Deliver Us To Temptation

Chapter 13: Contact

It is impossible to make that pre-wedding glow disappear. At first, Sydney had had to remind herself to paste a smile on her face at all times, gaze at Dominic or stare into space, pondering her future. Eventually, she found herself falling for that charm Sarah Verdi fell for. It was as if her subconscious took over all the things she made herself do consciously.

Still, she has not fallen in love. It's still all an act, but she doesn't know who it's for anymore.

-

They have been to three other stores already before Sarah finally turns to Dominic with those beautiful green eyes of hers. "Darling, can we do the last one over the internet? I don't feel like walking through any more stores with that ridiculous machine."

"It's not ridiculous, it's ingenious. But we can go home now. I just have to call and tell them that we won't be coming." He takes his cell phone out of the clip on his belt it is attached to. "Let me step outside for a moment, Sarah; I can't get a signal inside the building." She nods and watches him leave, turning to admire a wooden salad bowl set.

As she meanders between the displays of tableware, a faint ringing starts. She looks around to see if anyone near her is ignoring their cell phone. Four displays later, she realizes that the ringing is coming from her purse. Confusion crosses her face for a moment, because she didn't bring her cell. Then she remembers.

Quickly, she removes the tiny silver rectangle and puts it to her ear. "What?" She can hear laughter on the other end.

"Now that's not the way to greet an old friend, is it Sydney?"

"What makes you think you're an old friend of mine?"

"Don't kid yourself."

"Likewise."

"Hmm. Listen, Sydney, be outside your apartment at eleven-fifteen tonight."

"No. I don't even live in that apartment anymore." She waits for him to respond, and when he says nothing, she continues. "If you have nothing else to say, I'd like to hang up now because my fiancé is going to return at any moment."

"You don't have to worry about him any longer, Sydney. He just met another old friend of mine." Suddenly, Sydney hears only herself breathing.

"No!"

-

Michael ends the phone call and turns in his chair. He stares out the window that makes up the back wall to his office. Behind him, he hears footsteps.

"What was done?" he asks.

"We have him."

"Where?"

"Downstairs."

Michael stands and faces the woman before of him. "Well, this proves to be interesting." He walks up to the door. "Take me to him."

-

Sydney stands outside the architecturally extravagant building. She looks up into the sky and falls against the white concrete outer wall. The phone drops from her hand.

"God, Vaughn. Why do you do this to me?"

-

A slow smile spreads across Michael's face. "So, you are the infamous policeman."

Dominic struggles against the ropes that have tied him to the reinforced aluminum chair. "I assure you, I am not infamous."

Michael does not miss a beat. "So, you understand Arabic."

"As well as Turkish, English, German, and Polish." He falls slack and attempts to wipe his forehead on his shoulder.

"Well, it's a surprise you didn't go into International Relations."

"Where am I? And why am I here?"

"We'll get to that in time. Let's talk about Sydney."

"My step-mother?"

"Your fiancée."

He laughs and looks to his right, where a telltale mirror stretches across the wall. He speaks to the mirror. "You have the wrong man." Michael leans over and grabs his shirt just below the collar. Dominic grunts, turning this way and that to get out of the iron grip.

"See, that's where you're wrong. Sydney Bristow is an American secret agent, posing as the sexy businesswoman you've fallen so hopelessly in love with."

"No."

"Yes." He stands up and leans carelessly against a wall. "I'm not a cop. On the other side of that mirror is a hollow filled with one pound of C-4. You know as well as I what that can do. I've had all audio-visual connections to this room severed. This room is encased in concrete, in the sub-basement of my business headquarters. No one but you and I will know what happens."

"Why are you telling me this? What is it you want? Are you trying to get a ransom? Is that it?"

"Oh, quite the contrary. I don't need money; I have all money I ever wished for."

"Do you enjoy killing people?"

Michael ignores him. "I only want you to break off the engagement or suffer the consequences." He indicates the mirror with his chin.

"I won't do that."

"You're bluffing."

"I am a police officer. If I agree, how do you know that I won't tell my superiors what went on here?"

"You're a good man. You're a police officer."

Dominic is silent in his reply. Finally, he looks up, sorrow draped across his features. "Would you do this for her?"

"Do what?" he snaps.

"Sacrifice your life for her?"

He stares into the other man's eyes. "I already have."