A/N – The kidnapping didn't go well but at least I'm back!!! I'm not getting many reviews for this story so I thought I'd leave it for a while. If you're a silent reader and don't review, please start!! Any opinions would be loved.
Sydney opened her eyes and found herself being carried on a stretcher along a grey corridor with no windows. The floor was carpeted with a green felt and it looked worn and shabby. The strange voice she had heard before was saying something but it wasn't to her.
"Get Sark here now. I don't like the way he's playing around with them. I saved his worthless little life and he's taking liberties. I intend to pull in the debt he owes me."
"Right away s..."
"Shhh... Is our little princess waking up?"
Sydney felt a hand touch her shoulder.
"W...who are you?" She was still groggy and could hardly pronounce her words.
"That's none of your concern right now Sydney. You just concentrate on getting better. We don't want you ill for your big moment."
"My big moment?"
"Shush now. Get some rest." The hand moved to push some of her hair out of her face and the next thing she knew she was alone in an empty cell much like the first one.
Jack knew what he had to do as Irina stirred and awoke.
"Jack?"
"Hey honey. I'm right here." He replied as he reached for her arm. His fingertips could just about reach her elbow and he gently stroked at her bare flesh. She was colder than he had expected and she shivered every now and again.
"What happened? What did you choose?"
"You know I can't loose you and Sydney. If I could give my life to save yours I would."
"Yes but Jack that wasn't a choice. What are we going to do?"
"Well I'm going to agree to give them Lauren."
"The CIA would never allow you to give up Reed. Especially not for the life of someone in the 10 most wanted."
"They will if I tell them that it's you who has been helping us all of this time and you who risked her life so that one of their most valued agents had a chance at recovering her memory. If all else fails, I could still play on their desire to capture the great Irina Derevko." He smiled and although she couldn't see, Irina knew he was.
"Well believe it or not, going back to that cell in the rotunda doesn't really appeal to me that much."
"You wouldn't have to. You could escape on the way back. I'll say that Sark'll only deal with me so they'll let me handle it and I'll let you go on the way back."
"They'll guess you let me go Jack."
"Yes but only Kendell and he can't prove anything."
Irina sighed and let it go. She knew it was their only option and she'd even go back to that cell if it meant Sydney would live. She had only just got her back and even if they could never touch, she would treasure every moment between glass they had, up to her probable execution.
Sark re-entered the room and looked at the couple. He was about to speak when a small man entered the room.
"Sark, your presence is required in the corridor."
"I'll be there in a..."
"Now." He was interrupted. Sark sighed and left the room. Out in the corridor, there were two burly guards waiting for him.
"This way Mr. Sark." He went without a fight.
As he approached the office, the guards stopped outside. Sark knocked on the door and heard a voice shout out;
"Come in."
He entered and sat at the table.
"I heard your proposition to Jack. What were you thinking? We have them all where we want them. We don't need Agent Reed. She outlived her usefulness when she was figured out."
"Well... you see, if we keep Derevko then let the others go to get Lau... erm... Reed, then they'll come back to rescue her and we could capture them."
"There's no guarantee they'll come back and how will you get Reed without giving Derevko back anyway?"
"We'll have back-up."
"And most probably, so will they."
"But we..."
"No! Go and tell him the deal's off."
Sark left the room and made his way back to the cell. Before he went in, he opened the panel on the wall. He fed the green wire into the black socket and entered the cell. He faced the Bristow's with his back to the cameras."
"Agent Bristow. I'm supposed to be in here telling you that our previous deal is off but in fact I'm only going to change it slightly. I've removed all sound from the cameras in this room and it'll stay that way. In two hours, the guards will change shift and coincidentally, the cameras will go out too. I'm not giving you a way out or any weapons but I'll make sure that you can escape if you take the corridor to the left then to the second right. Sydney however will be guarded with extra strength and so will the corridors that lead to her cell. Any attempts to rescue her will no doubt fail. Its up to you what you do but if you get out alive, I Expect to see Lauren Reed within 24 hours. You know what you'll get in return." And with that he left the room.
"Jack?"
"We're going to get Sydney before we leave."
"Jack. I can hardly walk and she'll be drugged and extra guarded. There's no way we could make it out alive."
"Our family's leaving here together Irina... one way or another."
"Its suicide Jack. We cant possibly get out of here alive if we try to find her."
"Are you suggesting that we LEAVE her?" Jacks voice was elevated and his breathing was heavy.
"Not forever. Just long enough to get some... ow..." Irina twisted to look at Jack and opened one of her slash wounds.
"Irina, are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine its just my wounds."
Jack sighed and looked at the wall. "It'll be impossible to get her out without being caught. Even if we were at full strength, we'd out numbered and with no weapons, it'd be suicide."
"We're not giving up on her Jack, we're just doing the best we can."
R&R!!
