BERLIN
"May I help you?" Sydney turned around to face the German-speaking receptionist. Sydney was dressed in a two-piece suit, her hair, now with a reddish tint. Agent Anderson stood beside her, dressed in a three-piece suit, his hair now brown.
"I am from the American Embassy, I'm here to get a tour of the facility," Sydney replied in German.
"Your name?" he asked.
"Jessica Newman, and this is my associate Daniel Ramon." Sydney gestured to Anderson.
"Ah, of course. My apologies. One moment please." The receptionist got on the phone and seconds later, a man who looked to be in his forties came out.
"Before we begin, let me introduce my-self. I am the vice president of the company, Franklin Van Hollen," he said in rapid German.
"We've heard many great things about your company," Anderson said to Van Hollen.
"Thank you," he nodded. "Now, this is all our offices-" Sydney did a quick glance around the hallway, looking for any people. When she saw no one she delivered a sharp kick to Van Hollen's stomach that caused him to land roughly against the wall and fall unconscious.
"Okay, Vaughn, we're in," Sydney said into her mike.
"You can access the server threw anyone of the computers on the third floor," Vaughn replied. Sydney glanced at Anderson, but was surprised to find that he had disappeared.
"Vaughn, I can't find Anderson."
"Just a second." Vaughn reviewed the monitor screens. "He's taken off his mike and his camera, what the hell is he trying to pull?"
Sydney heard the cocking of a gun and turned around slowly. Agent Anderson was standing there pointing a gun right at her.
"What is he doing?" Vaughn cried. Seconds later the gun went off, but Sydney was still standing. She turned back around and saw Van Hollen laying on the ground, red forming around a hole in his breast.
Sydney looked at Anderson carefully. "I went to disable the security cameras. Sydney, they can hear us."
"What, who?" Sydney asked.
"The company, they've intercepted our transmissions." Vaughn looked at all the different readings they were receiving from the van outside the company.
"Syd, we have no indication of interference."
"What makes you think we're being tracked?" Sydney asked Anderson.
"I got this gun from a security guard." Sydney nodded. "Vaughn," she said into the mike. "I'm turning my mike off, but I'll keep the camera on."
"Syd, no. I'm telling you, we have no proof that you're being tracked. Anderson is a new agent, he is overreacting," Vaughn argued.
"We won't be long," Sydney said in conclusion, as she switched off her audio. "Let's go." They ran down the hallway looking for a set of stairs. In seconds they were on their way up to the third floor. Sydney and Jason headed into the first empty office they saw, and Sydney headed for the computer as Jason stood guard. She logged in using the password that the CIA had obtained and she was in the database. The CIA had given her a zip disc to download the information.
Sydney inserted the disc and began to download the information. Sydney waited while the computer hummed and buzzed. Suddenly, she heard a gun shot in the hallway. Sydney listened for any sort of signal from Jason, but all she heard were German voices. Before she new it, seven security guards had entered the room, all armed.
Vaughn looked at this scene in horror. "Sydney! Put your mike on!" Vaughn yelled, but he knew she couldn't hear him. Vaughn watched as one of the soldiers came right up to the camera, and seconds later, the screen turned to snow. Vaughn turned to Weiss. "I'm going in there."
As soon as the guard had destroyed the camera, he yelled back into the hallway for someone to enter. The first person to enter was Sark, and the person right behind him was Jason Anderson.
Jason walked over to the computer and removed the filled zip from its drive, and threw it to Sark. Sydney looked at Jason confused, but his gaze turned away from hers.
"Good to see you again, Sydney," Sark said in his snobby English accent. "I didn't think we'd be able to meet again after you destroyed our office." Sydney shuddered at his words.
"Like you really wanted to see me again," Sydney sputtered.
Sark made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Sydney. You of all people have to know how valuable you were in the destruction of the Alliance. Not to mention the fact that you are certainly a sight for sore eyes." Sydney ignored his comment and her gaze switched to Anderson. Sark followed her gaze.
"I know you two have already been introduced," Sark said, "so, I'll skip the formalities." He glanced at his watch. "Since time is short, I'm going to be frank, Sydney. You have two choices. One, you can come work for me and my employer-"
"Never," Sydney said threw clenched teeth.
"You may not be so decisive when you hear the next choice," Sark said grinning. "Or two, you can say no and stay in the building for exactly," Sark looked closely at his watch, "five minutes and thirty-two seconds. After this, you will be nothing but many pieces among the building debris." He approached her closely. "So, I'm going to ask you again, Sydney, will you join me?"
* * *
Vaughn stayed on the staircase, gun cocked and ready. He could see from his position, to armed guards outside of the room he had remembered seeing Sydney enter. From Vaughn's remembrance of the camera footage before it was disabled, there was anywhere from six to eight men in the room, including or excluding the guards standing outside the doors.
Vaughn took a deep breath and decided on a plan of action. The best thing he could come up with was to create some sort of distraction, and hope that Sydney was resourceful, or that more men would come to inquire what was happening. Vaughn stood up from his hiding place on the stairs and quickly aimed his gun at the two soldiers and fired. Both were down in an instant.
He headed quickly to the entrance of the office, but not before shooting two more men out of his way. He entered the office gun pointing at the first guard he saw, and fired. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Sydney wrestling with the guard nearest her for his gun. In seconds, the room contained only four live specimens. Vaughn and Sydney both had their guns concentrated on Sark and Jason.
"Hands behind your head!" Vaughn shouted at the two of them.
Sark, instead of replying, clapped his hands slowly and steadily. "Good job, agents, but unfortunately I cannot stay." Sark reached into his pocket and pulled out a detonator.
"If you don't let me out of here now, I push this button and the bomb which is set up to go off in three minutes and twenty-three seconds will begin its ten-second countdown."
"You push that button and you die," Sydney said.
"Yes, but not alone," Sark said evenly. Sydney thought for a moment knowing that she did not want the last thing she ever saw to be Sark, but also knowing that she couldn't let him go.
Sydney narrowed her eyes. "Go ahead, push the button." Sydney kept her eyes trained on Sark when she noticed that Anderson was moving towards him. With complete effortlessness, Anderson kicked the detonator into the air as he joined in a hand-to-hand combat with Sark. Sark, though at first surprised, quickly gained the upper hand in speed and agility. After disabling Jason, he ran for the door, making Vaughn leave several bullet holes in the walls.
"I'm going after him," Sydney yelled. "You and Anderson get out of the building."
"Sydney!" Vaughn called, but Sydney was gone. The countdown began.
* * *
Sydney ran after Sark at full speed to the first floor. He had a head start, and as much as she tried it didn't seem like she was gaining on him. He dove into a hallway on the first floor. Sydney followed. When she completed the turn, she stopped. Sark was no where in sight. She turned around abruptly and looked around. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind, she could feel the cold blade of a knife at her neck.
"You've got thirty seconds to tell me your decision before I leave you here to die, Sydney." In response Sydney swung her leg around and hit Sark in the knees. He stumbled backwards but remained standing. Sark thrusts the knife at her stomach and Sydney felt it pierce her skin at her slow reactivity. Ignoring the pain she kicks Sark in the stomach and he stumbles backwards, but again remains standing.
Sark then takes a glance at his watch and makes a move towards the nearest door. He opens it and runs into the open. A black car pulls up and he jumps, but not before Sydney got a glance at the other passenger. It was Arvin Sloane.
* * *
Vaughn and Anderson ran down the hallway. "Stay in front," he yelled at Anderson. "Where I can see you." Anderson did what he was told, and as they were running to the outside where the CIA truck was, Anderson yelled over his shoulder, "I don't work for Sark." Vaughn said nothing. "I know it may seem that way, but I don't. He cornered me in the hallway and told me to enter and give the zip that Sydney was downloading to him."
"We'll wait until security section clears you." Vaughn really didn't care what Anderson had to say. He couldn't believe Sydney had gone after Sark. They reached the van and he yelled at some other agents to keep an eye on Anderson. Vaughn looked at his watch. The bomb should be going off any minute, and just as he thought that, the building exploded.
"Oh my God," Vaughn said at the massive ball of heat. Dread over came him. "She got out, she's okay," Vaughn whispered under his breath to calm his fear. He looked all around him for some sign of her. It wasn't till he turned towards the west that he saw her, jogging towards them.
He sighed with relief, but at the same time was filled with worry. Her face was blackened, no doubt from the explosion, and her face was scratched. She however, looked angry. The first thing she said to him was that Sloane was not a prisoner of the CIA.
"What?" Vaughn asked in amazement.
"Why wasn't I informed that Sloane wasn't apprehended?" She asked threw heavy breaths.
"Syd, I-- Are you alright?" Vaughn asked getting flustered over all his worries and her questions.
"I--" Sydney broke off, and moved her left arm that had been over her stomach. She stumbled forward and Vaughn caught her. He gasped at the slash that had penetrated her clothes and had left a flowing blood trail to pour out.
"Weiss!" he barked at his friend. "Do we have any gauze in the van?" Weiss nodded. "Get some over here immediately. Where's the nearest hospital?" He turned his attention back to Sydney who had fallen unconscious. "Sydney, can you hear me? Hang in there." He waited impatiently for the gauze. He placed several pieces over the wound, and crudely applied medical tape. He was so involved in bandaging Sydney that he didn't even notice Anderson squatting next to him.
"Someone help me lift her into the van," Vaughn ordered, and without even glancing at who was assisting him, Vaughn and Anderson were carrying Sydney to the van.
"Is she going to be okay?" Anderson asked looking down at Sydney.
Vaughn glared at him. "What do you care?" Weiss took Anderson by the shoulder to the front of the van, as Vaughn jumped into the back with Sydney. He looked at the gauze, already turning red with blood. "Hang in there, Syd, please hang on." Vaughn took her hand and didn't let go of it until they were forced to separate at the hospital.