation momentarily allowing her some relief from the stress caused by the last few days, she answered, "Yeah, I know."
"You know what I was thinking?" he continued.
"I think I do," Sydney said, smiling as she peered through her binoculars. To think, she had almost lost the chance to have this conversation with him... She abruptly turned her thoughts back to what Vaughn was saying, not yet ready to deal with the emotions that had been controlling her.
"... We'd get the Bible and get a bite," he finished.
Weiss' voice cut into their conversation, quickly reminding them that this was NOT the Vatican, and there were in fact other people hearing their conversation. A conversation that didn't exactly follow agent/handler protocol. "Yeah, can the whole team come? 'Cause I'm starving."
Sydney blushed slightly, realizing what had just been said in front of several CIA agents - including her father.
As a black sedan arrived, Jack cut in, his voice contradicting what the small uplifting of his lips implied, "Sydney and Vaughn! Would you concentrate on the task at hand and not on breaking as many rules as possible?"
Weiss smirked slightly at that - apparently his part in the conversation didn't warrant a lecture from Jack Bristow. Thank god.
"And Agent Weiss? I'll ask you not to encourage them," Jack added in a cold voice as an afterthought. Weiss winced.
From his vantage point, Vaughn saw another car drive into the area, thus ending his confusion over when he had become "Vaughn", without the "Agent" attached to the front.
"Everyone hold position. Get ready to move," another agent ordered. Sydney watched as the courier stepped out of the car holding a briefcase. Even without the other agen'ts next statement, she knew that the briefcase he carried had to contain the Bible.
"We move in on three. One... two..."
Even as he was counting, Sydney began moving, knowing that elsewhere, her father, Vaughn, and the rest of the team were doing the same. Just as they began closing in on Khasinau, who had since stepped out of the other vehicle and was now holding the suitcase, shots sounded, coming alarmingly close. Making a quick decision, Sydney turned and went after Khasinau, who had fled as soon as the gunfire started.
The rest of the CIA team scattered and took cover. Vaughn looked at Weiss from where he was crouched. "Weiss, I'm going after the shooter! Cover me!"
Behind a car, Weiss stared dumbly at his hand, which was covered in blood where he had placed it against the small gash on his neck.
"Weiss!" Vaughn called again, before scrambling over to where his friend sat in shock. Vaughn's presence brought him out of it, and he immediately nodded his head.
"Go. I've got your back."
Vaughn looked at him in concern before running in the direction of the shots, pausing to duck behind various objects offering cover. Jack watched as the younger agent ran past, the amount of respect he had for Vaughn growing more. Not many people would be willing to put themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, especially after just getting out of another. The rest of the team for instance. In annoyance, Jack yelled, "Bravo team, you take the dry dock to the East! Charlie team, take it to the West!"
In retrospect, Jack thought, two of those people are god knows where by now, and I'M here working with THIS.
Vaughn reached where the shooter had been and swore. Deciding that despite his newfound appreciation of them, screwdrivers were definitely now on his hate list, Vaughn began to head back the way he had come. If I was the shooter, where would I be going? he thought. A sinking feeling filled his stomach. Shouting into the comm link, he demanded, "Where's Sydney?"
She could take care of herself. He knew that. But it didn't make him feel any better about the situation.
* * *
"Freeze!" Sydney said, pointing her gun at Khasinau. The man stopped. "Drop the suitcase."
Khasinau obeyed.
"Hands on your head. Get down."
Khasinau laughed and got down. then, without warning, he swept Sydney's legs out from underneath her, sending her gun flying. As Khasinau attempted to choke her, Sydney kicked his leg and spun him to the ground. Both got up, and Khasinau immediately tried to punch her, but she managed to move in time.
Sydney roundhouse kicked him before retrieving her gun, dimly aware of a slight throbbing hin her arm. She pointed the gun at him, but froze as a voice she wished never to hear again came from behind her.
"Drop it."
She turned and faced her mother, who had a gun trained on Sydney. As the shot went off, her mind flashed backwards and once again she was in that chair, the pain in her arm intensifying. Realizing it wasn't her that had been shot, Sydney turned only to watch Khasinau as he fell to the ground, face frozen in shock.
She numbly obeyed Irina as she was ordered to get on her knees and put her head to the ground. As Irina left, her parting words echoed over and over in Sydney's mind, haunting her. The next thing she was aware of was Vaughn, gently pulling her up off the floor, and into his embrace.