And the saga continues. I had a question in one of my reviews, about whether or not Vaughn and Syd are together. The answer is yes… sorry if that wasn't clear. Sometimes things make sense to me, but not to the people that read my stories. Anyways… thanks for pointing that out!! Hope you like this chapter. It's more of a transition than anything else, but I hope you like it anyways!
* * * * *
Chapter 18
I was sitting in the kitchen of the safehouse, waiting for my dad to answer the phone. Vaugh was still fast asleep in the bedroom.
"Jack Bristow." My father's voice boomed on the other end of the line.
"It's me," I said, my voice low.
"Sydney," my father replied. His voice was stern, but I could still detect the faintest hint of relief underlying his annoyance. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I'm sorry I hung up on you before."
Ignoring my apology, he continued. "And Agent Vaughn?" He inquired.
"He escaped and found his way back here. He's hurt badly, but I think everything's under control." I paused, allowing my father time to express relief at Vaughn's return. My father and Vaughn had never really gotten along, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I had always hoped that they would get along someday. After all, Vaughn was the man I loved.
But instead of spouting off about the finer aspects of Vaughn's personality, or at least expressing the relief he felt at hearing that Vaughn was safe, my father continued on with his questions. "Any word on where he was? On what happened?"
I sighed, exasperated. "No. He's still weak, and I wanted to give him the time to recover before we moved. Giving him the third degree didn't seem appropriate," I said sharply.
My father ignored the tone of my voice. "Moved?" He asked.
"We need to relocate." I said. "Someone obviously knows that we're here, and it's only a matter of time before they come back to finish what they started."
My father paused on the other end of the line, and I could hear his muffled voice talking to someone. The sounds grew louder as he no doubt stretched the limits of his authority, and his vocal chords.
I sighed again, tapping my foot impatiently against the leg of the kitchen table. My dad certainly wasn't the best at expressing his emotions, but he still knew how to get things done when it came down to it.
After several more minutes of muffled yelling, my father came back on the line.
"Sydney—we have set you and Agent Vaughn up at the Tashkonak Hotel. It's about twenty minutes from your current location. We've sent an agent to transport you in a taxi cab, and he should be there in a few minutes. The room is reserved under the names Ashley and Paul Lawrence. There will be two airplane tickets to LA waiting for you. The flight leaves in two days."
I nodded absently, relieved at finally having a plan of action.
"Thanks, Dad."
There were several moments of awkward silence before he spoke again.
"I want you out of there now, Sydney. If Sloane's men are behind this, they won't waste any time in coming back. We don't know what's going on, or how they found you. It's dangerous for you to stay where you are any longer than necessary."
"We'll leave right after I get off the phone."
"Good," he replied, hesitating. "And Sydney…"
"What?" I asked, anxious to get off the line.
"Be careful."
I opened my mouth to respond, but the line was already dead.
* * * * *
Within minutes, I had nudged Vaughn awake, and had gathered together our few belongings. Vaughn stepped out of the bedroom, moving slowly to stand beside me.
"Ready to go?" I asked, grabbing his hand in mine.
He smiled halfheartedly, and I could tell that he still felt terrible. He was walking slowly and unsteadily, and I wrapped my arm around his waist to support him.
The contact brought a brief but genuine smile to his face, and he bend down, despite the pain that the movement caused, to brush his lips against mine.
I returned his smile, feeling my own legs growing a bit unsteady after his gentle kiss.
"I missed you," he said quietly.
I laughed. "You were only asleep for an hour."
He chuckled, wincing again at the effort. "Not now. When they had me." He gestured to his bruised eye.
I frowned. I again pressed back the anger that welled up within me. There would be a time to express anger at the men who had done this to him, but now wasn't that time.
"I missed you, too. I was so scared that they had killed you. I saw the blood—" I shook the thought away. "But you're here now." I looked him up and down. "And with only moderate damage."
He smiled, and we headed slowly downstairs to our waiting cab. Vaughn's steps began to waver about halfway down, and I paused, glancing up at him.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, concern wrinkling my brow. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his face had drained of all color.
But he nodded, almost imperceptibly.
I hesitated, watching him for a few more seconds before slowly continuing on, my arm gripping him more tightly as I felt him grow weaker.
We finally reached the cab, and I helped Vaughn lower himself into the back seat. He groaned softly, his head falling back against the headrest.
I kneeled down beside his open door, resting my hand on his cheek, which I noticed was slightly warm.
"Twenty more minutes, Vaughn," I said softly. "Twenty more minutes and you can lay down again, okay?"
Again, his nod was barely perceptible. He wasn't doing well at all.
I sighed, stroking his cheek once more, before running to the other side of the cab and slamming the door behind me.
* * * * *
So there you go… Syd and Vaughn on a little road trip across Istanbul. I have some ideas for the next few chapters, so keep checking for updates!! And keep reviewing!
* * * * *
Chapter 18
I was sitting in the kitchen of the safehouse, waiting for my dad to answer the phone. Vaugh was still fast asleep in the bedroom.
"Jack Bristow." My father's voice boomed on the other end of the line.
"It's me," I said, my voice low.
"Sydney," my father replied. His voice was stern, but I could still detect the faintest hint of relief underlying his annoyance. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I'm sorry I hung up on you before."
Ignoring my apology, he continued. "And Agent Vaughn?" He inquired.
"He escaped and found his way back here. He's hurt badly, but I think everything's under control." I paused, allowing my father time to express relief at Vaughn's return. My father and Vaughn had never really gotten along, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I had always hoped that they would get along someday. After all, Vaughn was the man I loved.
But instead of spouting off about the finer aspects of Vaughn's personality, or at least expressing the relief he felt at hearing that Vaughn was safe, my father continued on with his questions. "Any word on where he was? On what happened?"
I sighed, exasperated. "No. He's still weak, and I wanted to give him the time to recover before we moved. Giving him the third degree didn't seem appropriate," I said sharply.
My father ignored the tone of my voice. "Moved?" He asked.
"We need to relocate." I said. "Someone obviously knows that we're here, and it's only a matter of time before they come back to finish what they started."
My father paused on the other end of the line, and I could hear his muffled voice talking to someone. The sounds grew louder as he no doubt stretched the limits of his authority, and his vocal chords.
I sighed again, tapping my foot impatiently against the leg of the kitchen table. My dad certainly wasn't the best at expressing his emotions, but he still knew how to get things done when it came down to it.
After several more minutes of muffled yelling, my father came back on the line.
"Sydney—we have set you and Agent Vaughn up at the Tashkonak Hotel. It's about twenty minutes from your current location. We've sent an agent to transport you in a taxi cab, and he should be there in a few minutes. The room is reserved under the names Ashley and Paul Lawrence. There will be two airplane tickets to LA waiting for you. The flight leaves in two days."
I nodded absently, relieved at finally having a plan of action.
"Thanks, Dad."
There were several moments of awkward silence before he spoke again.
"I want you out of there now, Sydney. If Sloane's men are behind this, they won't waste any time in coming back. We don't know what's going on, or how they found you. It's dangerous for you to stay where you are any longer than necessary."
"We'll leave right after I get off the phone."
"Good," he replied, hesitating. "And Sydney…"
"What?" I asked, anxious to get off the line.
"Be careful."
I opened my mouth to respond, but the line was already dead.
* * * * *
Within minutes, I had nudged Vaughn awake, and had gathered together our few belongings. Vaughn stepped out of the bedroom, moving slowly to stand beside me.
"Ready to go?" I asked, grabbing his hand in mine.
He smiled halfheartedly, and I could tell that he still felt terrible. He was walking slowly and unsteadily, and I wrapped my arm around his waist to support him.
The contact brought a brief but genuine smile to his face, and he bend down, despite the pain that the movement caused, to brush his lips against mine.
I returned his smile, feeling my own legs growing a bit unsteady after his gentle kiss.
"I missed you," he said quietly.
I laughed. "You were only asleep for an hour."
He chuckled, wincing again at the effort. "Not now. When they had me." He gestured to his bruised eye.
I frowned. I again pressed back the anger that welled up within me. There would be a time to express anger at the men who had done this to him, but now wasn't that time.
"I missed you, too. I was so scared that they had killed you. I saw the blood—" I shook the thought away. "But you're here now." I looked him up and down. "And with only moderate damage."
He smiled, and we headed slowly downstairs to our waiting cab. Vaughn's steps began to waver about halfway down, and I paused, glancing up at him.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, concern wrinkling my brow. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his face had drained of all color.
But he nodded, almost imperceptibly.
I hesitated, watching him for a few more seconds before slowly continuing on, my arm gripping him more tightly as I felt him grow weaker.
We finally reached the cab, and I helped Vaughn lower himself into the back seat. He groaned softly, his head falling back against the headrest.
I kneeled down beside his open door, resting my hand on his cheek, which I noticed was slightly warm.
"Twenty more minutes, Vaughn," I said softly. "Twenty more minutes and you can lay down again, okay?"
Again, his nod was barely perceptible. He wasn't doing well at all.
I sighed, stroking his cheek once more, before running to the other side of the cab and slamming the door behind me.
* * * * *
So there you go… Syd and Vaughn on a little road trip across Istanbul. I have some ideas for the next few chapters, so keep checking for updates!! And keep reviewing!