Title: Angel Dark
Author: DOKChairman
Time: No particular time frame. Assume everything that has happened up to Counteragent is fair game.
Disclaimer: I do not own Alias. If I did, Dixon would actually appear in an episode this season, Marshall would be in practically every scene (that guy cracks me up so much), Sydney and Vaughn would at the very least admit that they have feelings for each other, and most importantly of all, Sydney would wear even less clothes than she usually does. Unfortunately for my bank account, J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, and ABC own Alias. I own nothing so don't sue me.
Pairing: This will be a Sydney/Vaughn piece. As if there's anything else.
A/N: I decided to start this chapter off with the very end of Chapter 10. However, I decided to reword it a little bit so don't get too confused. If you need a point of reference just check out the old chapter. After some much needed hindsight and reflection, I decided that I just didn't like the ending. It just didn't do it for me. So I've changed it.
I get to be the exposition fairy for this chapter. Yay!! Don't you all just love fairies? I almost feel like prancing. But I won't because I don't want to come off as too pretentious.
Dedication: As usual, this story is dedicated to Angela and Jada. Without you two, this chapter would be a shadow of itself. Thank you for your beta work. And a special thanks goes to Angela for setting me straight on my use of the comma. You have some serious comma issues. Oh, and Jada, I thought about your suggestions for a long time, but I decided to end the story as is. I wanted to save the things you suggested for Chapter 12. Talk to Angela, she was the deciding vote in my decision to keep the end as it is. I hope you still like what I have. Just don't flame me. I don't know if my heart could take it...
Sydney decided to introduce herself to the strange man standing in front of her. "Hi, I'm Sydney."
The man nodded his head at her distractedly; he was too busy looking at Vaughn and Tiffany. To be more precise, he was looking at Vaughn. He said offhandedly, "I'm Kyle. Kyle Prescott."
"Let me guess. You're part of Vaughn's old team too?" Sydney asked a little bitterly. Vaughn's past was obviously an important part of what made him who he was and it was driving Sydney crazy that she knew next to nothing about it.
Kyle was still focused on the others and he responded, "Huh? Oh yeah... Michael and I were on the Project Sally op together."
Sydney latched onto what Kyle said eagerly. If Vaughn wouldn't tell her what she wanted to know then maybe Kyle would. "Project Sally? What is that?"
Kyle finally stopped staring at Vaughn and said in a surprisingly happy tone, "Michael hasn't told you yet?"
Sydney glared at Vaughn pointedly and answered frustratedly, "No, and every time I ask he manages to change the subject."
"Well, if Michael hasn't told you then I'm sorry but I can't say anything either. It's classified."
Sydney growled angrily and then turned around to stomp over towards Vaughn. When she did, she violently grabbed his sweatshirt and lifted him to his feet. Vaughn looked at her in surprise and said worriedly, "Uh...Syd, what are you doing?"
"I'm tired of all the run around Vaughn. I want the truth about Project Sally and I want it right now. No more subject changes. No more convenient incidents. Just tell me the truth."
Vaughn tried to placate her, "Ok, Syd. I'll tell you, just would you...uh...let me go."
Sydney looked down at where her hands were grabbing Vaughn's sweatshirt and quickly released her hold. She blushed and mumbled an apology as she backed away. But she still managed to fix him with a determined look. Vaughn knew at that moment that he would not leave the warehouse in one piece without telling Sydney everything she wanted to hear.
Vaughn turned away from Sydney to face Tiffany and Kyle. "Guys, I want to talk to Sydney alone. Would you mind going some place else?" Both Kyle and Tiffany could clearly see the pleading in Vaughn's eyes.
Tiffany nodded her head in understanding. "Sure, Michael. Take your time. However, if I leave there'll be no one to protect you if you piss her off again."
Vaughn glared at Tiffany and Sydney smiled with a self-satisfied smirk. "Thanks, Tif. Your support means so much to me." Vaughn's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Tiffany just smiled widely at Vaughn. She then hobbled over to Kyle and said, "Come on, let's go. We should let the two lovebirds have their time together." Kyle, with Tiffany leaning on him for support, started walking away to the other side of the large warehouse.
Vaughn groaned dramatically and he saw Sydney blushing out of the corner of his eye. He almost felt like denying the accusation, but he just didn't see the point. Tiffany was right and he didn't feel like going through all his self-denial exercises at the moment.
Vaughn took a deep breath. This was not going to be fun or easy. He walked stiffly over to an old wooden crate and sat down heavily. He gingerly rotated his left shoulder and let out a groan as the joint shifted painfully. He cursed his body for betraying him at such an inopportune time. As if he didn't have enough on his mind, now he had to deal with his busted shoulder as well.
Vaughn's displeasure did not go unnoticed by the other occupant of the dank warehouse. Sydney asked worriedly, "Are you all right, Vaughn?"
Vaughn sighed and responded quietly, "Yeah, Syd. I'm fine, don't worry. It just gets sore sometimes when I move it around too much."
Sydney maintained her concerned look but she let the subject drop. She didn't really think Vaughn was as fine as he claimed but she knew at this point it would be pointless to argue.
"You might want to sit down, Syd. This could take awhile."
Vaughn's voice broke through her thoughts and Sydney took his advice to heart. She quickly scanned the surrounding area for a suitable crate to sit on. It didn't take her long to find one; the warehouse was full of crates of many different shapes and sizes. She dragged a dirt bespeckled crate and plotted herself down right in front of Vaughn. She wanted to be able to look him directly in the eyes as he told her his story.
She needed to have that connection to him. If for nothing else than to be sure that he was telling the truth. Sydney knew from her somewhat obsessive observance of Vaughn that the man was not the best of liars. He could lie when he had to, of that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he never lied to her. As far as she knew at least. She prayed he wouldn't do that now.
"Did I ever tell you that I graduated from law school?"
The question caught Sydney by surprise. "Uh...no. I don't think you did." Once again, Sydney was saddened by the fact that Vaughn's past was such a mystery to her. What kind of friend was she that she didn't even know that he had graduated from law school? Never mind that Vaughn never told her anything himself; she should have dragged it out of him long before now. Sydney sighed and then got her mind back on the problem at hand, namely finding out anything and everything on Project Sally, "What does this have to do with Project Sally, Vaughn?"
Vaughn ignored her question. He was trying to stay as calm as possible. He didn't want Sydney to see how uncomfortable talking about his past was making him. He continued on in his controlled tone, "Yeah. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in international law. I never took the Bar though. I applied to the CIA right after graduating."
Now Sydney was really getting confused. "This is going somewhere right, Vaughn?" She paused and then said threateningly, "Because if you're trying to change the subject again..." Sydney's voice trailed off.
Vaughn smiled at Sydney. "I wouldn't dream of doing that. The last thing I want to do is incur the wrath of Sydney Bristow." Sydney let out a snort. Vaughn continued, "Anyway, after completing my training, I was given a choice. I could become a field agent or I could do something in a less dangerous capacity. After careful consideration, I chose to become an analyst."
The pieces were finally starting to fall into place for Sydney and realization dawned in her eyes. This was great. She could hear Vaughn talk about his past and learn about Project Sally. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. She asked wonderingly, "Why didn't you become a field agent? I think you would make an excellent agent."
Vaughn flushed slightly at the compliment. "There were many reasons; most of them personal. At the time, I didn't think I had the necessary mental fortitude necessary for enduring the harsh realities of living an undercover life. Plus, my girlfriend at the time hated the idea." Vaughn shrugged his shoulders. "But the main reason, I suppose, was because of my mom. She had already lost one man in her life and becoming a field agent would have put me in constant danger. I didn't want her to have to go through that again."
"Oh," Sydney quietly responded. Mentioning his father and seeing the pain and sadness crossing his face made her remember the role her family had played in his father's death. Not that she ever forgot.
Vaughn chuckled. "Of course, my being an analyst lasted all of about six months."
"What happened?"
"I got recruited for a new special project that the CIA was conducting."
Sydney prompted, "Project Sally?"
Vaughn nodded. "Yeah, Project Sally." Vaughn paused and then sort of chuckled mirthlessly. "It's ironic really. I became an analyst to avoid danger, but it was being an analyst that got me picked for Project Sally."
Sydney was curious, "Why were you recruited for a project op if you weren't a field agent?"
Vaughn grinned. "Would you believe it was because I was too smart?"
Sydney returned Vaughn's grin. Vaughn continued, "I was recruited because the project leader at the time saw my work as an analyst and he immediately picked me up. He needed an analyst on his team, but he needed one who was qualified for field work as well. I was one of a few on a very short list. Plus, I think the fact that Devlin recommended me for the job sealed the deal for him."
Sydney's nose scrunched and her forehead furrowed in confusion. It was a cute trait, Vaughn fleetingly thought, one he hadn't noticed before. "I don't understand, Vaughn. If you were so intent on avoiding fieldwork, then why did you agree to join Project Sally?"
Vaughn chuckled lightly. "Honestly, Syd, I've been asking myself the same question for years now and you know what? I still have no clue."
Sydney grinned. Vaughn laughed and added, "I think I just woke up one morning and decided to just go for it. I can't really explain it. Maybe it had to do with wanting to be like my father; I don't know. But when I was presented with a chance to do something to help out my country in a more proactive role, I jumped at the chance. Does that make any sense?"
Sydney nodded her head in understanding. "It does. I can remember feeling the same way when SD-6 approached me. I was so excited about doing something worthwhile for my country that I didn't even stop to consider the consequences of my decision." Sydney paused and then said bitterly, "I sometimes wonder how my life would have turned out if I had turned them down."
Vaughn's eyes softened and he reached out to grasp Sydney's hand. A warm sensation shot up both their arms and Sydney looked away. Vaughn held her hand in a loose grip until she turned her face back to his. He gave her a small smile and she smiled in return. "Sydney, you are a good person. If you had not joined SD-6, you're life would have been easier and less complicated, but you would not be the person you are today. You would not be the Sydney Bristow that I know. You would not be my friend. If you had never joined SD-6, you would have never met me. For that alone, I will always be grateful you chose to make that phone call all those long years ago."
Sydney blushed at Vaughn's admission and again turned her face away. A pleased smile graced her features and Vaughn reluctantly let go of her hand. Vaughn didn't want to but he needed to get back on track.
Vaughn continued with his story, "Once I expressed interest in joining the project, I was naturally told everything." Vaughn stopped and sighed. He knew that this was it. It was time he told her everything. He just hoped she understood why he had done the things he did when he finished.
"Project Sally was initially comprised of eight agents. Three of whom you already know. There is no need to go into detail on the remaining members of the team. They're all dead." Vaughn finished sadly.
Vaughn shut his eyes in pain and he took a deep breath. Vaughn heard Sydney ask in stunned surprise, "Dead? Everyone else on your team is dead? How?"
Vaughn opened his eyes and Sydney was momentarily taken aback by the amount of emotion she could see. It was obvious that the death of his teammates weighed heavily on his mind. Vaughn responded to Sydney's question quietly, "I don't know for sure. I suspect that the same people in the CIA who are trying to kill me are also the ones that killed the others. They are the only ones that should know where the others were hidden."
"Why is the CIA trying to kill you, Vaughn? None of this makes any sense." Sydney asked imploringly.
Vaughn ignored Sydney's question and began his explanation. "Project Sally was special. It was a deep cover op with extended periods of time in the field. There were times where we would not even surface for weeks, sometimes months at a time. We grew to depend on each other for everything. We were a family and we trusted each other implicitly. That is, until I found out about Elisa."
Vaughn paused before continuing. This was where things started to get ugly. "Elisa Jones had been my...friend. We were close. I trusted her and she trusted me. At least that was how I thought things were. I couldn't have been more wrong. Elisa had been betraying me and the team from almost the entire time we had been...close."
Sydney interrupted Vaughn. Her voice wavered, "Vaughn, I appreciate you trying to spare me the gory details, but you don't have to cover up what happened between you and Elisa. It's all right if you two..." Syd paused and swallowed uncomfortably, "...slept together. You don't need to pretend that you were only friends."
Vaughn's face flushed. He fidgeted nervously. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable talking about my past relationships, it's just that Elisa is a very sensitive subject for me. She betrayed this country, our friends, and me. To call her my girlfriend would be a joke," Vaughn said bitterly. Vaughn paused and then said angrily, "It was because of our relationship that she was able to go double so easily. She used me."
Vaughn unexpectedly leapt up from his crate and started pacing agitatedly. Sydney looked on in concern. This was so unlike Vaughn. She had never seen him so angry before.
Vaughn's angry tone continued, "I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. I let my feelings cloud my judgment and I broke every known protocol to be with her. I was stupid and because of my actions the project was exposed and everything was shut down. And now everybody on the team is being hunted down."
Vaughn's voice trailed off and the two became silent. Vaughn continued to pace angrily and Sydney watched him carefully. "What was Project Sally, Vaughn?"
Vaughn stopped his pacing and fixed her with a nervous look. "Before I say anything, I need you to promise me that you will let me finish before you start asking questions."
Sydney responded without hesitation, "Of course." She was so eager to finally find out what Project Sally really was she would have probably agreed to anything Vaughn had asked.
Vaughn sighed in relief and resumed his spot back on his crate. Vaughn quietly contemplated how to explain everything in a way that made sense. Finally, he began. "At the time of Project Sally's inception, the world was in a very different place. The Cold War had only ended five years prior and the CIA was still transitioning from dedicated, large scale operations regarding the Soviet Union and its satellites; to smaller, less specific operations regarding terrorism, criminal activities, and cleaning up the messes left over by the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The CIA was expanding its purview and Project Sally was part of that."
Vaughn paused and swallowed carefully. "There was a man that had always been known to the CIA, but until the end of the Cold War, he had never been a priority. In fact, even when Project Sally was in full swing the CIA higher ups never showed much interest in what we were doing. They didn't know what we know now. They had no way of knowing that the man we were investigating would have such an impact on the world as he does today. They, we, were mistaken.
If we had known back during the days of Project Sally, that Milo Rambaldi would play such a huge role in future events, we would have put much more importance on our discoveries." Vaughn stopped and waited for the inevitable fallout from his statement. Sydney may have promised to stay quiet until he was finished but he knew her and he knew she would never be able let a bombshell like that go without comment.
He couldn't help but smile slightly at the shocked expression on her face. "A-a-are you...serious?"
Vaughn nodded his head solemnly. "Yes, I'm completely serious. Project Sally was created by the CIA to study, gather data and intelligence, and acquire whatever Rambaldi artifacts we could."
"You mean to tell me that you've worked on Rambaldi before?"
Vaughn did not like the rising tone of Sydney's voice. Warning signs were flashing inside his mind. "Yes."
Sydney's voice rose even louder, "And you're just telling me this now? After almost two years? You didn't think that this was something that might have been considered, oh I don't know, important!?" Sydney practically shouted the last part.
Vaughn shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I wanted to, for so long I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. It was classified, Sydney. You know that protocol sometimes forbids me from disclosing certain things to you. It's part of the job."
Sydney said angrily, "Screw protocol, Vaughn. This isn't about protocol, this is about you trusting me. This is about you withholding information that might have been important to taking down SD-6. I mean I've been working on retrieving Rambaldi artifacts for the last two years."
Vaughn felt his own anger enter his voice. She thought he didn't trust her? "How the hell can you say that I don't trust you? If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be sitting here in this warehouse telling you about a past that I would prefer to keep buried. Hell, if I didn't trust you I wouldn't be here at all!"
Sydney was surprised by Vaughn's vehemence but it did little to quench her anger. She was about to open her mouth to retort when Vaughn cut her off. "I trust you, Sydney. More than I should." He paused and then he spoke low, but confidently, "After the debacle with Elisa, I made a promise to myself that I would never break protocol again. Breaking protocol was what had gotten me into trouble the last time, and I never wanted to go through that again. You have no idea how hard it is for me to be what you want me to be, Sydney. Everyday I'm with you I break that promise that I made to myself, and everyday I wonder if I'm making the right decision.
But all I have to do is look at you and I know that you're worth it. You're brave, intelligent, kind, strong, and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. But you know that. You know how I feel about you, whether you admit it to yourself or not. You know, deep down, that I would do anything for you. If you doubt that, than nothing I say to you will convince you otherwise. I trust you, Sydney, but do you trust me?"
Vaughn finally finished and fell into himself. He could not believe what he had just done. That was the closest he had come to ever telling Sydney how he really felt about her. Whatever protocol had been between them was effectively gone now. He might as well just tell her he was in love with her while he was at it. It wasn't like things could get any worse.
Well, maybe he had been slightly wrong on that. Things could get worse. Like Sydney not saying anything at all to his confession. That was definitely worse.
"Uh...Syd...are you ok?" Vaughn asked tentatively.
Sydney started to cry and Vaughn immediately grew concerned. He got off his crate and in one smooth stride he sat down next to her. He placed his arm across her shoulders and pulled her in close to his body. Unconsciously, his fingers slowly massaged her back in soothing circles. Gently he asked, "What's wrong? Are you ok?"
Sydney nodded her head very slowly and she looked up at Vaughn. Her eyes seemed larger than usual and Vaughn began to lose himself in their watery depths. He quickly shut his own eyes before he became too overwhelmed. He opened them again when she began to speak.
Sydney's voice was almost pleading. "I'm so sorry, Vaughn. I-I didn't mean to say you didn't trust me. I know you do. You trust me as much as I trust you, and there is nobody that I trust more than you. It's just that hearing you say that you know so much about Rambaldi and that you've been keeping this from me for so long really hurt me."
"I know, Sydney, and I understand. But you have to understand that this happened four years ago and its something I don't like remembering." Vaughn paused and then added, "Plus, we were fools Sydney. We didn't understand what we had. We didn't know who Rambaldi really was. We just thought he was some crackpot. We were more interested in the people interested in Rambaldi than we were interested in Rambaldi himself. We had no idea of the kind of power he possessed. If we had, we would not have made the mistakes that we did."
"So, what do you think of Sydney?" Tiffany asked Kyle inquisitively.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Seeing as how I've only known her for about five minutes, I can't really tell. She seems nice enough and she's certainly gorgeous. That's about all I can tell you."
"Aw come on! You telling me that with all those spy skills of yours that's all you got off her? I mean come on, any person with eyes can see she's beautiful." Tiffany cajoled.
Kyle smiled indulgently at Tiffany. "Fine. It's obvious that Michael trusts her. Although that could be because he has a thing for her. And if this is the Sydney Bristow that I've heard about, then she could probably take you on, Tiffany." Kyle grinned at that.
A devilish grin appeared on Tiffany's face. "I certainly wouldn't mind her trying. In fact, I might enjoy it."
Kyle's eyes widened slightly. "That's just wrong. I so did not need to hear that."
Tiffany's eyes sparkled. "Don't tell me old age has made you all stuffy. What happened to the fun loving Kyle I used to know?"
Kyle snorted. "First off, I would hardly call 39 old. Secondly, I enjoy fun as much as the next guy but I don't consider hearing about your sex life to be my idea of a good time. I've known you since you were 18. I feel like your father!"
Tiffany sniffled and started to mock cry. "Ah, you're gonna make me get all teary."
Kyle glared at her. "Mock if you want, but it doesn't change how I feel. And I know that Michael feels the same way."
"Nah. Mikey is like my brother, not my father. He's not that old." Tiffany couldn't help getting another little dig in.
Kyle just ignored Tiffany and sat down on a crate. He let out a barely audible sigh. Tiffany picked up on it immediately. "Are you still hurting?"
"Sometimes. It comes and goes." Kyle then laughed self-deprecatingly. "I don't heal as well as I used to."
"Speaking of which, when are you going to explain that? I know that right now Mikey is seriously questioning your loyalties."
Kyle responded tiredly, "As soon as Mike is finished telling his girlfriend about Project Sally." Kyle stopped and looked at his watch. He lifted his head back up and grinned at Tiffany. "I think half an hour is long enough. Its time I got this over with."
Kyle stood up and wordlessly moved to Tiffany. He helped her to her feet and she leaned on him. She mumbled thanks. They took a few steps in quiet, that is until Tiffany said, "20 bucks say they're doing something they're not supposed to be doing."
Kyle grinned down at Tiffany. "Deal."
They resumed their quiet walking until Tiffany interrupted their monotony by mumbling, "Easiest 20 bucks I ever made."
Now that Sydney was calm and in control again, Vaughn realized that he had no real reason to keep his arm around her. But he honestly didn't care. It felt too good to remove his arm and he had no intention of doing so. Unless Sydney asked him too of course, but she seemed to enjoy having his arm there as much as he did.
"Mistakes? What went wrong, Vaughn? Why did you have to kill Elisa?" Sydney wondered, ruining the moment slightly.
Vaughn sighed. He had wanted to savor this closeness just a little longer before he answered her questions. But that didn't seem possible. He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze and then he reluctantly pulled himself away from her. He didn't leave her crate, but he wasn't touching her anymore either.
Vaughn slouched slightly and his eyes darkened. "The whole project went wrong, Sydney. Everything." Vaughn paused. "The problems first started when the original project leader died of a heart attack. Devlin and the CIA wanted to shut the project down after that but I managed to convince them to keep it running. Apparently, they liked my enthusiasm so much that they put me in charge."
Vaughn saw Sydney smile at that and it made him grin half-heartedly in return. "Everyone on the team was older than me, with the exception of Tiffany and Elisa, but they claimed that as the team's analyst I was the most experienced and qualified on the team to run an op. The others were reluctant at first, worrying that I didn't have enough experience in the field, but after a while we worked out our differences. I wanted to be the project leader so bad. I arrogantly thought that I could do a better job than Peterson had."
Vaughn sighed. "I might have been right if I hadn't also started getting involved with Elisa at the same time. We had known each other for two years and we had gradually grown close. So we dated, if you could call it that, and I opened up to her, about everything." Vaughn paused and shook his head in self-disgust. "I should have listened to Kyle when he told me that getting involved with Elisa was a bad idea. But I didn't. In hindsight, I wish that someone had reported to Langley about Elisa and me, but we had been a family and we didn't betray each other. They kept their mouth shuts about the whole thing, and I thought that I could keep our professional and private lives separate. That had been my first mistake. Soon after that, everything began to go downhill."
Vaughn straightened and locked gazes with Sydney. "Everything came to a head in June of 99'. We were in Prague on a routine intelligence and retrieval mission. We were shadowing a man named Ivan Romanivic, a known arms dealer with ties to the Russian mafia, K-Directorate, and to the Alliance. He was, of course, also an admirer of Rambaldi. We had heard that he had recently come into possession of a manuscript said to contain a sort of index of all of Rambaldi's inventions. Needless to say, we wanted that manuscript, and we wanted it before anyone else got to it first."
Sydney interrupted with a question, "I'm assuming you didn't get it because I would have heard about it if you had. Right?"
Vaughn nodded his head in agreement. He sighed, "Yeah. Things pretty much went to hell. In one night, two of my team were shot, Elisa was unveiled as a traitor, and we lost the manuscript to K-Directorate. That was the worst night of my life and I still have nightmares about everything that happened."
There was something that Sydney was curious about. "Why did Elisa become a double, Vaughn?"
Vaughn shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He answered her question slowly, "I don't know for sure. She wasn't always a double. There had been a time where she had been loyal. Why she turned, I don't know. Part of me wants to believe that she had motives more complicated and noble than the evidence showcased, but the other part of me, the part that was betrayed by her, refuses to believe that her reasons were more noble than simple greed. She was paid a lot of money to do what she did."
Subtle surprise, laced with disgust, graced Sydney's features. "Money? She turned double for money?" Sydney's felt disgust at hearing that Elisa had turned double for something as petty as greed. She knew that she shouldn't be so surprised but she couldn't help but feel how she did. For herself, justice had always been her motivation. Money wasn't even an afterthought.
"As far as I know. I think there was more to the situation than that, but she never had much of a chance to explain herself. She died that night."
Vaughn lowered his head and his eyes clouded in remembered pain. His mind flashed back to that night in Prague and he began telling Sydney everything.
Flashback-
Vaughn carefully placed the earpiece in his ear as he chuckled at Perez's latest joke. He turned his head to glance at Miguel Perez. "That was a low blow man. You know how Dave feels about his hair."
Perez plugged a cord into a video monitor and looked over his shoulder at Vaughn. "Of course. If Dave could have sex with his hair he'd never look at another woman ever again."
Vaughn laughed loudly at that and his laugh carried over the com system. Kyle's voice came on over the link, "Hey, do you think you two could keep it quiet? Some of us have to actually work for a living. Not all of us are lucky enough to sit on our asses in some plush van while us fools risk our lives for God and country."
Elisa's voice came over the com, "Speak for yourself, Kyle. Not all of us are fools." Vaughn smiled at Elisa's comment.
His smile quickly waned however when he realized how soon the conversation could get out of hand. He needed to restore order before mission protocol completely broke down. He made his voice light, but firm, "Ok guys. Joke times over. It's time we got down to business. Report."
Kyle responded first, "Two minutes out. Romanivic's compound is in sight."
Elisa was next, "Steve and I our making our rounds now. It looks like two, maybe, three guards in the main hall."
Dave Hollister was next. "Just entering the kitchen now. These waiter suits are so damn uncomfortable. Haven't they heard of breathable fabric here?"
Tiffany was the last to report in, as usual. Her response was filled with indignation, "Uncomfortable!? Try getting felt up by every man in the room and then you'll know what uncomfortable really is. Until then, stop whining you baby."
Dave snorted over the com but didn't retort. Vaughn grinned. "Ok. Stop picking on poor Dave. He can't help it that he's a conceited and arrogant bastard."
"Of course I am. And that's why you guys love me." Vaughn could practically see the smile through the com.
Vaughn glanced down at his watch and started at the time. He spoke into the com, "Dave, you got less than five. Romanivic will be expecting his food any minute now."
"Roger, boss. Picking up the order now."
Vaughn swivelled around on his chair to check the tv monitors on Perez's side of the van. A jerky image of a hallway could be seen, it was obvious Dave had reached the hallway that led to Romanivic's study.
Vaughn could see two guards, one on each side of the door that led to Romanivic's study; it looked like Elisa had been right. That was good. Elisa and her partner, Steve Kirkpatrick, could handle two guards without breaking a sweat.
Dave reached the door that led to the study and Vaughn heard the guards stop Dave. The camera on Dave's uniform was hidden in one of the buttons on Dave's jacket. Dave spoke a few words in Russian and the guard on the right opened the door to let Dave in.
As soon as the door was shut, Vaughn calmly spoke into the com. "Ok, Dave's in. Elisa and Steve, you're on. Watch his back. If he needs help, you know what to do."
Elisa responded curtly, "Of course."
Vaughn made a quick glance at Elisa's monitor before moving on. "Tiffany, how are you doing?"
"Good. I just spotted Romanivic's head of security. I'm going to go keep him...busy."
Vaughn cringed at that. He hated this aspect of the job. "Fine, but don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Do I ever?" Tiffany asked.
Vaughn heard a snicker. Vaughn recognized the person's voice immediately. And from the irritated tone in Tiffany's voice, she did too. "You are so going to pay for that, Kyle."
Vaughn cut in before the bickering could continue. "Are you and Krugar in position yet, Kyle?"
"Yep. Freddy is securing the perimeter."
"Shit! Vaughn!"
Vaughn snapped his head to Perez who had uttered the expletive. He asked urgently, "What?"
Perez pointed at the monitor designated for Elisa's camera. What he saw filled him with a deep sense of dread. Elisa was struggling violently with one of the guards outside Romanivic's study. The stark bluish-gray picture suddenly went horizontal as Elisa was thrown to the ground. Where the hell was Steve?
That was when Vaughn saw that Steve was having trouble with his own guard. From Elisa's camera, Vaughn could see Steve let loose with an uppercut that connected on the edge of the guard's jaw. The guard's head flew back, but he managed to snap a fist out that caught a glancing blow on Steve's right shoulder. Steve staggered back under the force and...
Suddenly the picture was jarred again as Elisa sprung to her feet and attacked the guard with a vengeance. She had been on the ground for less than five seconds.
Vaughn practically shouted into the com, "What the hell are you two doing? Dave wasn't in any trouble. Why did you break cover?" He got no response. "Elisa? Steve?"
He looked back down to the monitor just in time to see Elisa fly into the air and kick the guard in the face. The guard fell to the ground with a thud. Vaughn sighed in relief. She was okay.
But his relief soon turned into fear again as Elisa suddenly staggered forward. "Elisa? Are you ok?"
Again, he got no response and his fear turned to panic when Elisa fell to the ground. She didn't move and her camera suddenly went dark. Vaughn shouted into the coms, "Tiffany! Get in there now. Elisa and Steve need your help."
"On my way!"
Vaughn tapped Perez on the shoulder and said, "We're moving."
Perez nodded his head and got off his seat and moved to the front of the van. He started the van and it soon sped off down the streets. Vaughn continued shouting into the com. "Kyle! Be prepared for a hot extraction. You may need to go in and pull them out."
Kyle's voice was all business when he responded, "Right." Vaughn heard a barely audible clicking sound; it sounded exactly like a gun being loaded.
Vaughn then snapped his eyes to Dave's monitor. To his relief, Romanivic was unconscious and slumped in his chair. Dave was frantically searching the study for the Rambaldi manuscript. Dave's voice came over the com, "It's not here! I can't find it. The intel must have been wrong."
Vaughn cursed under his breath. "Get out of there Dave. Now! Forget the manuscript."
Dave started to move towards the door when a muted pop went off. Dave instantly froze and shouted out, "Shit! That was a gun." Dave ran to the door and tentatively opened it.
Vaughn was screaming in the com the whole time, "What the hell is going on!? Somebody tell me!" Vaughn almost fell off his chair when Perez took a sharp turn.
Vaughn righted himself and focused his harried gaze on Dave's monitor. The door moved just enough for Dave to briefly stick his head out into the hallway. Two seconds later, he pulled his head back into the safety of the study. He reported his findings to Vaughn, "Shit, Vaughn. Steve's down. Looks like a shot to the shoulder. I think he's unconscious."
Before Vaughn could stop himself he asked desperately, "And Elisa?"
"Sorry man. I didn't see her. The hallway looked clear. I'm going to check on Steve."
Vaughn didn't think that was such a good idea and he told Dave so. "Wait for Tiffany, Dave. She should reach the hallway in less than two minutes."
"There's no time. Steve could bleed out before then. I'm pretty sure its all clear."
Dave opened the door just enough to slip out into the hallway. He crouched low and hugged the wall. "All clear. The two guards are down. Unconscious."
That piqued Vaughn's interest. "Unconscious? Then who shot Steve?"
"Don't know. Whoever did it is long gone."
Footsteps could be heard approaching Dave's position. At first, both Vaughn and Dave thought it was Tiffany, but when Dave twisted his body to look in the direction of the footsteps, both men were surprised to see Elisa coming down the ornately decorated hallway.
Vaughn let loose a loud sigh of relief, as did Dave, at the sight of Elisa. Thank god!
"Elisa! What happened to you?" Dave paused and then said, "Never mind, Steve's been shot. We've got to get hi..." Dave never finished. Vaughn could only watch in mind numbing disbelief as Elisa suddenly pulled a silenced pistol from behind her back and shot Dave twice in the chest.
Dave's camera immediately cut out and Vaughn could hear a violent exhale escape from Dave's lips as he fell to the ground unceremoniously. Vaughn shouted helplessly into the com, "Dave!? Dave!? Can you hear me?" Nothing.
Vaughn could not believe what happened. Elisa had just shot Dave. Elisa. Her name kept repeating inside his head, the disbelief growing with every utterance. This was all a bad dream. His girlfriend did not just pull out a gun and shoot one of his closest friends. This wasn't possible.
Kyle's jarring voice pulled Vaughn back to the matter at hand. "Vaughn? What the hell is going on?"
Vaughn quickly composed himself. He could deal with the Elisa thing later. He had a job to do. Mainly making sure the rest of his teammates lived thru the night. Vaughn spoke as calmly and collectively as he could into the com. "Steve and Dave are both down." Vaughn let that knowledge sink in and then continued, "Tiffany, change of plans. Rendevous with Kyle and Fred and extract Steve and Dave."
"Acknowledged. What about Elisa?"
Vaughn swallowed. "Elisa has gone rogue." As expected that bombshell brought forth a round of surprise. Vaughn ignored them. "Miguel and I have almost reached the compound." Vaughn paused and then said determinedly, "I'll deal with Elisa."
"Hell no! I'll take care of Elisa, Vaughn. You help Kyle and Freddy extract Steve and Dave." Tiffany's stringent protests came over the com.
Vaughn growled out, "No! Elisa is mine. You're already onsite. It would take me too long to reach the rendevous point. I'm telling you to help Kyle." This was personal. Elisa was his problem. No one else was going to deal with her but him.
Tiffany sighed loudly. She said timidly, "Be careful, Mikey. Elisa is almost as good as me. Don't let your emotions control you."
The van came to a screeching halt and Vaughn ripped the com off his ear. He moved to the back of the van and unholstered his gun. He turned his head and shouted over his shoulder to Perez, "Contact Langley and tell them we've been compromised. We need immediate extraction."
Perez shouted back, "What about you?"
Vaughn closed his eyes and opened the back door. "If I don't contact you in an hour, leave without me. I'm probably dead."
And then Vaughn leapt out of the van and started running to the large sprawling mansion in front of him. He heard the van take off, its tires squealing.
It wasn't until he was running in the dark of night that he realized that he knew next to nothing. He had no idea where Elisa was, why she was doing the things she was doing, or how he was going to stop her. Romanivic's compound was large enough that he could spend the rest of the night searching for Elisa and probably never find her.
Vaughn crouched low to the ground and ran across the large grassy open area that separated the walls of Romanivic's compound and his mansion. He was about fifty feet from the left wing of the mansion when he spotted her. It was blind luck really. He had been looking to his left checking for any signs of guards when he had caught movement in the moonlight. At first he had thought the movement was a guard on patrol, but when he focused on the person, he realized that they were running and a guard had no reason to be running. Especially no reason to be running away from the house.
He wasn't sure that it was Elisa, but it seemed like a logical choice. And really, what were his other options? Search the house while avoiding all of Romanivic's security personnel? Not really an option. Besides, whoever the person was, if they were running that meant they were running away from something and that meant they were doing something they shouldn't be doing.
After only hesitating briefly, Vaughn took off after the running individual. His long legs allowed him to cover a lot of ground rather quickly and he was soon close enough to the runner to at least make out the person's shape. The body looked decidedly female, and despite being over fifty feet away, the moon was bright enough for Vaughn to recognize the person immediately. Even from the back he would recognize the person anywhere. It was Elisa.
A deep pang settled in his chest and he felt despair overwhelm him. What was he going to do? He did the first thing that came to mind. He yelled, "Elisa! Stop!"
For the rest of his life Vaughn would wonder why Elisa did exactly what he told her to. As soon as he shouted, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, and she just...stopped. Vaughn was surprised that she had done what he said, but he quickly adopted a stoic demeanor. Remember Tif's words, 'Don't let your emotions control you.' It was sound advice.
He immediately raised his gun and aimed at her. "Turn around and throw your gun towards me."
Elisa turned around, but she did not throw her gun away. Instead she raised her gun, mimicking his stance. "Michael." His name rolled off her tongue, breathless and low.
Vaughn slowly walked towards her, making sure to keep his gun on her at all times. "Throw your gun away, Elisa."
"No." Was her only response.
Vaughn sighed. She had always been stubborn. "Why did you do it?"
The moonlight reflected off her blonde hair and cast her face in shadow. "I had to, Michael. I had to."
Vaughn asked confused, "What do you mean you had to?" His voice became angry, "You had to shoot Dave? You had to betray our country?" His voice suddenly grew low and painful, "You had to betray me?"
There was regret in Elisa's voice when she responded to Vaughn's desperate inquiries. "I'm sorry, Michael. I really am. Dave wasn't supposed to be there at that time. I had to shoot him."
"Bullshit! You just walked down that hall and shot him." Vaughn yelled.
Elisa cringed. "You don't understand. I had to, Michael. I just had to. It was the only way I could give the manuscript to my handler and get my money."
Vaughn's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Money! You're doing this for money?"
Elisa didn't answer. Vaughn just shook his head in disgust. "I hope it was worth it."
Elisa lowered her head. "I-I-I'm sorry, Michael." She stuttered out.
Vaughn clinched his eyes. "Stop calling me that! You don't deserve to call me that anymore." Vaughn then opened his eyes and felt an influx of resolve. "You're coming with me, Elisa. I'm taking you back to Langley."
"No. I can't let you do that, Michael. I know too much. They would never let me live."
"You'll be in CIA custody. Nobody will be able to hurt you."
Elisa shook her head. "You don't understand, Michael. The CIA can't stop them. No one can."
"Who is this they?" Vaughn asked.
"I don't know. I'm only contacted through my handler. He gives me my countermissions and my money. That's all I know."
Countermissions? Vaughn was afraid to ask his next question. "How...long have you been a double?"
"Since a month after we started dating."
"Two years! You've been doing this for almost two years and I didn't know a damn thing." Vaughn was disgusted with himself as much as he was with her.
"It wasn't your fault, Michael. You were blinded by love."
Vaughn asked bitterly, "And you weren't?"
Elisa's face softened. "I have feelings for you, yes. I'm not that good an actress. Whether it was love, I don't know. But I chose my path, as did you."
"I can't let you go, Elisa. You know that."
"I know. And I can't let you take me back."
Elisa then turned her back on Vaughn and started walking away. Vaughn felt sweat bead on his forehead and he narrowed his eyes. "Stop! Don't make me shoot you, Elisa. I can't let you go. You know too much about the project."
Elisa stopped and turned back around. "You won't shoot me, Michael. You don't have it in you. You never did."
She then turned back around and started walking to the large copse of trees at the edge of Romanivic's compound.
Vaughn closed his eyes and said quietly to Elisa. "You're wrong." And then he pulled the trigger.
To be continued...........................
P.S. Well it has been a laborious journey but I finally managed to kick my ass into gear and finish this chapter. Thank Jeebus. This chapter is by far the hardest chapter I have ever written for any story. So much time, rewrites, research, and booze went into this chapter that I really don't know whether or not it was even worth my time. I didn't even manage to include everything I said I would way back when I posted chapter 10. Oh well. Now that I got this ABC network executive sized monkey off my back, new chapters should just roll out. In fact chapter 12 is already at least 50% complete.
P.S. I got to thinking on Saturday as I was digging a 100 ft. trench in some guy's backyard, with a shovel no less. A freaking SHOVEL!! Do you have any idea how long it takes to dig a 100 ft. trench with only a shovel? No? I didn't think so. Let's just say that it was not a pleasurable experience. God, I hate my job. Anyway, not that you care, so back to the matter at hand. I'm looking at five, maybe, six more chapters. I have a pretty good idea on how I want to end the story. And since this is an S/V piece, and since I have to have my annual Sydney quota fulfilled, I think it would be a safe assumption on your part that there will be an S/V ending. However, that's not always a good thing and it might not be what you think.
P.S. Oh, I just thought I should let you all know that I now have a new obsession. Yay me! Now I know what you're saying, "But wait, what about Jen?" Well, don't worry I have certainly not forgotten her. Jen is my first and will always be my favorite, but I've recently become obsessed with Eliza Dushku as well. I just can't help myself. She is just too perfect. So now I have two unhealthy obsessions with women I have absolutely no chance with (At least Eliza is not married). Is my life pathetic or what? Wait, don't answer that. I think I'm just going to go to bed and dream of a threesome with Jen, Eliza, and me. So don't wake me, all right? I mean it. Just don't. Let me have my dreams.
