Chapter 7
Barcelona, Underground Laboratory
"Tell me I'm not the only one confused," Vaughn and Jack were standing among thirty dead scientists in the laboratory, and the younger Agent was thoroughly perplexed as well as highly agitated. "This makes no sense. Why would Sark kill his own men?"
"I don't believe he did, Agent Vaughn." The whole picture was starting to click for Jack. He knew who was behind it all. Much to his chagrin, it could not have been Irina Derevko.
"Sark made a pact with the Devil. This," Jack motioned towards the dead scientists, "was the collection of dues."
"I'm not following," Vaughn replied honestly.
"I've spent months trying to figure out what kind of valuable asset Sark had offered Sloane. Their sudden partnership didn't make any sense and Arvin was tight-lipped about the entire affair. I understand now, Sark needed help finding Irina and Sloane was told he'd be given possession of the ring."
"But Sloane realized he was being double crossed, and sent men here to terminate Sark and bring him the ring."
"Exactly."
"Wouldn't you know if SD-6 were given this mission?"
"I highly doubt it was SD-6's men. Arvin has connections and contacts all over the world. One phone call to any of his pocket organizations would give him enough manpower to take down this entire laboratory." He sighed and looked around. "It seems that is exactly what transpired."
"How can we find Sark? He's not here, we looked thoroughly." Vaughn left the more important question unasked. Where was Sydney?
"He must have escaped and taken Sydney and the ring with him." Jack paused. "Unless, you didn't find," Jack couldn't finish the sentence.
"Sydney's body?" Vaughn exhaled. "God, No."
Jack let out a choked sigh. Vaughn stepped closer to him, but Jack held up his hand. "I'm alright." Vaughn nodded. Neither of them would be all right until they found Sydney.
"My estimate is that these people died within the last hour, two at the very most, which means Sark couldn't have gotten far, especially if Arvin's men are still on his tail. We need to call Irina, if anyone knows where in Barcelona Sark might be headed, it's my wife."
Vaughn's eyes widened in surprise but he let the slip go unnoticed. Jack was on the phone in an instant, which allowed him a moment to collect his thoughts. Sydney. When was he not thinking about Sydney? Her beauty, her safety, her intensity. He took for granted that as her handler he would always be there to help her with every mission. He knew full well Sydney was able to take care of herself, but if he could radio his Freelancer and hear her respond, "Copy, Base Ops," maybe the dread in the pit of his stomach would disappear.
Jack snapped the phone shut. Vaughn questioned him silently, hopeful. Jack motioned for him to follow. "I know where they are. Let's go."
Port Olímpic, Barcelona, Bar Pastís
Vaughn had to squint to see inside the dark and smoke-filled bar. He followed Jack as they walked through the crowd of regulars. The guard at the door that Irina swore would lead to Sark's hideaway wasn't a problem for the butt of Jack's gun. The second man behind the door was even less of an obstacle.
"I've got a visual," Vaughn whispered, motioning to Sark standing at 10 o'clock.
"Okay, on my command." Both men lifted their guns, holding them ready in front of them. "Go." Vaughn charged at Sark, whom they had to assume was armed, knocking him to the ground. Jack reached into Sark's boot and pulled out the expected automatic. He also reached into the man's pocket and removed his knife.
"Where is Sydney?" Vaughn asked as he handcuffed Sark. The blonde man didn't answer. It was too quiet. "Jack, it's a set-up."
"Vaughn, duck!" Jack yelled, as a bullet whirred over Vaughn's head. Vaughn shot at the space where the bullet had come from. He heard a grunt. One down.
Jack was in arm-to-arm combat with another of Sark's men. He kneed the man in the stomach, then jabbed him with his elbow in the face, before knocking the man out with a final blunt jab to the back of the head. Two down.
If Sark had any other men there, they must have fled, much to Sark's astonishment. "You can't even pay for good bodyguards anymore," he said with a defeated laugh. The handcuffs made it difficult but he managed to sit up to look Jack in the eye. "But I get the last laugh, Bristow."
Vaughn felt his stomach drop. "What did you do to Sydney?" Vaughn gnarled.
"Sleeping beauty is doing just that. Sleeping, for the next eternity or so." Sark responded. His gaze was transfixed on an open door towards the left side of the room. Jack pulled Sark harshly up to his feet, and followed Vaughn, who had run into the other room to find Sydney.
Sydney was lying on a couch, on her back, hands folded over her chest. Vaughn couldn't help but notice that the bastard had been astute in his description. She looked just as Aurora did in the movie, rosy yet pale, and so still. He covered his mouth but a gasp still erupted.
"Wake her up." Vaughn moved closer to her. Sark shook his head. "Do it. NOW." Vaughn demanded.
"I can't. Vaughn, was it? She's dead."
"NO!" Vaughn screamed. "You gave her a serum. Her other vital signs wouldn't appear normal if she were really de-." He couldn't speak that word. He butted his gun against Sark's temple. "Make her breathe right now."
Jack positioned his weapon so that Sark's head was sandwiched between the two guns. "What Agent Vaughn said was not a request. It was an order. Tell me where the antitoxin is."
"Never."
"I had a lovely chat with your girlfriend this morning. Iliana, if I'm not mistaken?" Sark's breathing grew heavy. "CIA found them hiding out in Romania. Your daughter and I played peek-a-boo."
"Did you hurt Alexei?"
"I wouldn't kill YOUR daughter, Sark." Jack yelled out pointedly. "I even promised your child I'd spare her father's life." He cocked the trigger. "That -was- until you killed my daughter you son-of-a-bitch. Exactly how far are we taking this Sark. I think its going down like this, if you don't talk in the next minute I am going to shoot you, first in the places where it only hurts a little, second in the places it will hurt like hell, then lastly I'll let you rot in here until you die from shock. So, if there is a way to save my little girl, you now have," he looked at his watch, "thirty- four seconds to tell me before I shoot this bullet into your pinky toe."
"Behind that picture frame there is a safe," he motioned towards the far wall, "It's in there. 12-12-01."
Vaughn removed the picture frame, revealing the hidden safe. He opened it with ease and removed a slim vile containing an opaque liquid. There was a syringe in the safe as well and Vaughn filled the syringe with the antitoxin and injected it into Sydney's muscle.
He waited as the serum traveled from the muscle to her circulatory system. Once it reached the blood stream, theoretically Sydney should regain consciousness. There was still no movement from the couch. Vaughn looked at Jack, who tightened his grip on Sark.
"She's not waking up," Jack said angrily, to which Sark replied, "It takes a minute Bristow, she will."
Vaughn was kneeling by Sydney, his hand gently laid over hers. He checked his watch, another minute had passed, then another. He stood up abruptly, and crossed the room over to Sark. "He lied. She's still," his voice barely above a whisper, it hurt too much to talk, "she's cold as ice, Jack."
Then he heard a gasp. The sound of lungs fighting for air escaping through soft female lips. "Sydney!" he ran to her side, "Oh God, Sydney."
She was seizing. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Her forehead was hot with fever.
"Base Ops, we need a van ASAP. Agent down," he yelled into his radio. "Agent down."
Barcelona, Underground Laboratory
"Tell me I'm not the only one confused," Vaughn and Jack were standing among thirty dead scientists in the laboratory, and the younger Agent was thoroughly perplexed as well as highly agitated. "This makes no sense. Why would Sark kill his own men?"
"I don't believe he did, Agent Vaughn." The whole picture was starting to click for Jack. He knew who was behind it all. Much to his chagrin, it could not have been Irina Derevko.
"Sark made a pact with the Devil. This," Jack motioned towards the dead scientists, "was the collection of dues."
"I'm not following," Vaughn replied honestly.
"I've spent months trying to figure out what kind of valuable asset Sark had offered Sloane. Their sudden partnership didn't make any sense and Arvin was tight-lipped about the entire affair. I understand now, Sark needed help finding Irina and Sloane was told he'd be given possession of the ring."
"But Sloane realized he was being double crossed, and sent men here to terminate Sark and bring him the ring."
"Exactly."
"Wouldn't you know if SD-6 were given this mission?"
"I highly doubt it was SD-6's men. Arvin has connections and contacts all over the world. One phone call to any of his pocket organizations would give him enough manpower to take down this entire laboratory." He sighed and looked around. "It seems that is exactly what transpired."
"How can we find Sark? He's not here, we looked thoroughly." Vaughn left the more important question unasked. Where was Sydney?
"He must have escaped and taken Sydney and the ring with him." Jack paused. "Unless, you didn't find," Jack couldn't finish the sentence.
"Sydney's body?" Vaughn exhaled. "God, No."
Jack let out a choked sigh. Vaughn stepped closer to him, but Jack held up his hand. "I'm alright." Vaughn nodded. Neither of them would be all right until they found Sydney.
"My estimate is that these people died within the last hour, two at the very most, which means Sark couldn't have gotten far, especially if Arvin's men are still on his tail. We need to call Irina, if anyone knows where in Barcelona Sark might be headed, it's my wife."
Vaughn's eyes widened in surprise but he let the slip go unnoticed. Jack was on the phone in an instant, which allowed him a moment to collect his thoughts. Sydney. When was he not thinking about Sydney? Her beauty, her safety, her intensity. He took for granted that as her handler he would always be there to help her with every mission. He knew full well Sydney was able to take care of herself, but if he could radio his Freelancer and hear her respond, "Copy, Base Ops," maybe the dread in the pit of his stomach would disappear.
Jack snapped the phone shut. Vaughn questioned him silently, hopeful. Jack motioned for him to follow. "I know where they are. Let's go."
Port Olímpic, Barcelona, Bar Pastís
Vaughn had to squint to see inside the dark and smoke-filled bar. He followed Jack as they walked through the crowd of regulars. The guard at the door that Irina swore would lead to Sark's hideaway wasn't a problem for the butt of Jack's gun. The second man behind the door was even less of an obstacle.
"I've got a visual," Vaughn whispered, motioning to Sark standing at 10 o'clock.
"Okay, on my command." Both men lifted their guns, holding them ready in front of them. "Go." Vaughn charged at Sark, whom they had to assume was armed, knocking him to the ground. Jack reached into Sark's boot and pulled out the expected automatic. He also reached into the man's pocket and removed his knife.
"Where is Sydney?" Vaughn asked as he handcuffed Sark. The blonde man didn't answer. It was too quiet. "Jack, it's a set-up."
"Vaughn, duck!" Jack yelled, as a bullet whirred over Vaughn's head. Vaughn shot at the space where the bullet had come from. He heard a grunt. One down.
Jack was in arm-to-arm combat with another of Sark's men. He kneed the man in the stomach, then jabbed him with his elbow in the face, before knocking the man out with a final blunt jab to the back of the head. Two down.
If Sark had any other men there, they must have fled, much to Sark's astonishment. "You can't even pay for good bodyguards anymore," he said with a defeated laugh. The handcuffs made it difficult but he managed to sit up to look Jack in the eye. "But I get the last laugh, Bristow."
Vaughn felt his stomach drop. "What did you do to Sydney?" Vaughn gnarled.
"Sleeping beauty is doing just that. Sleeping, for the next eternity or so." Sark responded. His gaze was transfixed on an open door towards the left side of the room. Jack pulled Sark harshly up to his feet, and followed Vaughn, who had run into the other room to find Sydney.
Sydney was lying on a couch, on her back, hands folded over her chest. Vaughn couldn't help but notice that the bastard had been astute in his description. She looked just as Aurora did in the movie, rosy yet pale, and so still. He covered his mouth but a gasp still erupted.
"Wake her up." Vaughn moved closer to her. Sark shook his head. "Do it. NOW." Vaughn demanded.
"I can't. Vaughn, was it? She's dead."
"NO!" Vaughn screamed. "You gave her a serum. Her other vital signs wouldn't appear normal if she were really de-." He couldn't speak that word. He butted his gun against Sark's temple. "Make her breathe right now."
Jack positioned his weapon so that Sark's head was sandwiched between the two guns. "What Agent Vaughn said was not a request. It was an order. Tell me where the antitoxin is."
"Never."
"I had a lovely chat with your girlfriend this morning. Iliana, if I'm not mistaken?" Sark's breathing grew heavy. "CIA found them hiding out in Romania. Your daughter and I played peek-a-boo."
"Did you hurt Alexei?"
"I wouldn't kill YOUR daughter, Sark." Jack yelled out pointedly. "I even promised your child I'd spare her father's life." He cocked the trigger. "That -was- until you killed my daughter you son-of-a-bitch. Exactly how far are we taking this Sark. I think its going down like this, if you don't talk in the next minute I am going to shoot you, first in the places where it only hurts a little, second in the places it will hurt like hell, then lastly I'll let you rot in here until you die from shock. So, if there is a way to save my little girl, you now have," he looked at his watch, "thirty- four seconds to tell me before I shoot this bullet into your pinky toe."
"Behind that picture frame there is a safe," he motioned towards the far wall, "It's in there. 12-12-01."
Vaughn removed the picture frame, revealing the hidden safe. He opened it with ease and removed a slim vile containing an opaque liquid. There was a syringe in the safe as well and Vaughn filled the syringe with the antitoxin and injected it into Sydney's muscle.
He waited as the serum traveled from the muscle to her circulatory system. Once it reached the blood stream, theoretically Sydney should regain consciousness. There was still no movement from the couch. Vaughn looked at Jack, who tightened his grip on Sark.
"She's not waking up," Jack said angrily, to which Sark replied, "It takes a minute Bristow, she will."
Vaughn was kneeling by Sydney, his hand gently laid over hers. He checked his watch, another minute had passed, then another. He stood up abruptly, and crossed the room over to Sark. "He lied. She's still," his voice barely above a whisper, it hurt too much to talk, "she's cold as ice, Jack."
Then he heard a gasp. The sound of lungs fighting for air escaping through soft female lips. "Sydney!" he ran to her side, "Oh God, Sydney."
She was seizing. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Her forehead was hot with fever.
"Base Ops, we need a van ASAP. Agent down," he yelled into his radio. "Agent down."