Chapter One:

"How did you know I live here?" I ask irritatedly even as I let Sark follow me into my room to watch me haphazardly throwing articles of clothing into a suitcase.

I didn't even know why I was packing...

"What the hell is this about?" I ask, forcing my suitcase shut and sighing in frustration when it pops open again.

Without a word he crosses the room and holds the suitcase shut, allowing me to fasten it before it can spring open again. I don't bother to thank him, but instead opt for pinning has hand against the suitcase with my own, keeping him from trning away from me, and then spin to face him.

I immediatly regret the awkward position I've gotten myself into with the back of my legs pinned against the foot of the bed, his face inches from my own, and his arm crossing behind me to where I held it pinned, causing him to have to lean even closer. I narrow my eyes under his stare and wait for the witty remark that never comes.

"Do you have everything?" he asks nodding over my shoulder at the suitcase. I let go of his hand and look at him puzzledly, trying to remember if I'd ever heard him say anything to me, or anyone else for that matter, vefore that wasn't laced with sarcasm.

Suddenly I'm angry, "You can't honestly expect me to just pack my things and run with no explanation or reasoning.."

"You aren't safe here! Isn't that enough?" I couldn't help but be nervous at the way he kept glancing from my clock to my bedroom window.

"And you expect me to take your word for it? You've after all done so much to earn my trust..."

A car drove by outside, it's headlights splashing light across my room and for a brief moment illuminating Sark's face. The expression he wore wasn't quite one of fear, but it was the closest to him not being fully composed that I'd ever see.

"We've both been set up Ms. Bristow!" he told me as he spun around and knelt before my tv and VRC. Moments later I heard something plastic fall to the floor.

"Hey!"

"You've been set up," he repeated with emphasis by throwing something at my feet. I picked it up but in the darkness could hardly see it, and told him to flip the light switch.

"Get the light," I repeated more loudly, but nothing happened when he flipped the swith repeatedly.

"Your power's been cut. You can stay a minute longer and discover first hand that I've told you the truth, or you can trust me and we run. Now."

Heart pounding I raced to the window to open it and pop the screen, shoving the object from my VCR into my pocket.

"What is that thing?" I whispered as I removed the screen from the window and leaned it silently against the wall. Scanning the area I saw that no one was there and motioned for him to come closer.

Once outside we ran for about a mile in silence before he stopped me to answer my question. I surveyed the area and realized we were standing in an alley behind a grocery store.

"It's a camera," he told me breathlessly, wiping tiny beads of sweat from his forehead.

"But why?" I watch him pull carkeys from his pocket, and for the first time I notice his car in the alley.

So we hadn't just been running aimlessly...

Once inside the car- acutely aware that I'm wearing nothing but a tanktop and pajama pants- I hug my knees to my chest and ask him about the camera again, already feeling a pit form in my stomach. I don't want to hear this...

"Blackmail," he answers simply, putting the car in drive. "Confirmation."

Vaughn, this is about Vaughn. A feeling of violation quickly turns to a sickening fear and the whole world seems to spin at Sark's words.

Squeezing my eyes shut against the tears, I sit in silence until I once again trust myself to speak.

"Where is he?" I ask weakly.

Sark's lack of an answer was an answer in itself, and I'm far too numb to cry...