Upon entering the building it became apparent that all security was focused
on keeping people from getting in - which answered any doubts as to why the
window they had come through was so small. Once they were there, the rest
of the mission was fairly straightforward.
"Okay. You're looking for a box labeled 4128973," Jack said.
"You go that way, I'll go this way," Sydney told Vaughn, pointing to the left. He stared at the stacks of boxes in front of him. There were row upon row of them - and only an hour to find the device they were looking for.
He began wandering down the narrow aisles, glancing at the numbered boxes one by one. What seemed like a lifetime later, but could only have been half an hour, he found what he was looking for.
"Syd!" he called, voice echoing in the large building. "I've got it!"
Her reply was eerily distorted as the sound bounced off the walls. He could hear her footsteps though, amplified by the sheer silence in the room.
"Where are you?" she called.
Vaughn blinked, looked around him, and put his hands out in front of him in a How on earth does she expect me to answer that? Motion. "I'm over here!"
"Helpful, Vaughn," she muttered. "Where's here?"
"How should I know?" he asked, in frustration. "Where are you?"
The long silent headset crackled to life and Jack's voice filled their ears.
"Would you both just meet where you came in?"
Vaughn rolled his eyes, and grabbed the box, heading toward the window.
Sydney quickly rerouted and began heading back the way she had come. Meet where you came in, she thought. Duh Syd.
* * *
The run across the field was no more fun than it had been the first time. AS they slowed, reaching the shelter of the forest, Sydney said, "We might have to talk to Sloane about stepping up security. That was fairly disappointing."
"If we're going to be making a habit of this, I'd prefer you didn't," Vaughn replied. "Besides, the CIA operatives in London might be able to have some fun now."
"I'm assuming the CIA will be getting the cameras after we're finished?"
"But of course," Vaughn said in a poor British accent. Sydney giggled a bit at that, suddenly reverting back to a schoolgirl who blushed every time the guy she liked flirted with her. Not that I like Vaughn, she thought quickly. Well, I mean, I like him, but I don't LIKE like him. do I? Okay, must stop thinking now. Concentrate on Vaughn.. No Syd, what Vaughn's SAYING.
"Several small fast paced steps for us," he continued, as they reached the van where Jack was parked. He put a hand on the door handle before finishing. "One large step toward bringing down SD-6. We now have a piece of equipment they will never get a chance to use."
She knew he was trying to bring an optimistic view to all that was going and truthfully, it did help. Sydney never got a chance to reply, as Vaughn slid the door open the second he stopped speaking. Jack turned around in his seat, and motioned for her to get in. Under his breath, she heard him mutter sarcastically, "over here."
* * *
The wind on the roof whipped the cord Vaughn was uncoiling wildly, and increased his anxiety about the next phase of the plan. The harness he had on felt too tight, almost as if it was suffocating him. He had a bad feeling about this.
Nearer to the edge of the Hilton's roof, Sydney finished clipping all the necessary attachments onto her harness. Jack stood off to the side, anchoring the mechanisms that would lower them to Irina's window in place.
"Now," he said, moving closer to be heard over the wind. "You will drop until you reach her window. Once there, you will place the cameras in both top corners. Do you understand?"
They nodded, and Vaughn prepared himself for the jump.
"One," Sydney called, checking her equipment one last time.
"Two," Vaughn continued, glancing at her.
"Three."
Together, they jumped, the feeling of free falling lasting on y a moment before the ropes jerked them harshly back into the reality of the situation. Ever so slowly, Vaughn felt himself being lowered to the window. Beside him, Sydney was dropping as well.
"So," he said. "I hear our hotel makes some pretty good pizza."
"Yeah," Sydney grinned, glancing back up at the roof as she spoke. "Since we're staying there, we could actually order some."
Vaughn couldn't help the half smile that took over his features, momentarily forgetting his worries about the mission. When they reached the window, he took out the camera from the pouch around his neck and was about to begin securing it to the window when something made him stop.
"Syd, don't move."
She looked questioningly at him before gazing through the window. Irina was talking on the phone, her face turned slightly towards the window. Sydney drew in a calming breath. "Dad, she's in there. We need a distraction."
After a long moment, his reply came.
"I'll have to leave the roof."
Sydney looked at Vaughn for his affirmation before saying, "That's okay. We'll be fine."
"Okay, hang tight."
After the link went silent, Sydney asked slowly, "Did he just-"
"Make a joke? I think so."
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, and the ropes holding them began jerking violently. Vaughn felt an especially hard jerk on the cord, and felt himself drop a few inches.
"Vaughn," Sydney started, and he knew she had seen it.
He opened his mouth to assure her that it was going to be okay when a metallic noise filled the air. He didn't have time to process what was going on as he felt himself swinging uncontrollably downward through the air.
"Okay. You're looking for a box labeled 4128973," Jack said.
"You go that way, I'll go this way," Sydney told Vaughn, pointing to the left. He stared at the stacks of boxes in front of him. There were row upon row of them - and only an hour to find the device they were looking for.
He began wandering down the narrow aisles, glancing at the numbered boxes one by one. What seemed like a lifetime later, but could only have been half an hour, he found what he was looking for.
"Syd!" he called, voice echoing in the large building. "I've got it!"
Her reply was eerily distorted as the sound bounced off the walls. He could hear her footsteps though, amplified by the sheer silence in the room.
"Where are you?" she called.
Vaughn blinked, looked around him, and put his hands out in front of him in a How on earth does she expect me to answer that? Motion. "I'm over here!"
"Helpful, Vaughn," she muttered. "Where's here?"
"How should I know?" he asked, in frustration. "Where are you?"
The long silent headset crackled to life and Jack's voice filled their ears.
"Would you both just meet where you came in?"
Vaughn rolled his eyes, and grabbed the box, heading toward the window.
Sydney quickly rerouted and began heading back the way she had come. Meet where you came in, she thought. Duh Syd.
* * *
The run across the field was no more fun than it had been the first time. AS they slowed, reaching the shelter of the forest, Sydney said, "We might have to talk to Sloane about stepping up security. That was fairly disappointing."
"If we're going to be making a habit of this, I'd prefer you didn't," Vaughn replied. "Besides, the CIA operatives in London might be able to have some fun now."
"I'm assuming the CIA will be getting the cameras after we're finished?"
"But of course," Vaughn said in a poor British accent. Sydney giggled a bit at that, suddenly reverting back to a schoolgirl who blushed every time the guy she liked flirted with her. Not that I like Vaughn, she thought quickly. Well, I mean, I like him, but I don't LIKE like him. do I? Okay, must stop thinking now. Concentrate on Vaughn.. No Syd, what Vaughn's SAYING.
"Several small fast paced steps for us," he continued, as they reached the van where Jack was parked. He put a hand on the door handle before finishing. "One large step toward bringing down SD-6. We now have a piece of equipment they will never get a chance to use."
She knew he was trying to bring an optimistic view to all that was going and truthfully, it did help. Sydney never got a chance to reply, as Vaughn slid the door open the second he stopped speaking. Jack turned around in his seat, and motioned for her to get in. Under his breath, she heard him mutter sarcastically, "over here."
* * *
The wind on the roof whipped the cord Vaughn was uncoiling wildly, and increased his anxiety about the next phase of the plan. The harness he had on felt too tight, almost as if it was suffocating him. He had a bad feeling about this.
Nearer to the edge of the Hilton's roof, Sydney finished clipping all the necessary attachments onto her harness. Jack stood off to the side, anchoring the mechanisms that would lower them to Irina's window in place.
"Now," he said, moving closer to be heard over the wind. "You will drop until you reach her window. Once there, you will place the cameras in both top corners. Do you understand?"
They nodded, and Vaughn prepared himself for the jump.
"One," Sydney called, checking her equipment one last time.
"Two," Vaughn continued, glancing at her.
"Three."
Together, they jumped, the feeling of free falling lasting on y a moment before the ropes jerked them harshly back into the reality of the situation. Ever so slowly, Vaughn felt himself being lowered to the window. Beside him, Sydney was dropping as well.
"So," he said. "I hear our hotel makes some pretty good pizza."
"Yeah," Sydney grinned, glancing back up at the roof as she spoke. "Since we're staying there, we could actually order some."
Vaughn couldn't help the half smile that took over his features, momentarily forgetting his worries about the mission. When they reached the window, he took out the camera from the pouch around his neck and was about to begin securing it to the window when something made him stop.
"Syd, don't move."
She looked questioningly at him before gazing through the window. Irina was talking on the phone, her face turned slightly towards the window. Sydney drew in a calming breath. "Dad, she's in there. We need a distraction."
After a long moment, his reply came.
"I'll have to leave the roof."
Sydney looked at Vaughn for his affirmation before saying, "That's okay. We'll be fine."
"Okay, hang tight."
After the link went silent, Sydney asked slowly, "Did he just-"
"Make a joke? I think so."
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, and the ropes holding them began jerking violently. Vaughn felt an especially hard jerk on the cord, and felt himself drop a few inches.
"Vaughn," Sydney started, and he knew she had seen it.
He opened his mouth to assure her that it was going to be okay when a metallic noise filled the air. He didn't have time to process what was going on as he felt himself swinging uncontrollably downward through the air.