Little Child Lost

Chapter Eighteen

Splattered

            Sydney remained in the backseat of Sark's parked Mercedes while gathering all the information she could from her father.  Her dad had told her where Rogan was being kept and to watch out for the guards and Gracielli, the woman who was raising her son.  Sark had brought up some blue prints on his laptop and devised a plan to tell Sydney as soon as she hung up the phone.  She did, quickly, once she saw that he had something ready.

"What did you find?"

"Blueprints to the building your father told us about.  I'm going to head in, but you have to stay in the car and work on comm. for me."

"I'm going in to save my son.  I'm not leaving it up to you."  She said it venomously and if Sark wasn't giving her special allowances for what she was going through, he would have punched her right then.  Instead, he let his reasonable voice win out. 

He spoke calmly, "Gracielli may know what you look like, as well as the other guards.  I may be able to slip in without much commotion.  Besides, you're too emotionally invested in this mission. It's only going to get you caught."
"I don't care if I'm caught."

"The entire mission will have been a waste and a failure.  My missions are neither."

"I can't just sit here-"

"Sydney, you must.  I will get your son if you will follow my instructions."

He turned to her and cupped her cheek with his hand.
"I know you don't, but you have to trust me.  Just this once."

Sydney lowered her eyes, then pushed his hand from her face, almost disproving what she was going to say.

"All right."

A smile never seen on Sark's face before shone through.  He looked like he'd been given a new car or a new gun.

"Wonderful.  Now, I'll need you to…"

            Sark entered through the back of the building.  An emergency staircase was located there, one that he could use discreetly as long as Sydney disengaged the alarm like he'd instructed.

"I see the entryway."

"Give me five seconds.  It's almost disarmed."

Her voice was all business again.  Sark admired that she was trying to be professional.  He knew how scared she was; of Rogan, of The Prophecy that involved the Passenger, of him even.  He also knew she would make it through everything, because she was Sydney Bristow.

"Go on, Sark."

Sark gingerly touched the door handle.  So much was riding on this mission.  His and Sydney's future.  Her son's.  He pulled the door open and nothing happened.  He was relieved, but he remained on edge as he ascended the staircase.  One guard stood on the floor Rogan was kept on, blocking the door.  Sark slowed his footsteps, attempting to stop the echo in the empty corridor.  Still, the guard knew someone was in there.  He wished he could lie and say he was heading to his own apartment, but with an elevator and a main staircase, any guard worth his salt would realize it was a lie.  Besides, an alarm should have sounded when he came into the stairway.  Sark pulled out his gun and continued his climb up the last flight of stairs.  The guard charged him, but Sark easily pistol-whipped him.  Sark brought his knee into the man's stomach, chopped him in the back of the neck and tossed him down the stairs like he was a rag doll.  One guard taken care of.  Hopefully the others would be just as easy to get through in a short amount of time.  He didn't want a challenge this time.  He just wanted to get in and out.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah.  Just a guard blocking my way."  Sark adjusted his earpiece before opening the door and walking down the narrow hallway.

            No guards stood outside the door, which astounded Sark.  Sloane would have used extra manpower to protect the Passenger.  Sloane would give up his whole life for the Passenger.  There would likely be more in the room and no doubt Gracielli would be able to fight.  She was close to the Passenger, which meant Sloane trusted her explicitly.  Sark broke the door, gun cocked, but no one rushed him when he walked in.  In fact, no one was in the room at all.  The only thing that gave Sark any hope was a baby's wail.  Gracielli stood in the center of a nursery, leaning over a handmade crib.  Sark fired his gun before she had a chance to turn and fight him.  The bullet hit its mark in the center of her chest.  Sark hurried to the baby.

"Is he there, Julian?  Did you find him?"  Sydney sounded incredibly anxious.  Sark gazed down at the child who had blood splatters all over him.  His eyes were amber brown, eyes that reminded Sark of Sydney.  The baby stopped crying the moment he saw Sark and lifted his chubby arms up to him.

"He's beautiful."  Sark breathed, intending for Sydney to hear.

"That he is."  A voice said from the doorway.

Sark didn't turn, realizing it had all been a trap.  He'd known it was far too simple for him to reach the Passenger. 

"I was wondering when Sydney would come after him.  I'm surprised to find you doing her dirty work."

"I hardly call bringing Sydney her son back to her dirty work."

"She's managed to enthrall you, Mr. Sark.  I'm shocked.  How long have you been sleeping with her?"

Sloane was taunting him.  No one taunted Sark.  Sark kept his irritation towards the man in check, keeping his entire stance impassive.

"I'm surprised that you changed your loyalty so quickly, " Sloane continued.  "First, it was always about you, but now you're sacrificing everything for your bedmate."

"I'm hardly sacrificing everything, Mr. Sloane."

His accent was smooth and calm as he inched unnoticeably towards Rogan.

"Whatever you say.  You know, your first mistake was taking Lazarey.  I knew Lazarey would lead you to Irina.  Of course, he probably also told you about Alecksandria's and Irina's connection."

Sark flinched as he continued his slow move towards Rogan.  Sloane was likely trying to prey on his paranoia after finding out his mother had been evil.  Rogan started crying at that moment.

"Mama-Mama-Mama-Mama…"

The cry broke Sark's heart as odd as it was.  The boy had touched a string in his very closed off heart.  Still as much as he wanted to pick Rogan up, it didn't annoy him.  The baby's cry reminded him of why he was doing all this.  However, the sound began to grate on Sloane's nerves.  It distracted him enough to give Sark a chance to pull out his gun.  Sark fired twice, hitting Sloane's leg and firing hand.  Sark jerked Rogan from the crib and ran out the door, flying to the stairs.

"Get ready, Sydney.  I've got him.  He's okay."

Sark hefted him up as he descended the stairs two at a time.

"Good boy, Rogan.  You're already an espionage genius, my boy."

Sark ran straight to the car and jumped in before Sydney sped away.

            Rogan saw Sydney in the driver's seat and squealed.  He still recognized her.  Who knew how long she had been missing from his life?  Sydney's face lit up in genuine pleasure and she pulled over quickly.

"Julian, trade me.  Let me hold him, please."

Sark nodded and they switched places quickly.  Sydney cradled Rogan, noticing the blood sprinkled over him.  She wiped the blood away, but only served to smear it.

"What happened to him?"

"When I killed Gracielli her blood splattered on him."

Sydney nodded and snuggled into his baby powdery scented head.  She kissed the top of it and glanced back at Sark.

"I have to say something to you that you will likely never hear from  me again.  Thank you."

Sark laughed and Sydney realized that she'd never heard him laugh before.

"I'm glad I could help, Love."