Disclaimer: Still don't own!
A/N: Hey all. Sorry about the bit of wait, but thankfully school is over now (Yay!) so I actually have free time on my hands (a word I thought I'd never hear.) Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: pizza and Dream Writer 4 Life. You guys are great and please keep the reviews coming. Also special thanks as usual to my wonderful beta Dream Writer 4 Life. Well on with the plot. R&R and ENJOY!! - Bex
Joseph Shukhov stared more at the clock than the screens he was meant to be monitoring. It was 8:30 PM and - unlike the others guards in the house who were eating supper - he was stuck in the surveillance room. His stomach groaned and twisted in hunger. He rubbed it and his eyes flickered back to the clock. 'Only half an hour to go,' He thought in relief. 'Then someone else will take over this bitch of a duty and I can get something to eat.' These thoughts caused a thin smile to grace his face and it gave him the incentive to go back to watching the black and white pictures from the CCTV cameras.
His wandering orbs stopped on the screen in the left hand corner. He stared intently at the female prisoner it was focused on. It had been an hour since Mr Sark had brought her dinner to her, and yet it had hardly been touched. He'd watched her nibble at it, but mainly prodded it aimlessly with her fork. And now she sat back down in front of it again to repeat the process. 'Great! Another boring night watch. Why doesn't anything interesting every happen?'
And as if in reply, he saw her eyes widen as violent silent coughs erupted from her mouth. She clasped her hand around her throat and carried on spluttering - though there weren't any mikes in the room for him to hear it. But one thing was clear: she was choking.
"Oh shit!" He swore under his breath in Russian. He urgently reached out and smacked the red panic button. Nothing. "Shit! Shit!" He continued to rapidly strike the switch in desperation. It wasn't working. How was he going to alert anyone to what was happening?
His dilated eyes whipped back to the screen. She had collapsed now and if he didn't do something soon then she would suffocate. He wasn't supposed to leave his position, but Irina would have him shot for sure if she died. What was he going to do?
Joseph weighed up his options and made his decision. He dashed away from his post and sprinted down the corridor. After skidding around the corner, he yanked his set keys out and fumbled to fit the right one into the lock. Finally, one of them clicked; quickly he turned it and shoved the door open. In his panic he forgot to lock the door again, instead he only rushed to the body lying on the floor. He shouted at her in Russian - knowing full well that she understood it, for she constantly swore at him in it - feeling his heartbeat increasing when she remained unmoving. If she was dead, then soon Irina would make sure he joined her. Joseph knelt down beside her to feel for a pulse.
Before he knew what was happening; her fist came flying off the ground and collided with his face, the impact causing his neck to snap back. Then as quick as a flash, she was on her feet and gave a violent sidekick to his abdomen, followed by an accurate round house kick, causing him to completely lose his balance. He fell backwards, cracking his head against the table as he went.
Sydney walked over and checked that he was out cold, before touching her ear to switch on her earpiece. "Leprechaun, this is Jailbird. Do you copy? Over."
She heard a soft chuckle from the other end and could picture him shaking his head slightly. "I copy Jailbird," Her brother replied. "Who came up with 'Leprechaun' anyway?"
She shrugged even though he couldn't see her. "Your Irish."
"Well then, maybe we should have called you 'Yank-"
"Look Sark, this is not the time to go into this," She snapped, cringing when she'd realised she called him Sark.
There was a slight pause of awkward silence before he answered: "Is the guard unconscious?" His tone was emotionless again.
"Yes."
"Tie him up in case he comes round," He instructed.
"I'm one step ahead of you," She retorted as she ripped a sheet from her bed into strips to restrain him with. "Tied and gagged," She announced when she'd finished.
"Good. I've hacked into the surveillance systems and interrupted the feed, so you won't get caught by any CCTV cameras. You know where you need to go?"
"Yes. I memorised your instructions before I ate the note."
"Maybe you should have eaten some of you food as well, paper isn't that filling," He commented snidely.
"Look we don't ha-"
"Alright Jailbird. We've got to go radio silent to reduce the chance of them discovering you've escaped, so you're on your own for the next part. And remember, even though the majority of the guards are eating, there are still three who are guarding the perimeter. Be careful," He warned.
"Okay."
"Going radio silent. Oh and Jailbird," Sark sounded awkward.
"Yes Leprechaun?"
"Good luck," He wished quietly before the radio went dead.
Sydney paused for a moment before switching off her earpiece. She slipped on the dark sweater and pants she'd hidden under her bed then dragged the guard onto the bed and covered him with a sheet so it would resemble her asleep. She stopped in the doorway to look back at her prison for the past decade one last time, before she flickered off the lights and locked the door behind her. The cage finally had a new prisoner.
She blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hall. For the last ten years the only places she'd seen were the two bedrooms she'd been kept in and the dinning room where she'd been forced to have a meal in the presence of Irina - though that had been ceased after Sydney's last attempt to strangle her. It amazed her just how large this place really was and she prayed that she wouldn't get lost. 'First left,' She remembered the instructions as she turned the corner.
For minutes that seemed to her like hours Sydney wandered down the dark corridors and along winding staircases, mentally following the guide given by her brother.
Suddenly, she froze. Footsteps echoed down the corridor towards her from somewhere further on. She waited with baited breath 'til they faded away, exhaling with relief when they no longer could be heard. She was not going to be caught again. There was no way she was ever going to be shut back up.
She finished creeping along the corridor till she reached the door at the end. 'This is it,' She thought to herself, then cautiously turned the handle.
The knob groaned slightly as it was forced from years of sleep. Quickly, she slid into the room and gently closed the door behind her. The room was filled with forgotten relics; some covered with moth-eaten cloths, but all coated in layers of dust from neglect. She sprinted to the large wooden framed window at the far end and used her weight to force it open. Then she climbed onto the windowsill.
The harsh Russian wind battered against her exposed skin and caused her eyes to water. She squinted as she looked down at the dark world below her. She was two-stories above the ground; the lake that ran adjacent to the mansion was only metres away. The surface of the lake had once been iced over; but someone had cracked it, so it now lay in thousand of fragmented pieces. If she didn't make it she would be dead. Or worse: she'd been dragged back to her prison.
After one last scan of the area for guards, she inhaled deeply and jumped. She fell through the air and plummeted feet first into the freezing water. She gasped and spluttered as she began to tread water, her system in shock from the sudden change in temperature. And then she began to swim. The ice- cold water slapped against her, chilling every part it touched, but she would not let the cold slow her. Not when she was so close. Her determination burned through her insides granting her the warmth she needed to complete her task.
She dragged herself onto the bank, then struggled through the hole at the bottom of the metal chain-link fence. She stood in between the trees on the other side - shivering violently from head to toe - waiting for her signal.
Headlights appeared in two short flashes at the roadside in front of her. She rushed over and the back car door opened, as she got closer. She climbed in and smiled feebly at her brother. "What took you so long?" He demanded with a smirk.
She glared. "I h - had t- to avoid being cau- caught and swim th- through a goddamn fre- freezing lake first. T- THAT'S A - ALL!" She snapped back, just managing to force out the words between her chattering teeth.
His smirk didn't change at her out burst; if anything it widened slightly. He reached across to the front passenger seat and pulled a towel and some dry clothes off it, then handed them to her. "Thanks," She muttered.
"Keep you head down whilst we're travelling. We don't want you to be seen," He ordered and she nodded. "Well, phase one is complete. Now let's move on to phase two." He turned the key in the ignition and the car sprung into life. Then Sark turned round to speak to his sister one last time before heading off along the isolated road: "Let's get Kate back."
She returned his smile. "Let's get her back."
A/N: What do you think? I know you have an opinion waiting to be shared, so go on and share it. I'm waiting, lol! :o)
A/N: Hey all. Sorry about the bit of wait, but thankfully school is over now (Yay!) so I actually have free time on my hands (a word I thought I'd never hear.) Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: pizza and Dream Writer 4 Life. You guys are great and please keep the reviews coming. Also special thanks as usual to my wonderful beta Dream Writer 4 Life. Well on with the plot. R&R and ENJOY!! - Bex
Joseph Shukhov stared more at the clock than the screens he was meant to be monitoring. It was 8:30 PM and - unlike the others guards in the house who were eating supper - he was stuck in the surveillance room. His stomach groaned and twisted in hunger. He rubbed it and his eyes flickered back to the clock. 'Only half an hour to go,' He thought in relief. 'Then someone else will take over this bitch of a duty and I can get something to eat.' These thoughts caused a thin smile to grace his face and it gave him the incentive to go back to watching the black and white pictures from the CCTV cameras.
His wandering orbs stopped on the screen in the left hand corner. He stared intently at the female prisoner it was focused on. It had been an hour since Mr Sark had brought her dinner to her, and yet it had hardly been touched. He'd watched her nibble at it, but mainly prodded it aimlessly with her fork. And now she sat back down in front of it again to repeat the process. 'Great! Another boring night watch. Why doesn't anything interesting every happen?'
And as if in reply, he saw her eyes widen as violent silent coughs erupted from her mouth. She clasped her hand around her throat and carried on spluttering - though there weren't any mikes in the room for him to hear it. But one thing was clear: she was choking.
"Oh shit!" He swore under his breath in Russian. He urgently reached out and smacked the red panic button. Nothing. "Shit! Shit!" He continued to rapidly strike the switch in desperation. It wasn't working. How was he going to alert anyone to what was happening?
His dilated eyes whipped back to the screen. She had collapsed now and if he didn't do something soon then she would suffocate. He wasn't supposed to leave his position, but Irina would have him shot for sure if she died. What was he going to do?
Joseph weighed up his options and made his decision. He dashed away from his post and sprinted down the corridor. After skidding around the corner, he yanked his set keys out and fumbled to fit the right one into the lock. Finally, one of them clicked; quickly he turned it and shoved the door open. In his panic he forgot to lock the door again, instead he only rushed to the body lying on the floor. He shouted at her in Russian - knowing full well that she understood it, for she constantly swore at him in it - feeling his heartbeat increasing when she remained unmoving. If she was dead, then soon Irina would make sure he joined her. Joseph knelt down beside her to feel for a pulse.
Before he knew what was happening; her fist came flying off the ground and collided with his face, the impact causing his neck to snap back. Then as quick as a flash, she was on her feet and gave a violent sidekick to his abdomen, followed by an accurate round house kick, causing him to completely lose his balance. He fell backwards, cracking his head against the table as he went.
Sydney walked over and checked that he was out cold, before touching her ear to switch on her earpiece. "Leprechaun, this is Jailbird. Do you copy? Over."
She heard a soft chuckle from the other end and could picture him shaking his head slightly. "I copy Jailbird," Her brother replied. "Who came up with 'Leprechaun' anyway?"
She shrugged even though he couldn't see her. "Your Irish."
"Well then, maybe we should have called you 'Yank-"
"Look Sark, this is not the time to go into this," She snapped, cringing when she'd realised she called him Sark.
There was a slight pause of awkward silence before he answered: "Is the guard unconscious?" His tone was emotionless again.
"Yes."
"Tie him up in case he comes round," He instructed.
"I'm one step ahead of you," She retorted as she ripped a sheet from her bed into strips to restrain him with. "Tied and gagged," She announced when she'd finished.
"Good. I've hacked into the surveillance systems and interrupted the feed, so you won't get caught by any CCTV cameras. You know where you need to go?"
"Yes. I memorised your instructions before I ate the note."
"Maybe you should have eaten some of you food as well, paper isn't that filling," He commented snidely.
"Look we don't ha-"
"Alright Jailbird. We've got to go radio silent to reduce the chance of them discovering you've escaped, so you're on your own for the next part. And remember, even though the majority of the guards are eating, there are still three who are guarding the perimeter. Be careful," He warned.
"Okay."
"Going radio silent. Oh and Jailbird," Sark sounded awkward.
"Yes Leprechaun?"
"Good luck," He wished quietly before the radio went dead.
Sydney paused for a moment before switching off her earpiece. She slipped on the dark sweater and pants she'd hidden under her bed then dragged the guard onto the bed and covered him with a sheet so it would resemble her asleep. She stopped in the doorway to look back at her prison for the past decade one last time, before she flickered off the lights and locked the door behind her. The cage finally had a new prisoner.
She blinked a couple of times as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hall. For the last ten years the only places she'd seen were the two bedrooms she'd been kept in and the dinning room where she'd been forced to have a meal in the presence of Irina - though that had been ceased after Sydney's last attempt to strangle her. It amazed her just how large this place really was and she prayed that she wouldn't get lost. 'First left,' She remembered the instructions as she turned the corner.
For minutes that seemed to her like hours Sydney wandered down the dark corridors and along winding staircases, mentally following the guide given by her brother.
Suddenly, she froze. Footsteps echoed down the corridor towards her from somewhere further on. She waited with baited breath 'til they faded away, exhaling with relief when they no longer could be heard. She was not going to be caught again. There was no way she was ever going to be shut back up.
She finished creeping along the corridor till she reached the door at the end. 'This is it,' She thought to herself, then cautiously turned the handle.
The knob groaned slightly as it was forced from years of sleep. Quickly, she slid into the room and gently closed the door behind her. The room was filled with forgotten relics; some covered with moth-eaten cloths, but all coated in layers of dust from neglect. She sprinted to the large wooden framed window at the far end and used her weight to force it open. Then she climbed onto the windowsill.
The harsh Russian wind battered against her exposed skin and caused her eyes to water. She squinted as she looked down at the dark world below her. She was two-stories above the ground; the lake that ran adjacent to the mansion was only metres away. The surface of the lake had once been iced over; but someone had cracked it, so it now lay in thousand of fragmented pieces. If she didn't make it she would be dead. Or worse: she'd been dragged back to her prison.
After one last scan of the area for guards, she inhaled deeply and jumped. She fell through the air and plummeted feet first into the freezing water. She gasped and spluttered as she began to tread water, her system in shock from the sudden change in temperature. And then she began to swim. The ice- cold water slapped against her, chilling every part it touched, but she would not let the cold slow her. Not when she was so close. Her determination burned through her insides granting her the warmth she needed to complete her task.
She dragged herself onto the bank, then struggled through the hole at the bottom of the metal chain-link fence. She stood in between the trees on the other side - shivering violently from head to toe - waiting for her signal.
Headlights appeared in two short flashes at the roadside in front of her. She rushed over and the back car door opened, as she got closer. She climbed in and smiled feebly at her brother. "What took you so long?" He demanded with a smirk.
She glared. "I h - had t- to avoid being cau- caught and swim th- through a goddamn fre- freezing lake first. T- THAT'S A - ALL!" She snapped back, just managing to force out the words between her chattering teeth.
His smirk didn't change at her out burst; if anything it widened slightly. He reached across to the front passenger seat and pulled a towel and some dry clothes off it, then handed them to her. "Thanks," She muttered.
"Keep you head down whilst we're travelling. We don't want you to be seen," He ordered and she nodded. "Well, phase one is complete. Now let's move on to phase two." He turned the key in the ignition and the car sprung into life. Then Sark turned round to speak to his sister one last time before heading off along the isolated road: "Let's get Kate back."
She returned his smile. "Let's get her back."
A/N: What do you think? I know you have an opinion waiting to be shared, so go on and share it. I'm waiting, lol! :o)