So, I was really upset that no one reviewed my last chapter. Maybe I'll
get a few reviews for this one? I really hope so. There are only a few
chapters to go!
The thin air seemed to crackle in the van, parked away from the scene of the first op. Excitement seemed to be drummed into the air but maybe that was the pulsating techno beat from the club a few blocks away. Sydney's heart was already pounding hard in her chest as the adrenaline pushed through her veins. Her eyes couldn't help but stare at the shirtless Vaughn sitting not close enough to her. She watched as each breath he took rippled through his toned chest "Vaughn?"
His eyes jumped up from his hands, holding a black leather jacket that he was studying. "What?" He asked sincerely. He was obviously thinking about something in depth and it was fairly obvious that he wasn't studying the stitching of the fine Italian leather jacket.
"Are you okay?"
He didn't even bother to respond. Without much thought, he took his hand to the inside of his elbow and found a piece of gauze taped over with white medical tape. Finding a small rippled edge, he ripped it off in one quick motion that would surely cause intense pain. He didn't even blink. "I'm fine." His voice was absolutely flat and void of emotion. The death was really paying a toll on him for the first time. This was real. And to make matters even worse, Sydney had drawn his blood while they were on their chattered plane, reminding him that he was dying. His eyes glanced away from Sydney for a moment and looked at his arm, with a small puncture wound in one of his blue veins covered by a small green bruise that was starting to seep over his pale skin.
She shook her head, "That's not what I'm asking. Are. You. Okay?" She could honestly care less about his physical capabilities right now. All she cared about was his mental status. If they were captured or something, his mind would give out first if he wasn't prepared for this.
He thought for a moment as he threw the jacket over his arms, covering the bruise on his arm. He knew what she was asking and it pained her to think that something was going to happen to him. And here, he was faced with two very distinct choices. He could lie and tell her that he was fine and everything was going to be okay or he could tell her the truth. "I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch killed my mother." Vaughn sneered as he straightened his coat and checked the clip in his gun. The second option seemed more fair.
"I know, baby." Sydney whispered softly, placing her comm. link in her ear. "But you can't let that affect you tonight. I need to know-are you gonna keep your head in the game?"
"Let's review for a moment." Weiss quickly cut in, sitting on the other side of Sydney with a headset on and a black folder sitting in his lap. It was agreed that Weiss would stay in the van and monitor security as Vaughn and Sydney made their way into the nightclub and have their meeting with Nikoli Venshenav, a former member of the KGB who was known to work with Irinia and Sark. He had agreed to cooperate with the CIA, as they threatened him with much blackmail towards the Russian government.
Vaughn looked over at him for a moment and spat, "I know what the op is. We've been reviewing this since this morning! How much more preparation do we need?"
Weiss didn't answer. He simply looked at Sydney, who nodded her head and moved closer to Vaughn. There were two other agents sitting in the van and they had turned towards their computer monitors but were still listening. "Vaughn, what's going on with you? You need to relax or else tonight's gonna be a disaster. You need to get your head in the game." She said rather forcefully and placed her hand atop of his, trying to soothe him.
His eyes looked so full of pain when he looked up. "You know how upset you were with Sloane after Danny?"
And that shut her up. He used her past love to thoroughly slap her across the face. She didn't know what to say to that and pulled her hands away. She looked away for a moment and responded, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." Vaughn hissed and stood up, securing the comm. link in his ear. They pulled the door open and jumped out of the van into the chilly Russian night.
"Good luck." Weiss mouthed as he shut the door.
The cold cut through Sydney's barely clad body. She wore the ugliest costume she had ever worn in her life. It was basically a white strip of fabric that was worn like a halter top and reached her waist, barely covering her breast. Her entire back and abdomen was exposed and the three inch piece of fabric (that resembled a lacy scarf thrown around her neck) was attached to a very short white pleated mini skirt. The ensemble was completed with white knee high boots or as she called them her "happy hooker boots." She wore a striking blonde wig that gave her a little more coverage on her back. Her honey brown eyes were now blue and she wore deep red lipstick. She was now Rifka Anni. She moved closer to Vaughn, who wrapped his arms around her, clearly much warmer than she.
He took her into his arms and felt her snuggle closer. He was the luckier one of the two and thankfully got to wear a great deal more clothing. He wore an open leather jacket, void of a shirt beneath. His tight leather pants didn't give much as he walked down the street. His hair was tossed with gel and his beautiful green eyes were replaced with a deep aqua colored. Good-bye Michael Vaughn, hello Serge Telsevain.
It only took him an instant to regret snapping at her. "Listen, I'm sorry." He spoke into her hair. He couldn't bear to go into this with a heavy heart and something on his chest. There was already something there that shouldn't have been there and it was making his breathing more difficult with each passing day.
A sad little smile crossed her lips, "I know this is tough and sweetie, I understand. We're going to find who did this and they're going to pay. I promise."
He nodded silently in agreement and pulled her a little closer, "You have goose bumps."
"It's freezing out!" She exclaimed. "I really don't think it's fair that you have more clothes than me."
Vaughn laughed lightly, "Let's be happy that I'm not wearing that outfit."
"Touché!"
The 'happy' couple made their way towards the trendy club full of people, begging the bouncer for their fifteen minutes in the club. Vaughn pushed his way to the front of the line, holding on Sydney's hand tightly. "She's a dancer and she wants to dance." His Russian was almost as sexy as his French.
The bouncer, standing about 6'3" and 350 pounds with jet black hair and black Armani suit, smiled. "That may be true but will she dance with me?"
Sydney stepped forward, pushing past Vaughn and put her hands on the bouncer's shoulder. "Only if you want be to, baby."
The bouncer smiled, revealing a set of absolutely perfect teeth and moved the burgundy rope to allow them in. "I'll hold you up to that, baby."
Sydney smiled and purred in agreement. Vaughn followed her in, wrapping his arms around her. "I hope you'll dance with me first."
"Anything for you."
The sight before them was like nothing they ever thought of. It was a large room with a large balcony outlining it. The walls were painted black with neon flashes of color everywhere. There was a bar that lined the back wall with enough people standing there to fill a small country. There were little stages in various parts of the room, where women were dancing, wearing more clothes than Sydney. There were lights flashing and a smoke machine filling the room. People were anywhere and everywhere. Most of them were drunk or high out of their minds. They were all dancing to the contagious techno beat that filled the club and deafened all that were in there. The club itself reeked of sex and alcohol. This club was like Studio 54. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
"Okay, you'll be meeting Nik in the back room. He should be there with his little entourage, so you'll have to be careful." Weiss had told them before they left.
"You know, I really don't think it's fair that you get to dance with the bouncer and not me." Vaughn shouted through the crowd.
"What?" Sydney shouted back, unable to hear over the hard core techno beat that filled the room. She couldn't help but smile. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around to face her love, feeling very well aware that she was barely dressed. With all the seduction in the world, she pulled herself close to him, feeling what felt like hundreds of dancing bodies around her. She let his hands grope to her lower back and rest there for a moment. Laughing at little bit, she shouted in his ear, "Don't think I wore this outfit for you."
They shared a laugh that seemed to be silent. Neither one could truly hear the other over the pulsating beat that seemed to take over both of their bodies. Their steps seemed to move in sync with the beat and they moved up towards a room, heavily guarded VIP backroom. People were everywhere and each man tried to dance with Sydney and each woman tried to catch Vaughn. No one seemed to care that the pair were holding hands and were obviously together. It was too much like the mission they had been on in Taipei.
They reached the bouncer sooner than expected. He was bigger than the one outside and looked the agents over. Sydney stood, her chest pushed out and her hips pushed back. "What?" He snapped.
"The music's slow, the drugs are slow, and I want to dance." She spoke the assigned phrase.
The bouncer smiled and replied, "We'll have to talk to the deejay and work on that." Sydney smiled back, stepping forward slightly. "Nikoli is expecting you, Miss Anni." The bouncer moved aside and ushered Vaughn and Sydney into a posh room, filled with a large purple sofa, a few chairs, a large table piled high with shot glasses. A man, flocked with woman wearing less clothes than Sydney were sitting on the couch. They reeked of alcohol. Sydney walked in and mentally made a note of the two doors, the one she came in and the one all the way in the back. There must have been two other guards standing in the room, standing with their arms crossed over their chests and their guns proudly displayed.
They waked in the room and a guard shut the door and locked it firmly behind them. Another mental note. Sydney was overcome with a strong sinking feeling about this but before Vaughn could open his mouth and say something to the woman sitting near Nikoli dressed in red, he felt a bag come over his head and cinch around his neck. The last thing he remembered was Sydney fighting as she suffered a similar fate.
The room was cold and bare. How many times would she wake up in a room like this? But something about this was significantly different. Her eyes fluttered against the harsh darkness and saw two forms, hunched over. The nearest one, about two feet away, was awake and resting against the wall, nursing an injury. Her body was obviously weak and she quickly realized she must have been drugged. This feeling was all too familiar. It felt like a bad hangover. Well, maybe it wasn't direct drugs. Maybe it was because of all the 'stuff' that was going on in the club. Enough people smoking, you tend to get a little buzz. And she was definitely feeling the day after effects. Her mouth, crackled dry from dehydration, could barely audit the words she wanted to say. "V-Va-aughn."
The close figure's head snapped up with more effort than intended. His body was absolutely aching. He had woken up a few minutes earlier and realized how much his body hurt. He must have been beaten by the shooting pains on his ribs and the obvious deformity of his left leg. The same feeling of the hang over sense flooded his sense too but he was a touch more coherent than Sydney. He knew that they were captured and that it was Sydney laying beside him. "Hey." He managed to whisper. "How're you doing?"
"Where are we?"
"I don't know." He responded simply, feeling his eyes drift away from his injuries and towards Sydney's. "Are you hurt?" He scooted over and tried to help her sit up. She winced as she put pressure on her left arm. "Yes, you are." Without even thinking, he tucked her closely in towards his body and let her head rested in his lap. His fingers stroked her hair, matted from sweat and dirt.
She blinked a few more times as she tried to get her bearings. She tried to sit up again but Vaughn kept her down. He made shushing sounds as she tried to stay awake and make a mental inventory of her body. She inhaled deeply and felt her breath hitch slightly. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to sound stronger, "What happened?" Her voice was raspy and hoarse.
Vaughn was suddenly grateful he had a few more moments than Sydney's to reflect on his events. For some reason, his thoughts were relatively clear. "I don't know. All I remember is that we made it into the room and then, everything went black." Taking a moment to swallow, he was happy with his decision to keep the other details to himself. The woman on the couch was so distinct that he couldn't help but keep her in the back on his mind. He couldn't forget the way her black hair cascaded over her shoulders or the genuine look of shock over her face. He couldn't help but remember the way his chest tightened up and his palms began to sweat. Or the tinny taste in his mouth. But in this moment, with Sydney curled up in his lap, he forced himself to concentrate.
Startling both of them, the other person moved and sat up, looking around just as confused as the two others. The gender was unknown until they coughed and groaned slightly. It was obviously a woman. She groaned as she pushed her body off of the floor and craned her neck away from her body to look around. "Where are we?" She asked, squinting to make out the two other forms in the small and cramped room. It was probably half the size of a jail cell. The three agents (Sydney and Vaughn both assumed that the other woman was an agent considering that they were detained) were only about four feet away from each other.
Sydney managed to sit up at the sound of the female's voice. Her blood ran cold and reached for Vaughn's hand. In the dim lighting, she could just barely make out the wide eyed boyfriend. She scouted closer and rested her forehead against his jaw line and felt his jaw tighten. His mouth was dry now and his tongue started to swell in his mouth. He recognized that voice. He had grown up with that voice and he could have sworn he left that voice behind in Fleury. "Claire?"
"Michael?"
The thin air seemed to crackle in the van, parked away from the scene of the first op. Excitement seemed to be drummed into the air but maybe that was the pulsating techno beat from the club a few blocks away. Sydney's heart was already pounding hard in her chest as the adrenaline pushed through her veins. Her eyes couldn't help but stare at the shirtless Vaughn sitting not close enough to her. She watched as each breath he took rippled through his toned chest "Vaughn?"
His eyes jumped up from his hands, holding a black leather jacket that he was studying. "What?" He asked sincerely. He was obviously thinking about something in depth and it was fairly obvious that he wasn't studying the stitching of the fine Italian leather jacket.
"Are you okay?"
He didn't even bother to respond. Without much thought, he took his hand to the inside of his elbow and found a piece of gauze taped over with white medical tape. Finding a small rippled edge, he ripped it off in one quick motion that would surely cause intense pain. He didn't even blink. "I'm fine." His voice was absolutely flat and void of emotion. The death was really paying a toll on him for the first time. This was real. And to make matters even worse, Sydney had drawn his blood while they were on their chattered plane, reminding him that he was dying. His eyes glanced away from Sydney for a moment and looked at his arm, with a small puncture wound in one of his blue veins covered by a small green bruise that was starting to seep over his pale skin.
She shook her head, "That's not what I'm asking. Are. You. Okay?" She could honestly care less about his physical capabilities right now. All she cared about was his mental status. If they were captured or something, his mind would give out first if he wasn't prepared for this.
He thought for a moment as he threw the jacket over his arms, covering the bruise on his arm. He knew what she was asking and it pained her to think that something was going to happen to him. And here, he was faced with two very distinct choices. He could lie and tell her that he was fine and everything was going to be okay or he could tell her the truth. "I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch killed my mother." Vaughn sneered as he straightened his coat and checked the clip in his gun. The second option seemed more fair.
"I know, baby." Sydney whispered softly, placing her comm. link in her ear. "But you can't let that affect you tonight. I need to know-are you gonna keep your head in the game?"
"Let's review for a moment." Weiss quickly cut in, sitting on the other side of Sydney with a headset on and a black folder sitting in his lap. It was agreed that Weiss would stay in the van and monitor security as Vaughn and Sydney made their way into the nightclub and have their meeting with Nikoli Venshenav, a former member of the KGB who was known to work with Irinia and Sark. He had agreed to cooperate with the CIA, as they threatened him with much blackmail towards the Russian government.
Vaughn looked over at him for a moment and spat, "I know what the op is. We've been reviewing this since this morning! How much more preparation do we need?"
Weiss didn't answer. He simply looked at Sydney, who nodded her head and moved closer to Vaughn. There were two other agents sitting in the van and they had turned towards their computer monitors but were still listening. "Vaughn, what's going on with you? You need to relax or else tonight's gonna be a disaster. You need to get your head in the game." She said rather forcefully and placed her hand atop of his, trying to soothe him.
His eyes looked so full of pain when he looked up. "You know how upset you were with Sloane after Danny?"
And that shut her up. He used her past love to thoroughly slap her across the face. She didn't know what to say to that and pulled her hands away. She looked away for a moment and responded, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." Vaughn hissed and stood up, securing the comm. link in his ear. They pulled the door open and jumped out of the van into the chilly Russian night.
"Good luck." Weiss mouthed as he shut the door.
The cold cut through Sydney's barely clad body. She wore the ugliest costume she had ever worn in her life. It was basically a white strip of fabric that was worn like a halter top and reached her waist, barely covering her breast. Her entire back and abdomen was exposed and the three inch piece of fabric (that resembled a lacy scarf thrown around her neck) was attached to a very short white pleated mini skirt. The ensemble was completed with white knee high boots or as she called them her "happy hooker boots." She wore a striking blonde wig that gave her a little more coverage on her back. Her honey brown eyes were now blue and she wore deep red lipstick. She was now Rifka Anni. She moved closer to Vaughn, who wrapped his arms around her, clearly much warmer than she.
He took her into his arms and felt her snuggle closer. He was the luckier one of the two and thankfully got to wear a great deal more clothing. He wore an open leather jacket, void of a shirt beneath. His tight leather pants didn't give much as he walked down the street. His hair was tossed with gel and his beautiful green eyes were replaced with a deep aqua colored. Good-bye Michael Vaughn, hello Serge Telsevain.
It only took him an instant to regret snapping at her. "Listen, I'm sorry." He spoke into her hair. He couldn't bear to go into this with a heavy heart and something on his chest. There was already something there that shouldn't have been there and it was making his breathing more difficult with each passing day.
A sad little smile crossed her lips, "I know this is tough and sweetie, I understand. We're going to find who did this and they're going to pay. I promise."
He nodded silently in agreement and pulled her a little closer, "You have goose bumps."
"It's freezing out!" She exclaimed. "I really don't think it's fair that you have more clothes than me."
Vaughn laughed lightly, "Let's be happy that I'm not wearing that outfit."
"Touché!"
The 'happy' couple made their way towards the trendy club full of people, begging the bouncer for their fifteen minutes in the club. Vaughn pushed his way to the front of the line, holding on Sydney's hand tightly. "She's a dancer and she wants to dance." His Russian was almost as sexy as his French.
The bouncer, standing about 6'3" and 350 pounds with jet black hair and black Armani suit, smiled. "That may be true but will she dance with me?"
Sydney stepped forward, pushing past Vaughn and put her hands on the bouncer's shoulder. "Only if you want be to, baby."
The bouncer smiled, revealing a set of absolutely perfect teeth and moved the burgundy rope to allow them in. "I'll hold you up to that, baby."
Sydney smiled and purred in agreement. Vaughn followed her in, wrapping his arms around her. "I hope you'll dance with me first."
"Anything for you."
The sight before them was like nothing they ever thought of. It was a large room with a large balcony outlining it. The walls were painted black with neon flashes of color everywhere. There was a bar that lined the back wall with enough people standing there to fill a small country. There were little stages in various parts of the room, where women were dancing, wearing more clothes than Sydney. There were lights flashing and a smoke machine filling the room. People were anywhere and everywhere. Most of them were drunk or high out of their minds. They were all dancing to the contagious techno beat that filled the club and deafened all that were in there. The club itself reeked of sex and alcohol. This club was like Studio 54. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
"Okay, you'll be meeting Nik in the back room. He should be there with his little entourage, so you'll have to be careful." Weiss had told them before they left.
"You know, I really don't think it's fair that you get to dance with the bouncer and not me." Vaughn shouted through the crowd.
"What?" Sydney shouted back, unable to hear over the hard core techno beat that filled the room. She couldn't help but smile. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around to face her love, feeling very well aware that she was barely dressed. With all the seduction in the world, she pulled herself close to him, feeling what felt like hundreds of dancing bodies around her. She let his hands grope to her lower back and rest there for a moment. Laughing at little bit, she shouted in his ear, "Don't think I wore this outfit for you."
They shared a laugh that seemed to be silent. Neither one could truly hear the other over the pulsating beat that seemed to take over both of their bodies. Their steps seemed to move in sync with the beat and they moved up towards a room, heavily guarded VIP backroom. People were everywhere and each man tried to dance with Sydney and each woman tried to catch Vaughn. No one seemed to care that the pair were holding hands and were obviously together. It was too much like the mission they had been on in Taipei.
They reached the bouncer sooner than expected. He was bigger than the one outside and looked the agents over. Sydney stood, her chest pushed out and her hips pushed back. "What?" He snapped.
"The music's slow, the drugs are slow, and I want to dance." She spoke the assigned phrase.
The bouncer smiled and replied, "We'll have to talk to the deejay and work on that." Sydney smiled back, stepping forward slightly. "Nikoli is expecting you, Miss Anni." The bouncer moved aside and ushered Vaughn and Sydney into a posh room, filled with a large purple sofa, a few chairs, a large table piled high with shot glasses. A man, flocked with woman wearing less clothes than Sydney were sitting on the couch. They reeked of alcohol. Sydney walked in and mentally made a note of the two doors, the one she came in and the one all the way in the back. There must have been two other guards standing in the room, standing with their arms crossed over their chests and their guns proudly displayed.
They waked in the room and a guard shut the door and locked it firmly behind them. Another mental note. Sydney was overcome with a strong sinking feeling about this but before Vaughn could open his mouth and say something to the woman sitting near Nikoli dressed in red, he felt a bag come over his head and cinch around his neck. The last thing he remembered was Sydney fighting as she suffered a similar fate.
The room was cold and bare. How many times would she wake up in a room like this? But something about this was significantly different. Her eyes fluttered against the harsh darkness and saw two forms, hunched over. The nearest one, about two feet away, was awake and resting against the wall, nursing an injury. Her body was obviously weak and she quickly realized she must have been drugged. This feeling was all too familiar. It felt like a bad hangover. Well, maybe it wasn't direct drugs. Maybe it was because of all the 'stuff' that was going on in the club. Enough people smoking, you tend to get a little buzz. And she was definitely feeling the day after effects. Her mouth, crackled dry from dehydration, could barely audit the words she wanted to say. "V-Va-aughn."
The close figure's head snapped up with more effort than intended. His body was absolutely aching. He had woken up a few minutes earlier and realized how much his body hurt. He must have been beaten by the shooting pains on his ribs and the obvious deformity of his left leg. The same feeling of the hang over sense flooded his sense too but he was a touch more coherent than Sydney. He knew that they were captured and that it was Sydney laying beside him. "Hey." He managed to whisper. "How're you doing?"
"Where are we?"
"I don't know." He responded simply, feeling his eyes drift away from his injuries and towards Sydney's. "Are you hurt?" He scooted over and tried to help her sit up. She winced as she put pressure on her left arm. "Yes, you are." Without even thinking, he tucked her closely in towards his body and let her head rested in his lap. His fingers stroked her hair, matted from sweat and dirt.
She blinked a few more times as she tried to get her bearings. She tried to sit up again but Vaughn kept her down. He made shushing sounds as she tried to stay awake and make a mental inventory of her body. She inhaled deeply and felt her breath hitch slightly. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to sound stronger, "What happened?" Her voice was raspy and hoarse.
Vaughn was suddenly grateful he had a few more moments than Sydney's to reflect on his events. For some reason, his thoughts were relatively clear. "I don't know. All I remember is that we made it into the room and then, everything went black." Taking a moment to swallow, he was happy with his decision to keep the other details to himself. The woman on the couch was so distinct that he couldn't help but keep her in the back on his mind. He couldn't forget the way her black hair cascaded over her shoulders or the genuine look of shock over her face. He couldn't help but remember the way his chest tightened up and his palms began to sweat. Or the tinny taste in his mouth. But in this moment, with Sydney curled up in his lap, he forced himself to concentrate.
Startling both of them, the other person moved and sat up, looking around just as confused as the two others. The gender was unknown until they coughed and groaned slightly. It was obviously a woman. She groaned as she pushed her body off of the floor and craned her neck away from her body to look around. "Where are we?" She asked, squinting to make out the two other forms in the small and cramped room. It was probably half the size of a jail cell. The three agents (Sydney and Vaughn both assumed that the other woman was an agent considering that they were detained) were only about four feet away from each other.
Sydney managed to sit up at the sound of the female's voice. Her blood ran cold and reached for Vaughn's hand. In the dim lighting, she could just barely make out the wide eyed boyfriend. She scouted closer and rested her forehead against his jaw line and felt his jaw tighten. His mouth was dry now and his tongue started to swell in his mouth. He recognized that voice. He had grown up with that voice and he could have sworn he left that voice behind in Fleury. "Claire?"
"Michael?"