Chap. 12- Dead Shot
Jacques Jacobins-Robespierre waved Sydney and Vaughn over to the table that he was sitting at. The two of them walked over to him and joined him at the table, enjoying the ballad that the orchestra was playing.
"Are you having a good time?" Jacques asked the two of them.
"I'm having a lovely time...what a wonderful party!" Sydney exclaimed.
"I'm delighted you think so, Ani."
A burst of applause interrupted their conversation and Sydney looked over to see that the dessert cook had flambéed their dessert. The sweet, alcoholic scent wafted over to her and she bolted up, running into the house toward a bathroom that she had seen.
Vaughn and Jacques were alarmed at her sudden movement and Vaughn rushed after her.
"Excuse me, Jacques." Vaughn said, pushing his chair back from the table.
"Of course." Robespierre said, languidly, applauding himself at the new burst of fire.
After Vaughn had found Sydney and she had assured him that she was okay, they joined the rest of the guests at the party. Sydney's face had paled dramatically and she was feeling faint.
Jacques turned to them and noticed Sydney's complexion.
"Ani! You are feeling not well, yes?"
Sydney could only nod.
"If you'll pardon us, I would like to allow my wife to rest in quiet." Vaughn said.
"Of course. Of course. It was wonderful meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Kolesnikov. I can only hope that we meet again." Jacques said, kissing Sydney's hand and shaking Vaughn's.
"Likewise." Vaughn said politely, and with Sydney leaning on his shoulder, he supported her back to the limo and instructed the driver back to the hotel.
Having only had four hours of sleep, Vaughn rolled over in his bed and looked at the clock that showed that it was three in the morning. Ana, James, and Mark had picked up the car last night and would meet them outside in twenty minutes. Groaning, he had forgotten how stressful and tiring the missions could be. He quickly packed everything into his bag, making sure that he had the tux too.
He walked to Sydney's room and knocked on the door quietly. She opened it and was already fully dressed, bag packed, and ready to go.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered him, and she looked around, making sure that they didn't leave anything in the room. They walked downstairs and she sat on the couch while Vaughn checked out of the hotel.
After the porter loaded their bags into the cab, Vaughn instructed the driver to drop them off at the airport. When they arrived at the airport, and made sure that the driver was out of sight, Vaughn and Sydney stood by the loading area, waiting for Mark, James, and Ana to pick them up. When they came, Vaughn took over the wheel and Sydney sat in the front seat.
They had driven for a couple hours when they finally reached the border between France and Italy. The border patrol checked their identification and asked them a few questions. Satisfied, he opened the gate for them and they drove into Italy.
Sydney noticed a black beetle following them and pointed it out. Vaughn pressed the meter on the car and after three miles; the beetle was still following them closely. Vaughn pulled over to the shoulder of the road and let the car pass. After the car had traveled a short distance, he pulled back into the road and followed the car. The driver, started to tap the brakes in Morse code and everybody observed closely.
The driver then got out of his car, waved apologetically at them, and went around to the back to check his brakes. He then went to the front of the car to check the engine, lifting up the hood. He looked up and he and Sydney's eyes met. She gasped.
She had seen this man before when she ran into him at the party.
Another realization hit her. The car was a beetle. The engine is in the back. He was now reaching into the trunk.
"Vaughn! Go! Go!" She urged.
Vaughn hadn't met the man at the party, but he did notice how the man went to the front instead of the back for the engine. His reflexes were quick, but the man, already anticipating a getaway produced his gun from the trunk and shot a tire, causing the car to swerve dangerously.
He shot again and hit the windshield. They ducked and covered their heads as glass shattered, falling around them. Vaughn quickly reached under his seat and pulled out a small handgun.
The man had already started walking toward them, his gun ready.
Quickly, Vaughn sat up again and shot the man in square in the chest, killing him instantly. The four of them, sat up cautiously and got out of the car. Sydney and Vaughn went to inspect the man while Ana, James, and Mark went over to the car.
Vaughn's shot had hit the man right in the heart.
"Dead shot." Sydney whispered. She reached into his pockets and shoes, anywhere he could hide anything, but there was nothing there. No identification, no reminders, no receipts, no papers, no nothing.
"Hey, you guys better get over here." Mark shouted in their direction. Sydney and Vaughn got up from their position over the man and walked over to the car.
Inside the trunk was their original contact.
He was dead; there was no doubt about that. His blonde hair was now stained red from the blood that pooled from his head. His fingernails were pulled back when he was tortured for information, his legs and arms in odd, un- human angles.
Ana inspected his head wound and his other injuries. Shaking her head she announced,
"He died from head trauma. This was obviously received from a blunt object multiple times. His limbs are broken in several places. There was no way he could have survived."
Sydney took out her small camera and after snapping a few pictures of their contact and the dead man, she instructed them all to help clear the road in case a car should drive by. Mark and James started to dig a plot for their contact, out of respect. Ana, Sydney, and Vaughn lifted the man into their car after they had emptied out all their belongings and pushed it into the nearby lake.
The car would resurface in time, but by then, no one would be able to identify the body.
Mark and James called Ana to help them dig the plot while Sydney and Vaughn started to talk.
"We can't go to the safe house. Someone will be there waiting."
"I know."
Vaughn paced the pavement, deep in thought. Sydney leaned on the hood of the car and watched him. Five minutes later, he looked up at her.
"I've got an idea."
He whispered it to her hurriedly and she looked at him...unsure.
"I wouldn't want to put her in danger."
"Trust me; she can take care of herself." Vaughn said. "You two are very much alike." He added as an after thought.
Sydney smiled.
"Well...let's go then."
Sydney went to get Mark, James, and Ana as Vaughn walked to the man's car and inspected it. Apart from the blood stains in the trunk, the car was fine. He took a pocketknife from his suitcase and cut out the material from the trunk. There was nothing under it and the blood hadn't seeped past it. Vaughn flung the material into the lake too, making sure it sank before he walked back to the car.
Mark and James were stamping the earth flat while Ana and Sydney walked back to the road and climbed into the car. Vaughn looked at the road. There was a small amount of blood left from when they had dragged the man into the car, but besides that, it looked as if nothing had happened at all.
He shuddered at how easy it was to cover up the murder.
After Mark and James had finished and covered up the plot with leaves and twigs, they climbed into the car too.
"Where are we going?" Ana asked curiously.
"You'll see when we get there." He said and made a three-point turn and headed back for France.
They had been driving non-stop for a long time. Everybody was cramped up in the small car and it was silent. Vaughn had refused to stop, saying that it would be best if they got there as soon as they could. Finally, he was forced to stop for gas and they all stumbled out, stretching their legs and grateful for the fresh night air.
Sydney took over the pump as Vaughn went inside to borrow the phone from the clerk of the gas station.
The clerk told him exasperatingly that they did not allow anybody to borrow the phone. Her attitude changed when francs were exchanged between them and she gladly took out the phone from under the desk and told him that he was free to use it as much as he wanted.
Nodding, he looked at her expectantly until she got up and said that she would go assist Sydney in pumping the gas. Vaughn looked around the tiny store and made sure that there was nobody there.
Quickly, he dialed a number and waited patiently, praying that she would still be awake. At the fifth ring, he breathed a sigh of relief as the phone was picked up.
"Bonjour?"
"Bonjour." He answered.
"Michael, is that you?" The women on the other side asked questioningly, immediately reverting to English.
"Yes. It's me."
"Are you in France?"
"Yes. I have a favor to ask of you."
He spoke quickly and rapidly, hoping that she could follow him. A brief silence followed.
"Of course. Anything for my son."
Jacques Jacobins-Robespierre waved Sydney and Vaughn over to the table that he was sitting at. The two of them walked over to him and joined him at the table, enjoying the ballad that the orchestra was playing.
"Are you having a good time?" Jacques asked the two of them.
"I'm having a lovely time...what a wonderful party!" Sydney exclaimed.
"I'm delighted you think so, Ani."
A burst of applause interrupted their conversation and Sydney looked over to see that the dessert cook had flambéed their dessert. The sweet, alcoholic scent wafted over to her and she bolted up, running into the house toward a bathroom that she had seen.
Vaughn and Jacques were alarmed at her sudden movement and Vaughn rushed after her.
"Excuse me, Jacques." Vaughn said, pushing his chair back from the table.
"Of course." Robespierre said, languidly, applauding himself at the new burst of fire.
After Vaughn had found Sydney and she had assured him that she was okay, they joined the rest of the guests at the party. Sydney's face had paled dramatically and she was feeling faint.
Jacques turned to them and noticed Sydney's complexion.
"Ani! You are feeling not well, yes?"
Sydney could only nod.
"If you'll pardon us, I would like to allow my wife to rest in quiet." Vaughn said.
"Of course. Of course. It was wonderful meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Kolesnikov. I can only hope that we meet again." Jacques said, kissing Sydney's hand and shaking Vaughn's.
"Likewise." Vaughn said politely, and with Sydney leaning on his shoulder, he supported her back to the limo and instructed the driver back to the hotel.
Having only had four hours of sleep, Vaughn rolled over in his bed and looked at the clock that showed that it was three in the morning. Ana, James, and Mark had picked up the car last night and would meet them outside in twenty minutes. Groaning, he had forgotten how stressful and tiring the missions could be. He quickly packed everything into his bag, making sure that he had the tux too.
He walked to Sydney's room and knocked on the door quietly. She opened it and was already fully dressed, bag packed, and ready to go.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered him, and she looked around, making sure that they didn't leave anything in the room. They walked downstairs and she sat on the couch while Vaughn checked out of the hotel.
After the porter loaded their bags into the cab, Vaughn instructed the driver to drop them off at the airport. When they arrived at the airport, and made sure that the driver was out of sight, Vaughn and Sydney stood by the loading area, waiting for Mark, James, and Ana to pick them up. When they came, Vaughn took over the wheel and Sydney sat in the front seat.
They had driven for a couple hours when they finally reached the border between France and Italy. The border patrol checked their identification and asked them a few questions. Satisfied, he opened the gate for them and they drove into Italy.
Sydney noticed a black beetle following them and pointed it out. Vaughn pressed the meter on the car and after three miles; the beetle was still following them closely. Vaughn pulled over to the shoulder of the road and let the car pass. After the car had traveled a short distance, he pulled back into the road and followed the car. The driver, started to tap the brakes in Morse code and everybody observed closely.
The driver then got out of his car, waved apologetically at them, and went around to the back to check his brakes. He then went to the front of the car to check the engine, lifting up the hood. He looked up and he and Sydney's eyes met. She gasped.
She had seen this man before when she ran into him at the party.
Another realization hit her. The car was a beetle. The engine is in the back. He was now reaching into the trunk.
"Vaughn! Go! Go!" She urged.
Vaughn hadn't met the man at the party, but he did notice how the man went to the front instead of the back for the engine. His reflexes were quick, but the man, already anticipating a getaway produced his gun from the trunk and shot a tire, causing the car to swerve dangerously.
He shot again and hit the windshield. They ducked and covered their heads as glass shattered, falling around them. Vaughn quickly reached under his seat and pulled out a small handgun.
The man had already started walking toward them, his gun ready.
Quickly, Vaughn sat up again and shot the man in square in the chest, killing him instantly. The four of them, sat up cautiously and got out of the car. Sydney and Vaughn went to inspect the man while Ana, James, and Mark went over to the car.
Vaughn's shot had hit the man right in the heart.
"Dead shot." Sydney whispered. She reached into his pockets and shoes, anywhere he could hide anything, but there was nothing there. No identification, no reminders, no receipts, no papers, no nothing.
"Hey, you guys better get over here." Mark shouted in their direction. Sydney and Vaughn got up from their position over the man and walked over to the car.
Inside the trunk was their original contact.
He was dead; there was no doubt about that. His blonde hair was now stained red from the blood that pooled from his head. His fingernails were pulled back when he was tortured for information, his legs and arms in odd, un- human angles.
Ana inspected his head wound and his other injuries. Shaking her head she announced,
"He died from head trauma. This was obviously received from a blunt object multiple times. His limbs are broken in several places. There was no way he could have survived."
Sydney took out her small camera and after snapping a few pictures of their contact and the dead man, she instructed them all to help clear the road in case a car should drive by. Mark and James started to dig a plot for their contact, out of respect. Ana, Sydney, and Vaughn lifted the man into their car after they had emptied out all their belongings and pushed it into the nearby lake.
The car would resurface in time, but by then, no one would be able to identify the body.
Mark and James called Ana to help them dig the plot while Sydney and Vaughn started to talk.
"We can't go to the safe house. Someone will be there waiting."
"I know."
Vaughn paced the pavement, deep in thought. Sydney leaned on the hood of the car and watched him. Five minutes later, he looked up at her.
"I've got an idea."
He whispered it to her hurriedly and she looked at him...unsure.
"I wouldn't want to put her in danger."
"Trust me; she can take care of herself." Vaughn said. "You two are very much alike." He added as an after thought.
Sydney smiled.
"Well...let's go then."
Sydney went to get Mark, James, and Ana as Vaughn walked to the man's car and inspected it. Apart from the blood stains in the trunk, the car was fine. He took a pocketknife from his suitcase and cut out the material from the trunk. There was nothing under it and the blood hadn't seeped past it. Vaughn flung the material into the lake too, making sure it sank before he walked back to the car.
Mark and James were stamping the earth flat while Ana and Sydney walked back to the road and climbed into the car. Vaughn looked at the road. There was a small amount of blood left from when they had dragged the man into the car, but besides that, it looked as if nothing had happened at all.
He shuddered at how easy it was to cover up the murder.
After Mark and James had finished and covered up the plot with leaves and twigs, they climbed into the car too.
"Where are we going?" Ana asked curiously.
"You'll see when we get there." He said and made a three-point turn and headed back for France.
They had been driving non-stop for a long time. Everybody was cramped up in the small car and it was silent. Vaughn had refused to stop, saying that it would be best if they got there as soon as they could. Finally, he was forced to stop for gas and they all stumbled out, stretching their legs and grateful for the fresh night air.
Sydney took over the pump as Vaughn went inside to borrow the phone from the clerk of the gas station.
The clerk told him exasperatingly that they did not allow anybody to borrow the phone. Her attitude changed when francs were exchanged between them and she gladly took out the phone from under the desk and told him that he was free to use it as much as he wanted.
Nodding, he looked at her expectantly until she got up and said that she would go assist Sydney in pumping the gas. Vaughn looked around the tiny store and made sure that there was nobody there.
Quickly, he dialed a number and waited patiently, praying that she would still be awake. At the fifth ring, he breathed a sigh of relief as the phone was picked up.
"Bonjour?"
"Bonjour." He answered.
"Michael, is that you?" The women on the other side asked questioningly, immediately reverting to English.
"Yes. It's me."
"Are you in France?"
"Yes. I have a favor to ask of you."
He spoke quickly and rapidly, hoping that she could follow him. A brief silence followed.
"Of course. Anything for my son."