***
IV. start turning the girl into the ground
***
"You don't have to do this," Vaughn said.
"Oh, I do." But she hesitated in front of the door. "Someone's with Francie?"
"Dixon. He won't leave her until you get back."
"Okay. Okay." She pushed the door open before her nerve could fail her.
"Syd! Oh, thank God." Will's familiar voice made her stomach churn.
She held up a hand. "Cut the crap, Sark."
"Sark? What? Sydney--"
"Stop it! We found Will's body today. Your secret's out, Mr. Sark."
He didn't morph back into his real self, of course, although she'd have nightmares about just that for a long time. But his body language changed. He lounged back against the wall, giving her that half-sleepy look that had irritated her coming from the old him. And when he spoke, it was Will's voice but Sark's cool accent. "Very well, then. What do you intend to do about it?"
"You killed a CIA agent."
"Tippin was a low-level analyst. And I didn't kill him."
"Neither of those small details matter to anyone here, least of all me." Meeting his eyes was easier when she was angry. "If you're lucky, you'll live until trial."
"Unless..."
"Unless you tell us everything you know about Sloane's operation. His plans. The Rambaldi device, and what he intends to do with it."
"And what guarantee do I have that you won't kill me anyway?"
Sydney could see her reflection in the mirror at one end of the interrogation room. There was something familiar about the look on her face.
It was her father's.
She jerked her attention back to--to Sark. "None. But the first time I can prove you're lying, I'll shoot you myself. Just like you shot Will." She touched the center of her forehead. "One shot between the eyes, right? Nice and fast."
"Not as fast as you think. Or so they tell me. He sniveled a bit first. Begged for his life. Begged for yours, and then--" He lifted his hand and mimed a gunshot to his own head. "Boom."
It took Vaughn, Weiss, and Kendall to drag her off of Sark. She made a point of blacking both his eyes before she let them pull her away. With his face bruised and bleeding, he looked just like Will had in Taipei.
Vaughn sat with her on the floor of the observation room. She dry-heaved into his shoulder while they listened to Weiss and Sark yell at each other.
"I'm sorry," she said when she could breathe. "I blew it."
"I don't think so. You were pretty convincing. Violent, but convincing."
She struggled to her feet. "I need to get back to Francie."
"So she can yell at you some more?"
"I don't mind."
"Sydney." She could see his hand on hers, but she couldn't feel it. "This isn't your fault."
She raised her head. Sark was staring over Weiss's shoulder into the mirror. As she watched, he smiled. Will's smile.
"Yes. It is."
***
IV. start turning the girl into the ground
***
"You don't have to do this," Vaughn said.
"Oh, I do." But she hesitated in front of the door. "Someone's with Francie?"
"Dixon. He won't leave her until you get back."
"Okay. Okay." She pushed the door open before her nerve could fail her.
"Syd! Oh, thank God." Will's familiar voice made her stomach churn.
She held up a hand. "Cut the crap, Sark."
"Sark? What? Sydney--"
"Stop it! We found Will's body today. Your secret's out, Mr. Sark."
He didn't morph back into his real self, of course, although she'd have nightmares about just that for a long time. But his body language changed. He lounged back against the wall, giving her that half-sleepy look that had irritated her coming from the old him. And when he spoke, it was Will's voice but Sark's cool accent. "Very well, then. What do you intend to do about it?"
"You killed a CIA agent."
"Tippin was a low-level analyst. And I didn't kill him."
"Neither of those small details matter to anyone here, least of all me." Meeting his eyes was easier when she was angry. "If you're lucky, you'll live until trial."
"Unless..."
"Unless you tell us everything you know about Sloane's operation. His plans. The Rambaldi device, and what he intends to do with it."
"And what guarantee do I have that you won't kill me anyway?"
Sydney could see her reflection in the mirror at one end of the interrogation room. There was something familiar about the look on her face.
It was her father's.
She jerked her attention back to--to Sark. "None. But the first time I can prove you're lying, I'll shoot you myself. Just like you shot Will." She touched the center of her forehead. "One shot between the eyes, right? Nice and fast."
"Not as fast as you think. Or so they tell me. He sniveled a bit first. Begged for his life. Begged for yours, and then--" He lifted his hand and mimed a gunshot to his own head. "Boom."
It took Vaughn, Weiss, and Kendall to drag her off of Sark. She made a point of blacking both his eyes before she let them pull her away. With his face bruised and bleeding, he looked just like Will had in Taipei.
Vaughn sat with her on the floor of the observation room. She dry-heaved into his shoulder while they listened to Weiss and Sark yell at each other.
"I'm sorry," she said when she could breathe. "I blew it."
"I don't think so. You were pretty convincing. Violent, but convincing."
She struggled to her feet. "I need to get back to Francie."
"So she can yell at you some more?"
"I don't mind."
"Sydney." She could see his hand on hers, but she couldn't feel it. "This isn't your fault."
She raised her head. Sark was staring over Weiss's shoulder into the mirror. As she watched, he smiled. Will's smile.
"Yes. It is."
***