Chapter Nine: Water Games

Sydney walked into the dimly lit room. There are candles everywhere and a path of rose petals leading into the bedroom. It was a sharp contrast to the debauchery that was occurring outside the suite. The music from the ballet, Count of Monte Cristo, was playing softly and she could hear the muffled roaring of the jets of a hot tub.

Entering the bedroom, Sydney is shocked to see Sark sitting inside the hot tub with his arms on the edge of the tub, head tilted back with his eyes closed.

"I've been waiting for you." Sark said keeping his eyes closed. There was something different about him. Maybe it was the sight of his bare chest that made him seem less dangerous. For the first time since she'd known him, she saw him as a flesh and blood man, not a cold blooded killing machine. "Come join me." When she doesn't answer he opens his eyes and straightened, untilting his head. "You have approximately ten minutes to kill." He rose up from the water like Triton from the ocean, water flowing down his perfectly muscled body. The water came up just below his waist and Sydney couldn't help wondering if he was as naked below as he was up top. The sound of Vaughn's voice snapped her out of her daze. "What the hell is he doing?" Vaughn's voice was saying. Sydney turned the earring off.

Sark held out his hand daring her to come in. "Come to me."

She didn't resist the dare. She walked up the steps to the hot tub and undid the tie of her domino. She felt a surge of sexual power as the domino slid from her body and fell into a pool at her feet. She stepped out of her shoes and took Sark's hand as she stepped into the tub. He didn't let go once she was in the water. Instead he kept pulling her to him as he sat back down forcing her to onto his lap. Neither of them spoke.

Sark had one hand supporting Sydney's back and the other on the edge of the tub. He moved the hand supporting her up her back to her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. She turned her head making the kiss land on her jaw. He kissed her again, this time landing on her cheek. The third kiss connected with her lips. It was gentle and light. He deepened the kiss as she grabbed the back of his head. When they came up for air he moan a name.

"Sarah."

Sydney pushed away from him and slapped him. During the kiss he had removed her mask and her new found confidence and she was vunerable once more. The Sark she knew was back. His eyes were unreadable and he had that secretive smile on his smug face. She had been a fool to let her guard down and he'd been able to get to her with his sick mind games. 'Who the hell is Sarah?' she thought.

"Where are the tapes?" Sydney asked

"That's a good look for you." Sark said leaning back.

Sydney look down and noticed that the wet lingerie wasn't doing much to cover her. She got out of the tub and used her domino to dry off.

"There should be a change of clothes in the bathroom."

Sydney quickly changed into the tight black turtleneck and black pants found in the bathroom. When she came out, Sark was out of the hot tub and into dry clothes.

"Where are the tapes?" Sydney asked a second time.

"They're in the room at the end of the hall. There will be one guard outside the door and two inside. On the bed you'll find two keys, one will be to unlock the first door and the second one will allow you access into the inner room. Inside the whip handle you'll find a glowstick. You have 5 minutes before the lights come back on." Sark said glancing at his watch. "This evening was a pleasure, tell the boys that I hope they enjoyed the show." As left the room the lights, the music, and the jets in the tub turned off.

Sydney turned on the earring. "Vaughn, what's going on?" Sydney gathered the items on the bed retrieved the glowstick from the whip handle. She broke the seal on it and it lighted the room.

"I could ask the same thing! What were you doing in the hot tub?" Vaughn asked.

"I had to put the tracking device on him without him noticing. Are you tracking him?"

"Yes, we're tracking him. But we aren't getting any visual from the cameras. Do you know where the tapes are?"

"I'm on my way there." She leaves the room and heads toward the room at the end of the hall. There was a man in a domino standing outside it. She ducks as he makes a grab for her and uses his momentum to throw him on the ground. She punched him three times in the face before he's knocked unconscious. She takes the gun on his belt. She uses the first key to get in. There were two men sitting inside eyes glued to a monitor.

"It's not time to switch yet Nicco!" Said one of the men not looking at her. She uses the gun to knock him unconscious but the second man jumps out of the way before she can hit him too. As he pulls out a gun, she shoots him in the leg and then gives him a roundhouse kick to his face, knocking him unconscious.

She opens the second door with the key and takes the armband off her arm and separates them into four parts. She places them on each corner of the room. "Vaughn, let me know when a minute is up starting now."

She walks in to the outer room where the monitor is. "There is a monitor in here that is using power from a different source then the rest of the castle. It must be linked to cameras on a different power source as well."

"I'm pulling up the castle schematics."

"Oh my god!"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm such an idiot. Sark told me that both SD-6 and the CIA have men on the inside. I have to warn Smith that SD-6 is after Paolo."

"The power is back on. I have visual. Sydney, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Oh my god!"