Once again in the underground vault, Irina watched Sloane approach the biometric sensor with the artifact and be scanned. "Mark," she said softly.

"Got it," replied Jack. He had pulled into the near-empty parking garage and was parked about 100 yards from Sloane's car. He set the timer on his watch, and waited.

Reverently, Sloane entered the vault with Irina and waited while the door slid shut behind them. Taking the artifact from Sloane, Irina placed it carefully in its appropriate slot on the shelves and stepped back. She heard the hiss of Sloane's breath behind her.

"Remarkable. Exactly as you predicted," said Sloane approvingly. He paused, admiring the display, while Irina barely concealed her impatience. "Would you give me your thoughts on the other two missing pieces?"

"25 minutes left," Irina heard in her ear.

Swiftly, Irina gave Sloane her opinions on the remaining two pieces. He asked several followup questions; it was with a sigh of relief that Irina followed him away from the artifacts, heading for the vault door. "20 minutes left."

To her dismay, Sloane took a detour towards the manuscripts. Without looking over his shoulder, he collected them and moved into an adjacent room, set up with a long table. Carefully he began to lay them out, saying, "You have provided so much insight on the artifacts. Perhaps you can assist with interpretation of some of the more obscure portions of the manuscripts?"

"Arvin, I really need to be leaving. I'll be happy to assist with the manuscripts, but at another time."

Sloane looked up, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. Something wasn't right. Irina should be panting to see these manuscripts. "We'll leave when I'm ready," he snapped. "The vault door is keyed to my voice signature alone."

"Of course, Arvin," said Irina nonchalantly. "I didn't realize that you were in such a hurry." Sloane relaxed.

Jack bit back an oath. "15 minutes left," said Jack. "I'm coming down there." Stealthily he emerged from the van and approached Sloane's car. There was no guard inside. He opened the hood and made some minor modifications, then looked for a way down to the vault. Irina and Sloane had used an elevator. That was out. He would be target practice when it opened on the lower floor. He scanned the garage for the emergency stairwell, which Irina had identified from her previous visit. Spying it, he made his way across to it cautiously, screwing a silencer onto his gun. Irina had counted 6 guards. He sighed and headed down the stairwell.

Irina stepped over to the table and glanced at the manuscripts, furiously brainstorming ways to get out of the vault. Her thoughts were interrupted by a surge of surprise, as she scanned the writings and drawings in front of her. She barely suppressed a gasp. How had Sloane missed it? It was almost all here.

"10 minutes." She heard the sound of gunfire in her ear.

"What do you think?" said Sloane eagerly.

"Mmm, let me think. I've always found it more difficult to interpret Rambaldi's manuscripts," Irina stalled. She cursed herself. Destroying the artifacts wasn't enough - she was going to need to make sure the manuscripts didn't survive either.

"Why don't we take these in with the artifacts? If we see them together, that may give me some ideas."

"Irina, what are you doing?" she heard Jack hiss in her ear. "You can't go back in with the artifacts - you only have 5 minutes left." Then silence as she heard more gunfire.

"Very well," said Sloane. "If you believe it will assist us." Carefully, lovingly, he gathered up each manuscript and drawing. Irina could have screamed with impatience.

"Irina!" yelled Jack. "15 seconds! Take cover!"

She had run out of time. Mentally shrugging her shoulders, Irina calmly shifted her position to be as far away as possible from the artifacts room. Idly she wondered how much C-4 Jack had been able to put in the artifact.

It was fitting, somehow. She and Sloane and Rambaldi, bound together at the end, as the seconds ticked down. Bound together years ago, in a quest for immortality. Bound together now, in the imminence of death. She had always known that, one day, it might come to this - that she might need to end her life to prevent the immortality of others. And in those years when she had been alone, the cost had not seemed so high. At times, even, death had beckoned, welcoming, as an alternative to her soulless existence.

Now - she sighed. She acknowledged to herself that the cost was much higher. Knowing what might be required of her, she had never allowed herself the luxury of contemplating a future beyond Rambaldi. A future with Jack. With Sydney. As the seconds ticked down, she reflected on what might have been, and grieved. The cost was much higher now, but it was one that still must be paid. She hoped Jack would understand.

5...4..."I'm sorry, Jack," she whispered...3...2...