A/N: Okay, so
three weeks later (or something like that), here's part 2. The very beginning
of this you have seen before (the ending of "Mercy"), but we put in
here too so we won't be starting mid-scene.
We are now in the midst of retail and school hell, so bear with us for updates
on this! Next update, um, might not be this year. Sorry about that. But there's lots more to come--and some of it's even been
written already! g
Part 2
Vaughn sat back wondering how much longer it would be before they actually got in the air. They'd already been on the ground for the better part of an hour. He was about to walk up to the cockpit when the one of the pilots came back.
"Sorry about the delay folks, but the mechanics found a problem with the landing gear. They should have it repaired within the hour."
Sydney looked up at him. "Thank you." She looked back over at Vaughn. "Why do you suppose Davenport chose Toronto?"
"I don't know, but I'll be very glad when we get back to L.A."
She nodded as she looked out the window. She could see the skyline just across the Bay. It was beautiful. If only she had time to enjoy it.
She turned away from the window. She hoped the new intel that they had was accurate. She just wanted Will back, in one piece, safe and sound.
The pilot returned to the cabin. "A couple of the mechanics are going to come in and check the hydraulic pressure gage to make sure it is functioning properly, and then we should be able to get underway."
Vaughn got up from his seat and started walking around the cabin. If he didn't see the inside of a plane for the next 10 years, it would be too soon.
"Is it okay to come up, Jim?" the mechanic asked.
"Yeah, come on."
Three men entered the plane. Vaughn watched as they entered the cockpit. Turning back to Sydney, he was about to say something when one of the mechanics, the one with a slight limp, came back.
"Sorry for the delay, Mr. Vaughn. Ms. Bristow."
Sydney gripped the arms of her seat as Vaughn moved closer to her. "What are you doing here?"
Sark removed his cap, running a hand through his short blond hair. "Making sure this plane is mechanically sound. But you see, I don't think it is. I think you might have to spend the night here."
"What do you want?" Vaughn asked angrily.
"I don't want anything at this point Mr. Vaughn. But I do have something you want, Ms. Bristow, or may I call you Sydney?"
"Go to hell," Sydney answered.
Sark cocked his head to the side. "Ms. Bristow it is then." He looked back towards the cockpit. "Would you please bring our friend back here?"
Vaughn moved closer to Sydney, grabbing her hand. She looked up at him briefly before glancing back at the men who were now walking towards them.
The men came to a halt beside Sark. Sydney looked from one face to the next. When her gaze landed on the third man, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Will?"
She waited until the older looking man had carefully placed Will in one of the seats before she rushed over to him. "Oh my God, Will?" She tapped his face lightly as the man moved beside her.
She looked up at him. "What have you done to him?"
Sark replied from behind them, "He's been having problems sleeping, so we gave him a pill."
Tears streamed down Sydney's face as she looked back at Will. Then she felt the man beside her pick up her hand. She looked up at him. "What are you doing?"
Vaughn tried to go to Sydney, but the gun Sark now had trained on him held him in place.
"I think this belongs to you," the man answered, speaking for the first time. Sydney looked back at him and then down at her hand. What she saw there shocked her into silence.
Slowly, she backed away from him. "No... No... No..." She kept repeating until her back was against the side of the plane.
Vaughn started to move towards her only to be stopped by the sound of a gun being cocked. "Now, now, Mr. Vaughn. I don't want to have to shoot you, but if I have to, I will."
"It's ok," the other man told Sark. "Mr. Vaughn here just doesn't understand that I would never do anything to hurt Sydney."
Vaughn looked back over at Sydney, who was clutching her left hand. And then he saw it. How the hell did they get Sydney's engagement ring?
"Who are you?" Vaughn demanded.
"You know, I feel as if I know you so well, I keep forgetting we've never met. Allow me to introduce myself." He stepped forward, pulling a latex mask from his face. He stood directly in front of Vaughn, holding out his hand. "My name is Danny Hecht."
Vaughn shook his head. He had to have heard wrong. "Who?"
Danny smiled. "You heard me correctly the first time, Mr. Vaughn." He turned back towards Sydney, leaving a stunned Vaughn in his wake. Once he was close enough, he gently picked up her hand, turning it so he could admire the ring he'd placed there moments earlier.
Sydney looked up at him for the first time since he'd removed the mask. She pulled her hand out of his, reaching up to trace his features with trembling fingers. "Danny?" she whispered.
He smiled again. "Yes, Sydney. It's me."
She stood motionless as he reached out, gently caressing her cheek as he moved closer. When she didn't turn away from his touch, he drew her to him, embracing her.
She closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. She felt so cold, so helpless standing there with Danny's arms wrapped securely around her. She remembered the last time he'd held her like this, how warm, safe, and loved she'd felt. Now as he wiped away the tear that had fallen, she shivered, his touch like ice.
Opening her eyes, she gazed over his shoulder to see Vaughn, his eyes cast downward. She waited for what seemed an eternity until he finally looked up, their eyes locking. What she saw there gave her the strength to pull back.
Danny tightened his hold, making it almost painful. "Going somewhere, sweetheart?"
She pushed against him, trying to make him release her. "Please, let me go," Sydney pleaded.
"Sydney, I'm hurt." Danny loosened his hold slightly without releasing her. "One might think you weren't happy to see me."
"Oh God," she began, unable, unwilling to utter his name again. "Please, just let me go," she begged, struggling in earnest now.
"Somehow this isn't how I imagined our reunion, Syd," he replied, pulling her back to him, kissing her hard, and then pushing her away.
Sydney fell back into one of the seats, her surprise evident. She recovered quickly, anger replacing shock as she stood and took a step towards him. "Stay away from me," she whispered venomously as the palm of her hand made contact with his face, the crack echoing through the plane. Moving around him, she walked unsteadily towards Vaughn.
Danny grabbed her arm roughly, spinning her so that she was facing him. "It might have escaped your notice, Syd, but you aren't the one giving the orders here. I am."
Sydney glared at him as she wrenched herself free, almost stumbling backwards once she had. It was then she knew something was wrong. Reaching out, she gripped the arm of the seat closest to her for support, managing somehow to remain on her feet.
She glared at Danny as she backed closer to Vaughn. Pulling the ring from her finger, she threw it across the cabin. She was surprised to see an angry red band where the ring had been. "What have you done?" she asked, holding her hand up in front of his face.
He flashed her an evil grin as she leaned back into Vaughn's waiting embrace. "Nothing permanent, I promise. We need you to behave yourself for awhile. I just made sure you would."
She could feel Vaughn wrap his arms tightly around her, but it didn't help. She turned around so she was facing him. His worried look did nothing to dispel the terror that had lodged itself in her throat as she slowly lost the feeling in her extremities. "Vaughn?" she whispered before losing consciousness.
Vaughn slid to the floor, cradling her against him. Brushing the hair back from her pale face, his only relief came from the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Sark looked over at Danny. "My, that was effective. Maybe we should have used that with him," he stated, indicating Will.
Vaughn looked up at the men who surrounded him, glaring first at Sark then shifting his focus to Danny. "What. Did. You. Give. Her?"
Danny moved closer, attempting to pull Sydney away from Vaughn.
"Don't touch her," Vaughn ordered, turning Sydney away from Danny's outstretched hands, holding on even tighter.
Danny straightened himself, staring down at the pair. "Don't worry, Mr. Vaughn, Sydney will be fine. Like I said, I'd never do anything to hurt her."
If this is your idea of not hurting someone, I'd hate to be there when you do, Vaughn thought as he pulled Sydney even closer, his cheek resting on top of her head as he slowly rocked her. Vaughn lifted his gaze to meet those of their captor's. "You're supposed to be dead. Why aren't you?"
Sark and Danny looked at each other. After a moment's silence, both men began to laugh. Not a weak, half-hearted chuckle, but a full-bodied laugh. "That's very good," Danny answered as he sat down. "He said you had an interesting sense of humor."
"He who?"
"Let's just say it's someone we both know," Danny answered as he rested his hands on his knees. He leaned forward. "As to your question about why I'm still alive, it's really quite simple. It was just a matter of a couple of phone calls."
"So who did Sydney find?"
"Is that of any importance now?"
"It might be to his family," Vaughn answered coldly.
"You're assuming he had one," Sark replied. "Or that they'd care."
Vaughn shook his head in disbelief. He hoped he was never able to understand how someone could be so cold. He hoped he'd never become like them. "What do you want from us?"
"All in due time," Danny replied as he got to his feet. "All in due time."
"You know they will look for us."
Sark walked over to stand beside Will. "They can try, but I doubt they'll succeed." Looking over at Danny, he motioned towards the man half-dozing in the seat. "Want to give me a hand here?"
Danny nodded. Once Will was back on his feet, he moved back next to Vaughn. "We need to leave," he stated. "Would you like some help with her?"
Vaughn glared at Danny. Shifting Sydney in his arms, he managed to stand without letting go. "Where are we going?"
Danny had watched as Vaughn struggled to stand, ready to catch Sydney when she fell out of Vaughn's arms. When she didn't, he backed off, returning to help Sark with Will. "We're all going to take a short trip. I don't think I have to warn you what will happen if you try anything."
Vaughn looked back down at the unconscious woman in his arms. No, they didn't have to worry about him trying anything. Not yet. "Where are we going?" Vaughn asked again.
"Somewhere we won't be disturbed," Sark replied. "Now if you don't mind, we do need to get going."
Vaughn tightened his grip on Sydney, carefully making his way down the narrow stairs. Once on the ground, he waited as Sark and Danny helped Will from the plane. He watched as they led Will to a waiting car. He didn't move. Especially when he saw the two men begin to argue.
As suddenly as the argument began, it was over and both men walked back to where Vaughn was standing. Sark came to a halt next to Vaughn as Danny stood in front of him.
"I'm afraid you'll have to say goodbye to Sydney now, Mr. Vaughn," Danny stated, reaching for her.
Vaughn backed up until he could go no further. "No."
"David, I think he needs a little incentive."
Sark smiled as he pulled his gun from his jacket. Cocking it, he aimed it at Sydney. He moved closer, stopping only when the barrel of the gun rested next to Sydney's temple.
He stared at Sark before shifting his focus to Danny. "You honestly think I'm going to let you take her?"
"Either you hand her to me or we leave her body behind. But at this range, we might be leaving more than just her body here. The choice is yours, Mr. Vaughn."
This isn't happening, he thought as he shifted Sydney slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Closing his eyes, Vaughn loosened his hold, allowing Danny to take her.
"Wise decision. It's one you won't regret," Danny stated as he juggled Sydney, getting a better hold on her. Turning to Sark, he added, "I'll see you in a bit. Make sure you take the necessary precautions."
Sark rolled his eyes at his partner. "You owe me. Just remember that."
A short, evil laugh escaped as Danny turned back to the car. "Like you'd let me forget," he answered. Placing Sydney in the back seat of the second car, he closed the door, walked around to the other side and disappeared from view.
Vaughn swallowed hard as he watched the car pull away. He felt like he was going to be sick. His brain reasoned that it was the only thing he could do to keep Sydney from getting hurt. His heart, on the other hand, was screaming something entirely different.
"In the car, Mr. Vaughn. If you please?"
Like there was even a choice? Vaughn pushed himself tiredly away from the plane. He trudged the few short steps to the car and got in, followed by Sark.
Once the door was closed, Sark tapped on the glass partition. He was rewarded by the sound of the engine starting . Leaning back against the seat, he prayed they would make it to the house before Will woke up again. He just wouldn't be held responsible for his actions if he had to listen to that man sing one more song...
Vaughn stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. The sound of Sark's voice brought him back to his nightmarish reality. "What?" he asked.
"Do you ever pay attention?" Sark asked, annoyed.
"Only when it matters."
"You should probably start then."
Vaughn merely nodded before looking over at Will. "You were arguing earlier. What about?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Got the short end of the stick did we?" Vaughn asked sarcastically.
Sark didn't think, he only reacted. Seconds later, Vaughn lay slumped over in the seat, blood seeping from the wound Sark had just inflicted.
The partition slid down as Sark sat back, returning the gun to his holster. "Was that absolutely necessary?" the driver asked.
"Just shut up and drive!" Sark shouted as his raised the partition.
Davenport simply smiled as he slowed and turn towards the marina.
tbc