"That's our signal," said Vaughn as the lights went out. Switching on the
flashlight and pointing it into his face, he said, "Time to go."
Vaughn followed Lindsley closely as they ascended the ladder. The one flashlight had to serve as light source for both of them. Going into her parents' room, Lindsley paused beside the bed.
"Lindsley, we need to keep moving." She did not move. "Lindsley." He nudged her. "Go to the garage." To Vaughn it looked as if she picked something up at that point, but in the dark he wasn't sure. Besides, too many other things were going through his mind at that point.
"What happened to the blasted electricity?" someone screamed.
"I don't' know sir, but I'll get right on it."
The two ducked back in to the shadows as someone passed by the door. Checking the hallway, Vaughn turned to Lindsley.
"Let's go."
Sydney whirled around. Her trained ears had heard footsteps. She knew it. She pressed her body against the wall, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. But then again, she couldn't even see who was up there, how could they see her?
Cautiously, she walked forward. The man on the floor groaned.
"Thompson!" Another man yelled up the stairs. He had an American accent. "Stupid Brits can't do anything." Sydney heard the man trudging up the steps. "Always gotta do this stuff myself."
Sydney saw the beam of his flashlight hit the wall opposite her. She knew it was time to take action. As the man came up the last step, Sydney jumped, pushing all her weight against him. He was knocked off balance for just an instance, hitting the wall. Sydney backed up and gave him a swift kick in the gut. He again slammed against the wall. Sydney thought that would be enough but the man got up. He lunged toward her in the darkness, catching her cheek with his hand. She felt it swelling immediately. The man hit the floor with a thud. Sydney jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to cut his oxygen. She sat there for several seconds until the man's motion subsided. Sydney sat back, catching her breath.
"Shouldn't be to cocky, man."
Vaughn and Lindsley ducked into the den. They had been lucky so far, no one had caught them or even noticed their presence.
Lindsley ran to the door at the back of the room. Reaching up, she grabbed a set of keys off the rack beside the door.
"Where's Agent Bristow?" she asked turning.
"I don't know, she should be here." Vaughn came towards her. "Just hang on."
Just then, a silhouetted form appeared in the hall doorway. Lindsley caught her breath. Vaughn reached for the gun in his holster.
"Found ya!"
Vaughn's grip relaxed. "Sydney, come on."
"Sorry I'm late," she ran across the room to meet the other two.
"Better late than never." Grabbing the keys, Lindsley headed into the garage, straight to the driver's seat.
"Lindsley, do you have your license?" asked Vaughn, catching up. Sydney slid into the back passenger seat.
"Not exactly."
Vaughn rounded the front of the car and pulled open the driver side door. "Get out."
Lindsley put the key in the ignition.
"Vaughn get in the car!" Sydney said sharply from the back seat.
"Lindsley, you can't drive. Give me the keys and slide over."
"Agent Vaughn!" Lindsley snapped.
"What?"
"Shut-up." With that, Vaughn slid into the back next to Sydney.
Lindsley turned the key and the car came to life. Throwing it into reverse, Lindsley steered the car right through the garage door, effectively smashing it into a thousand pieces. She got it onto the road and hit the gas as hard as she could.
"Lindsley, we're being followed!" yelled Sydney.
Lindsley's heart began to beat faster. She made a quick left.
"You only lost one. There's still another one behind us," said Vaughn.
They were coming into downtown, flying along the empty roadway. Lindsley made a right, hoping that the car chasing them would not be able to make the sharp turn. It did. Still going at full speed, Lindsley threw the car into a u-turn and began heading back the way they had come. She pulled through a narrow alley and came out on another street, heading north.
"Are they gone?" she asked breathlessly.
"I think so," replied Vaughn. "Keep driving though, just in case."
Sydney eased back into the leather seat. Vaughn still stared intently out the back window at the fading lights of the small town. A small smile formed on Lindsley's face.
"You did pretty good back there," Sydney said as they entered the countryside about fifteen minutes later. "Really good."
Looking into the rearview mirror, Lindsley said, "I'm surprised."
"At what?"
"How good of a driver I am. I mean, you never would have known that that was my first time behind the wheel."
Vaughn followed Lindsley closely as they ascended the ladder. The one flashlight had to serve as light source for both of them. Going into her parents' room, Lindsley paused beside the bed.
"Lindsley, we need to keep moving." She did not move. "Lindsley." He nudged her. "Go to the garage." To Vaughn it looked as if she picked something up at that point, but in the dark he wasn't sure. Besides, too many other things were going through his mind at that point.
"What happened to the blasted electricity?" someone screamed.
"I don't' know sir, but I'll get right on it."
The two ducked back in to the shadows as someone passed by the door. Checking the hallway, Vaughn turned to Lindsley.
"Let's go."
Sydney whirled around. Her trained ears had heard footsteps. She knew it. She pressed her body against the wall, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. But then again, she couldn't even see who was up there, how could they see her?
Cautiously, she walked forward. The man on the floor groaned.
"Thompson!" Another man yelled up the stairs. He had an American accent. "Stupid Brits can't do anything." Sydney heard the man trudging up the steps. "Always gotta do this stuff myself."
Sydney saw the beam of his flashlight hit the wall opposite her. She knew it was time to take action. As the man came up the last step, Sydney jumped, pushing all her weight against him. He was knocked off balance for just an instance, hitting the wall. Sydney backed up and gave him a swift kick in the gut. He again slammed against the wall. Sydney thought that would be enough but the man got up. He lunged toward her in the darkness, catching her cheek with his hand. She felt it swelling immediately. The man hit the floor with a thud. Sydney jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to cut his oxygen. She sat there for several seconds until the man's motion subsided. Sydney sat back, catching her breath.
"Shouldn't be to cocky, man."
Vaughn and Lindsley ducked into the den. They had been lucky so far, no one had caught them or even noticed their presence.
Lindsley ran to the door at the back of the room. Reaching up, she grabbed a set of keys off the rack beside the door.
"Where's Agent Bristow?" she asked turning.
"I don't know, she should be here." Vaughn came towards her. "Just hang on."
Just then, a silhouetted form appeared in the hall doorway. Lindsley caught her breath. Vaughn reached for the gun in his holster.
"Found ya!"
Vaughn's grip relaxed. "Sydney, come on."
"Sorry I'm late," she ran across the room to meet the other two.
"Better late than never." Grabbing the keys, Lindsley headed into the garage, straight to the driver's seat.
"Lindsley, do you have your license?" asked Vaughn, catching up. Sydney slid into the back passenger seat.
"Not exactly."
Vaughn rounded the front of the car and pulled open the driver side door. "Get out."
Lindsley put the key in the ignition.
"Vaughn get in the car!" Sydney said sharply from the back seat.
"Lindsley, you can't drive. Give me the keys and slide over."
"Agent Vaughn!" Lindsley snapped.
"What?"
"Shut-up." With that, Vaughn slid into the back next to Sydney.
Lindsley turned the key and the car came to life. Throwing it into reverse, Lindsley steered the car right through the garage door, effectively smashing it into a thousand pieces. She got it onto the road and hit the gas as hard as she could.
"Lindsley, we're being followed!" yelled Sydney.
Lindsley's heart began to beat faster. She made a quick left.
"You only lost one. There's still another one behind us," said Vaughn.
They were coming into downtown, flying along the empty roadway. Lindsley made a right, hoping that the car chasing them would not be able to make the sharp turn. It did. Still going at full speed, Lindsley threw the car into a u-turn and began heading back the way they had come. She pulled through a narrow alley and came out on another street, heading north.
"Are they gone?" she asked breathlessly.
"I think so," replied Vaughn. "Keep driving though, just in case."
Sydney eased back into the leather seat. Vaughn still stared intently out the back window at the fading lights of the small town. A small smile formed on Lindsley's face.
"You did pretty good back there," Sydney said as they entered the countryside about fifteen minutes later. "Really good."
Looking into the rearview mirror, Lindsley said, "I'm surprised."
"At what?"
"How good of a driver I am. I mean, you never would have known that that was my first time behind the wheel."
