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Chapter Sixteen:
Shades of Grey
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The world was upside down, black had become white and Michael Vaughn was inside out. His thoughts flew away on the wind, his memories shrouded in a seamless fog. The world flickered behind closed eyelids and he saw nothing, held outside himself and caged within. The only tangible images he could hold onto was her face, the sound of her voice that echoed in his ears. Dark eyes that he had seen glazed with both pain and pleasure. He knew that he had to hold on for her, he was certain of it when he knew nothing else. She was keeping the blood pumping in his breast, the flow of his breath.
He saw her a hundred different ways, in every space of lifetime that he had known her. She was always with him, bruised and battered, scattered on the sea, alive and with a child at her breast. He knew it all and nothing but the simple truth that all things were found in her.
Sydney. Her name whispered in his mind, he could not forget. Gradually, he came back to himself, rousing himself from the depth of his unconscious mind. Reality filtered in slowly and he struggled to open his eyes.
He was greeted by the sight of his father, sitting casually in front of him in a plush armchair. Vaughn frowned and glanced around the room, noting for the first time that he was stretched out on a luxurious velvet couch. He appeared to be in an office of some sort, presumably belonging to William. He had no memory of coming here; the last thing he remembered was the pain in the back of his head.
He winced as the pain shot through his skull again from the tender spot on the back of his head. He sat up and looked at his father, challenging him silently. William stared at him for a long moment, a blank expression on his face.
"How are you feeling?" William asked, there seemed to be genuine concern in his voice and Vaughn couldn't help but laugh harshly at it.
"Where the hell am I?" He demanded, his eyes darting around the room in search of an escape route. William watched him, unconcerned. By the way he sat so casually, with no fear for what Vaughn might do to him told Vaughn that there were most likely agents outside the door prepared to take him down at a moment's notice.
"Michael, I know that you're angry." William spoke quietly and Vaughn glared at him fiercely.
"What do you want from me?" Vaughn demanded, William sighed and leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.
"Michael, you must calm yourself and listen to me. What I am about to tell you is very important."
Vaughn eyed him warily and rubbed the back of his head, "I'm listening."
"Sydney is on her way here," William began. Vaughn shot to his feet, instantly alert, fear filling his heart.
"What? How?" He looked around the room frantically as if searching for answers that could not be found. William stood slowly and placed his hands on his son's shoulders, attempting to ease his worries. Vaughn slapped his hands away; "I will not let you hurt her." He spoke through clenched teeth, the fire rekindled in his eyes once more. "I will kill you before you touch her."
William shook his head; "I don't want to hurt Sydney, or you. I want to protect you both."
Vaughn paused in mid-motion, confusion flickering across his features. "You're making no sense."
"That's because you aren't listening to me, Michael." William was clearly reaching the end of his patience with his son. "You need to put aside your anger at me and direct it at the men who really deserve it. Sydney's life depends on it."
Vaughn sat slowly, his father's words sinking into his brain. Nothing was more important than Sydney, and their child. He had to find an end to all of this so they could escape and live in peace. That was all he wanted.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked. Vaughn calmed his whirling emotions and the tumult of his thoughts to focus on the one thing that always held him together, Sydney. He had to do whatever he could for her.
William shook his head, "That is what you don't understand, Michael. It is not what I want you to do, it is what you are destined to do."
Vaughn looked up at him with fear in his eyes, hidden beneath the strongest emotion he had. Love for a woman William Vaughn only knew by reputation.
"What is that?" His words were a low whisper, as if he did not want to know the answer.
William took a deep breath and stared deep into his son's eyes, struggling to portray the import of his next words. "You must activate the Telling machine."
Vaughn frowned, those familiar wrinkles creasing his forehead as he did so. "I don't understand."
"The Telling machine is one of Rambaldi's most important devices. Both Irina Derevko and Arvin Sloane spent the better part of thirty years collecting artifacts that would assemble this machine. Sloane activated it for the first time six months ago, what he discovered led to the fracture within the Covenant." William frowned, a dark expression on his face and Vaughn listened intently.
"Sloane has been unreasonable since the day I first met him, but after he activated the Telling, he became almost a different person. He was colder, more ruthless. He was the one who kidnapped Sydney, a woman whom he referred to as lovingly as he would his own daughter. He kidnapped her and did terrible things to her," William shuddered slightly and Vaughn was surprised by the emotion in his voice.
"You must understand, Michael, if I could have saved Sydney, I would have. Sloane wanted her to work for him, he believed that she was the chosen one that Rambaldi prophesied at the end of his life, as do I. He wanted to keep her from her destiny at all costs. He tried to mold her into a different person but he could not. Sydney is far too strong for Sloane to handle, you know this better than I."
Vaughn nodded slowly, anger burning in his heart at the thought of all Sloane had put Sydney through over the years. One thing nagged at the back of his thoughts and he found himself voicing it aloud almost without thinking.
"What is the Telling machine?" Vaughn looked up to meet his father's eyes, searching for some truth in the words he spoke. "What does it do?"
William sighed and leaned back in the chair, "The Telling machine was the last mystery that Rambaldi left. You must realize this, by the end of his life, Rambaldi had a final vision of all the terrible things his work would bring about. He realized that he must do something to end the suffering his work would cause. It was then that he wrote the prophecies about you and Sydney, he created the Telling as a failsafe. You and Sydney must activate the Telling, and in doing so you will destroy all of the dangerous Rambaldi artifacts. When Sloane activated the device, he received a message of some sort. He was not the chosen ones, the machine did not work for him the way he thought it would."
Vaughn studied his father carefully; "There is something that you're not telling me."
William nodded, "The Telling machine shows a person their innermost desires and how they can achieve them. In a way, it tells a person all of the paths their lives might take; inevitably it will show a person the path that their life will take, what they are destined to do. Any individual who activates the machine will receive this message, but only the chosen ones can handle the responsibility. I do not know what Sloane saw but I am certain that whatever it was drove him slightly insane."
Vaughn scoffed, "Slightly?"
William shook his head, "Sloane is trying to alter his life course and in doing so, he is trying to alter the life course of every person he has ever affected in some way. This includes Sydney, and you."
Vaughn lowered his head into his hands, allowing his father's words to wash over him and sink into his brain. It was hard to grasp but he had seen so much that he knew better than to question the validity of any of this.
"Thirty years ago, I found the Telling machine," Vaughn's head lifted in surprise at the words that came from his father now. William appeared sorrowful and Vaughn studied him warily.
"When I first found the painting, and the prophecy. It was hidden with the Telling machine in its completed state. I activated the device and I saw my life's path," William appeared on the verge of tears, his voice was thick with them and Vaughn found himself leaning forward to lay a comforting hand across his father's own.
"I saw that my life was not destined to be a father, or a husband, or a CIA agent. I was meant to be the father of one of the chosen two. I was meant to be a protector of Rambaldi's works, guarding the secrets with my life until the day came for you to bear the responsibility." Vaughn could see the heavy burden that had lain on his father's shoulders for all these long years. He understood now what William had meant when he had told him that he was only trying to protect him.
"The Telling destroyed my life. I knew that I could never go back to the CIA after what I had learned. So after I convinced Irina to spare my life, I hid the prophecy and scattered the pieces of the Telling across the world. When I learned that Sloane had found them and started to assemble it again, I partnered with him in hopes that I could control some of the harm he would cause. I tried to alter my life's course that the Telling had shown me by involving myself directly with Sloane. The results were disastrous, Sydney was taken and everything spiraled out of control." William shook his head in regret and met Vaughn's gaze steadily. "It is time for me to give up the burden and pass it on to you. You are ready."
Vaughn stared at his father in silence, unsure of how to react to all of this. It was too much; the very idea of it overwhelmed him. It all seemed too fantastical for him to come to grips with, but he could not help but believe it.
"What will happen if I don't activate the Telling?" Vaughn asked slowly. "If I just leave now and never look back on it."
William bit his lip, and "Then Sloane wins. He will learn how to control the Rambaldi artifacts and with them, he will bear a power greater than anything the world has ever known. You have seen the effects of some of these devices, weapons that can burn a person alive from the inside out. Imagine what Sloane would be capable of, he will not stop with crime. He will not be satisfied until he can control the world. That's the kind of ambitions a man like Arvin Sloane has. You and Sydney will never be safe, he knows that Sydney is the chosen one, what he does not know is that you have also been chosen. He does not know about the child that Sydney is carrying."
Vaughn's eyes hardened, fear gripping his heart. "How do you know about that?"
William smiled sadly; "I have seen it."
Vaughn swallowed hard, a part of him was giddy with relief at the idea that Sydney's child really was his. If his father had seen it in the Telling, then this child really was the one foretold by Rambaldi's prophecy. The pieces were falling into place.
"I will do it," the words spilled from Vaughn's lips before he was even aware of the decision. It was as if the decision had been made long ago and he was only now coming to realize it. "No harm will come to Sydney or our child if I can prevent it."
William shifted slightly in his seat; "There is more, Michael."
"How much more can there be?" Vaughn frowned.
"You cannot activate the Telling without Sydney. What I saw was clear; the Telling must be activated by both of you together after Sydney has conceived your child. However, the device is currently in Sloane's possession at Covenant headquarters. It is far too dangerous to send Sydney back into Covenant facilities so soon after her escape, especially in her state." Vaughn nodded in agreement with his father's words, he could not bear to think of any harm coming to her or their child.
"You're telling me that I have to go into Covenant headquarters and retrieve the most important Rambaldi device ever created and leave without a scratch on me?" Vaughn frowned and shook his head; "It's impossible."
"Not impossible, you will come with me to the Covenant headquarters. Sloane and I may have had our disagreements but he will see me."
"Why would he agree to see you?" Vaughn asked. William lifted the prophecy out of the box and smiled.
"Because I have the missing link, the last Rambaldi prophecy."
"You're going to give him the prophecy?" Vaughn frowned and shook his head; "You'll be delivering me straight into Sloane's hands."
"No, you will go to the storage room where Sloane keeps his Rambaldi artifacts. Once you are there you must activate one of the devices that has been designed specifically to kill everyone within a two mile radius who does not have our DNA."
Vaughn shook his head, "How do I know that will work? How did Rambaldi encode our DNA into a device that is five hundred years old?"
William leaned forward and clasped Vaughn's hands, "Because we are descended from Milo Rambaldi. He encoded his own DNA into the device to keep it from killing him or any of his blood."
Vaughn leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair distractedly, mulling over all the information he had just received. He had every reason in the world to doubt his father's words, to distrust what he said. But there was something inside of him that told him it was true. He was filled with a strange harmony, as if he had finally realized his life's purpose.
"When do we leave?" He asked quietly. William smiled in relief and stood, offering his hand to his son.
"We must leave now in order to be back before Sydney gets here."
Vaughn was still for a long moment, before taking his father's hand and sealing his fate forever.
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"You lied to me." The sound of Lauren's voice grated on Sark's nerves, he rarely broke composure but she was wearing him thin. He was a hair's breadth away from snapping her neck and leaving her on the side of the road. William had told him to distract her; to keep her from harming Sydney by keeping an eye on her but Sark wished he had been told to just kill her. It would save him the headache that had taken form the moment they met.
"Have I offended your delicate sensibilities, Ms. Reed?" Sark mocked her with a faux apologetic smile. Lauren glared at him and looked in the back seat where Sydney was watching them both intently. She was not happy to be going anywhere with her two deadliest enemies by herself but Sark had refused to allow Irina and Jack to come. William had expressly forbidden their involvement and Sark could not question him on this. His life depended on William's promise that he would bring Sloane down. Sark almost smiled at the thought that for once; he and Sydney were technically on the same side, though she did not realize it.
"Don't mock me, Sark, I could snap your neck with two fingers." Lauren seethed, her words hissing between clenched teeth. Sark's head whipped around to glare at her, a lethal expression on his face. That was the last straw. He slammed his foot on the brakes, hearing Sydney's grunt of surprise as she lurched forward in her seat. Lauren's expression of anger changed rapidly into fear as she watched Sark root around in his pocket for something.
"What are you doing?" She asked. Sark simply glared at her, the blue eyes she had found so attractive at first now scaring her to death.
"Get out of the car," he commanded. Lauren narrowed her eyes and was prepared to protest but before she could, he had leaned across her to open the passenger door. With one hand he twisted the cap off the syringe and with the other, he shoved her out of the car.
Lauren was on her feet instantly, glaring at him as he rounded the side of the car, menacingly. Sydney was getting out of the car now and Sark cursed under his breath, he didn't need her interference.
"You are nothing but an annoyance, Ms. Reed." Lauren looked back and forth between Sark and Sydney; both were closing in on her fast. There was fear in her eyes as she realized, she could not escape. Desperately, she lunged for them, her hands reaching out to close around their throats. Sydney caught one hand, Sark caught the other and together they pushed her back onto the ground. One foot kicked out toward Sydney's stomach but she caught it easily, her own leg stretching out to kick Lauren hard in head. She slumped to the ground heavily; eyes fluttering closed in defeat. Sydney marveled at how easy it was to take down an allegedly elite Covenant assassin. Lauren had been trained well by them; Sydney had been trained better.
Sark knelt beside Lauren and injected her with the fluid in the syringe. Sydney watched him in silence before asking, "What is it?"
Sark shook his head as he stood and placed the syringe back into his pocket. "A form of anesthesia, she will be out for a couple of hours and by the time she wakes up, we'll be long gone."
Sydney studied the man beside her for a long moment; Sark looked up, feeling her eyes on him. He looked at her, unafraid and she couldn't help but wonder about him. "Why did you knock her out?"
Sark turned and slid into the car, Sydney went around the other side to slip into the passenger's seat. He seemed thoughtful for a long moment as he started the car, then answered her question.
"Sloane will not hesitate to kill me if he knows I am working to bring him down. I needed to keep Lauren under watch in order to prevent her from inflicting any further harm on you; therefore I needed to convince her that I would give you to her. Of course, my orders from Mr. Vaughn forbid me from turning you into the Covenant, I knew that I would have to be rid of her eventually but I was also forbidden to kill her." Sark shook his head and grimaced, "Plus, she really is an annoying twit."
Sydney could not help but chuckle at his words and Sark looked at her in surprise, a smile on his face. "You are right about that," she agreed with him. She shook her head, still unable to believe that Sark was actually helping her.
"Why are you doing this, Sark?" All laughter was gone from her voice now as she spoke. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and found the expression on her face to be as serious as he'd ever seen it, and filled with curiosity.
"My life changed when I met William Vaughn, my whole life I had been searching for purpose to my life. He was the one who told me the true import of the Rambaldi prophecies, for the first time I believed in something." Sark shook his head as Sydney stared at him in disbelief. Sark's eyes hardened as he recalled the day he'd fully joined William.
"Sloane activated a Rambaldi device six months ago and it did something to him, drove him mad. He had promised me a piece of the power he sought but I got nothing. He intended me to be his lackey forever but I would not settle for that. William told me that he had a plan to bring down Sloane and that he needed my help. I saw what Sloane had become, the way his life had been destroyed by the search for the truth. I did not want to end up like him. I believe in Rambaldi and I believe that Sloane will destroy everything and everyone in his path, trying to achieve his goals. That includes me." Sark's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "I have been a victim before, Sydney. I swore then that I would never be one again. I am sure that you know the feeling."
Sydney stared at him incredulously; she had never known Sark to be capable of emotions such as regret or nobility. She had never thought he was capable of honesty, but every word he spoke seemed to ring with truth.
"Are you telling me that for once, we are on the same side?" Sydney's eyes were wide with disbelief and Sark almost laughed when he looked over at her.
"Is it really that hard to believe, Sydney? I'm really not all bad beneath the surface."
Sydney shook her head slowly, "How do I know that you're telling the truth, Sark? How do I know that you aren't returning me to the Covenant right now?"
"Why do you think I got rid of Lauren? I knew that you wouldn't believe a word of what I told you until I did something that would prove myself to you. It was the only thing I could think of."
Sydney frowned and shook her head, "A lot has happened in six months," she muttered. "I don't even know how you got out of CIA custody after Vaughn and I captured you in Stockholm."
Sark smiled at her, "Now, Sydney. I can't reveal all of my secrets at once."
Sydney simply stared at him; it was as if the whole world had been flipped upside down and inside out. Bad guys had become good guys and the dead was returning to life. She had nothing left to do but maintain her blind faith that she and Vaughn would be together again when they reached the end of the road.
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