Vaughn pulled the car into a lay-by and switched off the ignition. He turned to face Sydney concerned.
"What just happened, are you OK?"
Sydney's breathing had quickened. The flashback had given her quite a shock.
"Sydney, are you sure you're OK?"
Sydney didn't answer. She began to shake as she thought back to the flashback she had just had.
"Its alright. I'm here." Vaughn caressed Sydney in his arms and whispered comforting words to her.
"Sweetheart, I'm here. Don't fret, you're safe with me."
"Its going to be OK. Tell me what happened."
Sydney took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I was looking at that man over there." She pointed to the man dressed in green, who was still on his mobile phone. "I suddenly had this flashback to the accident. He was there, holding the painting. I remember now, he was the guy with the painting, the guy with the gun, the guy who nearly had me KILLED!"
"Calm down. We'll sort this out. I'll radio for backup. We don't know what this guy could do."
Sydney shook her head.
"No, Vaughn. We can go and see him now, there are some guns and handcuffs in the car boot. I owe him revenge."
"Sydney, no. I don't want to see you injure yourself again. You've only just come out of hospital."
Before Vaughn could stop her, Sydney had made up her mind and was fumbling around in the boot for the guns and handcuffs.
She eventually found them.
She tossed one of the guns and the handcuffs to Vaughn.
"You don't have to do this. It would be more sensible to radio for back up."
+++++++++
Sydney ignored Vaughn's words and marched across the road towards the man. She was determined to complete her mission and take revenge on what the man had done to her. Sydney was that 'No-one can't hurt me!" kind of girl. Nothing would stand in Sydney's way. Vaughn followed behind, cursing to himself. What was she doing, he thought to himself. They reached the wall where the man was. He had finished on his mobile phone and was staring across the road. Vaughn crept up behind and grabbed him, locking the handcuffs into position on his hands.
"Hey, get off me!" The man shouted, struggling to get free.
He turned around to see Vaughn and Sydney. He was surprised to see her.
"Sydney Bristow. You're alive. That's such a shame!"
Sydney lurched forward, trying to punch him. Then she realised her arm was in a plaster cast. All she could do was scowl at him.
"Where's the painting and who are you?!" Vaughn demanded.
"I am Mr Kensington, leader of group 'XS'. A painting? I don't know what your talking about"
"Yes you do. You tried to kill me by pushing me in front of a lorry and taking the painting from my hands. Now give us the painting!" shouted Sydney.
Mr Kensington didn't comply so Vaughn put a gun to his head.
"Where is the painting!?" shouted Vaughn.
"I don't know. If I did I wouldn't give it to you anyway!"
Vaughn cocked the trigger of the gun.
"Tell us or you'll die!"
"Ok, Ok…..take the gun away. I'll show you."
Vaughn removed the gun and the man led them to his warehouse. In the back of the room was a safe. Mr Kensington pressed a few digits and pulled the safe door open. He removed a painting, locking the door afterwards.
"Is this it?" he asked Sydney.
"Yes that's the one" Sydney inspected it to make sure she was right.
"Here" said the man handing the painting to Sydney. She grabbed it quickly.
"Thank you for complying, Mr Kensington. I hope we don't met again."
He took the hand cuffs off him and followed Sydney back to his car. Little did they know it wouldn't be the last time that they would see him.
+++++++++
"That seemed a little easy" said Vaughn suspiciously. They were sitting in the car.
"I know. I told you it would be OK. We better take the painting back for Marshall to examine"
"Good idea," said Vaughn as he started the engine and then drove away.
"Look, you didn't have to do that. Taking revenge is not the best way to solve a problem even if you were nearly dead because of the accident."
"I know, Vaughn. I think this accident has changed me slightly. I wanted the catch him when I had the chance. If it wasn't for this damn plaster cast I could have punched him fair and square!"
Vaughn grinned and let out a laugh. Sydney frowned.
"What?" he asked.
"Your laugh."
"What about it?"
"Its so sweet. I haven't heard you laugh in ages"
"Nor have I heard you" he replied.
He turned on the radio and they sang along to the tune.
+++++++++
Coming back to work was Sydney's biggest step. She wondered how people would treat her after her accident. Would they treat her the same? Even though she was ready to put up a fight, she felt a little traumatised by the accident. The nightmares and flashback had shaken her up. She had never experienced an accident this major before. Sometimes when she slept at night, she dreamt about the accident. All she seemed to re-enact was the lorry smashing into her, over and over again. She had told Vaughn about this who suggested that if the nightmares continued, she should see a psychiatrist. She thought about it.
Before going to the briefing room. She thanked Vaughn and said she would meet him in the warehouse later where they had their private talks.
Sydney walked into the briefing room to find, Slone, Marshall and her Father sitting on chairs.
Jack arose. "How are you?"
"I'm good, thank you. I saw the man from my accident. He was on a main road outside the hospital. He's called Mr Kensington. Vaughn and I got the painting." She handed it to Marshall.
"Glad to have you back. I'll go and um, examine this, um OK?"
"Good Idea, Marshall. Sydney, its great to have you back on the team." stated Slone.
"Its great to be back," Sydney felt relieved that they thought of her as the same, she thought of her time off as sick leave.
That sounded OK, didn't it?
++++++++
Sydney appeared at Marshall's room. Her entrance made him jump.
"Oh, Sorry Marshall I didn't see you there."
"That's alright. Do you want to sit in my new inflatable chair?"
"Maybe another time. Any news about the painting yet?"
"I have been studying it for the Rambaldi text, but have had no luck. It should be somewhere on the back of the painting, but I can't find it." He put on some magnifying glasses to take a better look.
"What are you implying, Marshall?" questioned Sydney frowning.
"Sydney, I can't see any text at all. This isn't the real painting.
It's seems to be a replica."
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Thanks for the reviews and tips. I seem to be ending on cliff-hangers which is good because it makes the readers want to find out what's going to happen. I have one question that I need answering. I want to have Will and Francie in the next chapter but how will Sydney know who they are if her memory was erased? I don't know how I can write this. Feedback greatly appreciated. Thank you.
