He opened his eyes slowly and felt the harsh lighting seep into his
emerald eyes. It burned and stung like the most evil snake. He was on his
back and felt sores and bruises along ever part of his very exposed skin.
Pain shook him and he wasn't even sure if he was conscious. He blinked
rapidly wishing the pain would go away. He had no idea where he was and
wished he was anywhere but where he was. Something was wrong.
"Hey." A gentle voice sung softly and a body, gentler than its voice sat down near his hand.
His eyes fluttered again and he tried to adjust to see the woman, maybe girl, sitting nearby. The voice was no doubt feminine but he didn't recognize it. He had no idea what was going on anymore. He was lost, somewhat alone, and extremely, extremely confused. He opened his mouth to respond but found only a hoarse whisper, "Wh-where..." A coughing fit ensued and the figure leaned forward with a glass of icy water. She pressed it up to his lips and allowed water to trickle through his chapped lips.
"Shh." She soothed softly, placing the glass down on the nearby nightstand. "I'm here now. It's okay. You gave us all quite a scare. But you're going to be okay." She leaned forward and brushed her hand around his face. The temperature had gone down, thank goodness. "No fever. That's good."
"Wha-"he tried again but was shocked to only find a hoarse moan come from his throat. He felt the soft hands stroke his arm again and he tried hard to open his eyes but the snake bit him again. It hurt too bad. "Who?"
"Michael...."
And that's when everything clicked together. He started to piece together the puzzle that made his heart pound and every laceration started to ache. "Wha-"
Lauren leaned forward and touched his face softly, "When I got the call, I thought I had lost you. Oh Michael, I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I'm so happy you're alright." She pressed her lips gingerly against his forehead, squeezing her eyes shot.
He cleared his throat and tried to regain his voice, "S-Sydney. Wh- where's Sydney?"
Lauren, dressed in a pressed black business suit, sat back slightly. Her gray eyes stared at him and she bit down softly on the inside of her lip, "She's outside with Agent Kilmer and Perkins."
He was getting his voice back more and more. That, or he was overcoming the adrenaline pushing through his veins. "I want to see her."
"She's outside with Agent Kilmer and his family. She's content out there."
"Get out." He hissed, still remembering what she had done to him. "I want to see her."
She changed the topic almost immediately. "I don't understand why they think it's a good idea to keep that poor baby. I mean, they put their lives on the line everyday and then they put the baby in the middle of it all? What happens when they get discovered? What happens to the little girl?" She stood up and started to straighten out the bed linens that had fallen astray. Her hands glided over the white afghan, memorizing the thread pattern with her fingertips. She tossed part of it in the air to straighten it out and then allowed it to fall over his body. Her eyes avoiding his as she fussed about him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, attempting to sit up but promptly felt his wife's hands pressed down on his shoulders, easing him back down.
"You stay." She replied.
"Don't touch me. Get out." He asked again, wanting to bark but came out like a whisper.
Lauren looked at him with a true look of disdain but she obeyed. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked to the door. "Sydney. He wants to see you." She took a glance at her husband, lying battered and bruised on the bed and then walked into the living area.
Meanwhile, Sydney sitting on the worn couch with Kilmer on one side and Madison on the other. Sydney's head was resting on Kilmer's shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her, pulling her towards his chest. She was still feeling ill and was wishing that the dizziness would subside.
"He's going to be alright." Madison said, trying to soothe Sydney. She finished wrapping up Sydney's leg and reached over to the coffee table to grab the ice pack. Madison worked to keep Sydney's wounds comfortable and clean as possible.
"I know but I just hate this waiting game. I'm not good at it." She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to check herself. She licked her lips over a small laceration and took in a slow breath.
Madison smiled and took her hands in her own, "Your hands are freezing. Do you want a blanket or gloves or a sweater or something?" She rubbed hands, trying to get the blood flowing once again.
"I'm fine, Madison. Really." She shot her a weak smile.
"For a spy, you're a horrible liar, Syd." Kilmer replied, giving her another tight squeeze, avoiding hurting her.
Sydney sat up slightly and clasped her hands in her lap and decided to stare down intently at them, "It's just hard to sit here and do nothing. I hate it. I honestly do."
And that's when Lauren called her into the bedroom. Sydney responded by pushing to her feet, still feeling slightly wobbly. Kilmer saw this and jumped to his feet too, stabilizing her with his arms. They stood there for a moment as Sydney fought to see straight. She shook her head back and forth quickly to try to clear her blurry eyes. "I'm okay, Kilmer. I can do this."
But the former boyfriend wouldn't let her alone. He kept a tight grip around her waist as they walked to the bedroom. They walked slowly, one step at a time. They reached the bedroom door and Lauren walked out in the living area and collapsed down on the couch opposite Madison.
"I can get it from here, Kilmer." Sydney whispered as they passed the threshold.
"Let me help you, Sydney." He responded and helped her over to the bed. "Hey Vaughn."
"Kilmer." Vaughn nodded as he watched Sydney sink onto the bed and Kilmer let go of his hold to her.
"How are you feeling?" Kilmer stood up straight and stepped back a ways.
"I've had better days." Vaughn admitted with that type of macho man smile that men use as a total defense.
"I hear you, man. We've all been worried about you." Kilmer crossed his arms over his chest and looked from Sydney to Vaughn and back again. "I'll leave you two to talk. If you need me, I'll be right outside?" And with that, he backed away.
"Close the door?" Vaughn called after him.
Kilmer nodded a reply and shut the door firmly behind him.
"What happened?" Vaughn pushed himself up with such force that he nearly knocked himself out in the process. "The last thing I remember is walking through that door and then everything went black and I wake up here with Lauren standing over me? Since when is it policy to report injuries? How did she get here so fast? How long have I been unconscious?"
Sydney settled down on the bed and placed her hand on his arm, "You're starting to ask questions like me. One at a time."
"Fine." He relented.
She took in a slow inhale and pushed the air out of her lungs just as slowly, "First of all, lie back down." Vaughn obeyed and stared up at her with wide eyes. "Okay...
FLASHBACK......
The music was pumping loudly in their ears. Together, they bolted down the hallway. Sydney's shoes beat against the cold tile. She officially had shut down her personal sensor and was now only working. Her mind focused on only one step after the next, one breath after the next, one movement after the next. It was this type of linear thought process that kept her alive after so many near-death experiences. It was what kept her alive during her stay as a captive or double agent, which ever you prefer to think, in the Covenant. The hallway was much colder and a much different atmosphere than the club above them. The music was still loud and pulsating through them but the hospital like halls were almost entirely different.
They didn't have to worry about the alarm system. Kilmer had cut that the moment he got into the club. Vaughn ran, keeping up to pace with Sydney. That was a feat in and of itself. If you could keep up with the incredible Sydney Bristow, you knew you were in good shape. But he kept in sync with her, glancing behind him every now and then to make sure no one was behind the pair.
Sydney started to silently curse her shoes. They ached more with every step further she took. But then the adrenaline kicked in and the pain disappeared. "How do we look? Anything on the radar?" She asked as they slowed down, glancing at every door to check the number on each door.
"I-I don't know!" Kilmer started frantically over their comm. link. There was a panic rising in his voice.
"What do you mean you don't know? Is there or isn't there?" Vaughn snapped, glancing at one door and finding it not the one they needed.
"The heat sensing is picking up everyone in the club!" The emotion was almost blocking out the sense in his voice. He was absolutely terrified. "You're in there blind. Go radio silent. Good luck. I'll see you at home."
Silence took the place of his voice through their ears. Sydney stopped and placed her arm on Vaughn's for him to do the same. She reached down to pull up her pant leg, and found her concealed weapon. "We're in here blind. We need to be more careful." She hushed her voice and together, they started to walk at a fervent pace to find room AL-347. Sure enough, after checking two dozen rooms, they found it. A small white door in the large white hallway with blacking lettering reading clear as day "AL-347."
Sydney suppressed her smile and pulled off of her shoe. In the heel, there was an electronic device that she placed on the metal door against the standard keypad that she had seen so many times before. She was almost called by the gently beeping noise emitted by the lock door. They were going to succeed. Now maybe this idea of mental celebration was premature or maybe it was just her psyching herself up for the next part of the mission.
Whatever it was, it was too little too late.
There was a sequence of numbers that flashed and ran through a list of a dozen numbers. She glanced down the hallway and back to the device. Vaughn stood, guarding her back and glancing down each side of the hallway. Silently, they both urged the device to work faster. They hated going in blind and it would have been so much easier if they weren't.
"So much for advanced technology." Vaughn spoke in a hushed voice.
She laughed lightly as she steadied her hand beneath the small computer, "Sometimes low tech is the best way to go. Welcome to doing this the old fashioned way." A sly grin crossed over her face.
A soft vibrating spread through her fingertips as the code was broken and they were granted access into the forbidden room. Sydney pulled the device away and stored it back on her shoe. Before entering, she checked adjusted the weight of the gun in her hand and opened the door slowly. Vaughn pulled his gun too and followed, still guarding. They entered the room, dark. Their eyes adjusted slowly to the lighting and it was Vaughn that groped around for a light switch and found it.
Bright light showered the sterile looking white room. It was bare with the exception of a few lockers, that resembled kennel cages with strict locks on them. One long white table lined the back wall but none of that really mattered. What did was the four guards standing with their guns raised. They were dressed head to toe in black with their faces partially covered with masks, similar to the masks that Sydney and Vaughn had worn during the take-down of SD-6.
"Drop your weapons!" One of the guards barked as soon as they registered the two other agents had guns.
Sydney shot one tentative look to Vaughn and complied. Her gun hit the floor was a loud THUMP quickly followed by Vaughn's.
"Hands on her head! On your knees!" The guards barked again. Vaughn and Sydney obeyed, resting on their knees hard. One of the guards came forward and tied Sydney up. There was no way to escape this. Another guard came forward to tie Vaughn. Neither one of them could make their move. The third and fourth guard kept their weapons aimed on the two captives. White plastic twist ties were bound tightly so that they couldn't move. They didn't know what was going to happen but when a guard came forward, they knew exactly what they were in for. One guard came forward and without so much as a slow breath, he delivered a swift kick to Vaughn's side, sending him crashing down to one side, with a groan. He continued to assault him, landing kicks and punches everywhere. A definite crack sounded through the air as bones started to break and shatter within his skin.
Sydney watched in horror as she watched him being assaulted. She knew better than to cry out for them to stop. It would only mean their attacks would become worse and maybe one of them would shoot their silver guns. A low groan was emitted from Vaughn as he curled together near Sydney. She wanted to shift closer and comfort him but knew it would only be suicide. She felt a warm liquid pool near her ankle and knew that it was his blood. Her brown eyes drifted down to his body and then back up at the four guards, who were now standing closer than ever to them. She felt a surge of panic and didn't know whether or not they were going to attack her or attack him further or kill them or what. It was just a massive area of misunderstanding. Part of her wanted to plead with them for their lives but almost knew that, that would never work.
Well, Sydney was right and wrong. They came closer to the two bound agents and just started beating them. Their heavy black boots seemed to be everywhere and their fists flying just as furious. She blacked out at one point. The pain was just to great.
Later she woke up in the safe house. Kilmer and Madison had been doting over her during her time of unconsciousness. They had cleaned her many lacerations and set her numerous broken bones as they filled in the missing pieces.
The guards continued to assault them until they both passed out. Blood was seeping from both of them but the guards started to smile satisfactorily. "What do you want us to do with them now, boss?" One of the guards called in over the radio.
"Get Jonathan Ross down there and he'll know how to deal with them." A cryptic voice came over the communicator.
"But how will we know what he looks like? We've never seen him before." The guard replied, rolling his eyes out of aggravation.
"He'll be sitting at the bar drinking a gray goose martini." The voice now sounded more irritated. "We went over this before you left! I can't believe you're this-"
"We've got it boss!" The guard almost yelled.
"Make sure you change out of those disgusting clothes you're wearing. I don't want anyone upstairs knowing what's going on. Got it?"
"Got it." The guard replied before sticking the radio in the pocket of his pants.
Kilmer, meanwhile, had picked up all of this. He had been sitting in the truck, watching everything on computer screens. "Maddie, did you hear that?"
"Yes. Are you going in?" Madison replied from the safety of the kitchen table.
"I have to, Maddie. Gray goose martini, right?"
"That's what he said, yeah. Be careful, darling." Madison replied.
"I always am." He threw the headset off of his head and checked the clip on his gun.
"Hey." A gentle voice sung softly and a body, gentler than its voice sat down near his hand.
His eyes fluttered again and he tried to adjust to see the woman, maybe girl, sitting nearby. The voice was no doubt feminine but he didn't recognize it. He had no idea what was going on anymore. He was lost, somewhat alone, and extremely, extremely confused. He opened his mouth to respond but found only a hoarse whisper, "Wh-where..." A coughing fit ensued and the figure leaned forward with a glass of icy water. She pressed it up to his lips and allowed water to trickle through his chapped lips.
"Shh." She soothed softly, placing the glass down on the nearby nightstand. "I'm here now. It's okay. You gave us all quite a scare. But you're going to be okay." She leaned forward and brushed her hand around his face. The temperature had gone down, thank goodness. "No fever. That's good."
"Wha-"he tried again but was shocked to only find a hoarse moan come from his throat. He felt the soft hands stroke his arm again and he tried hard to open his eyes but the snake bit him again. It hurt too bad. "Who?"
"Michael...."
And that's when everything clicked together. He started to piece together the puzzle that made his heart pound and every laceration started to ache. "Wha-"
Lauren leaned forward and touched his face softly, "When I got the call, I thought I had lost you. Oh Michael, I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I'm so happy you're alright." She pressed her lips gingerly against his forehead, squeezing her eyes shot.
He cleared his throat and tried to regain his voice, "S-Sydney. Wh- where's Sydney?"
Lauren, dressed in a pressed black business suit, sat back slightly. Her gray eyes stared at him and she bit down softly on the inside of her lip, "She's outside with Agent Kilmer and Perkins."
He was getting his voice back more and more. That, or he was overcoming the adrenaline pushing through his veins. "I want to see her."
"She's outside with Agent Kilmer and his family. She's content out there."
"Get out." He hissed, still remembering what she had done to him. "I want to see her."
She changed the topic almost immediately. "I don't understand why they think it's a good idea to keep that poor baby. I mean, they put their lives on the line everyday and then they put the baby in the middle of it all? What happens when they get discovered? What happens to the little girl?" She stood up and started to straighten out the bed linens that had fallen astray. Her hands glided over the white afghan, memorizing the thread pattern with her fingertips. She tossed part of it in the air to straighten it out and then allowed it to fall over his body. Her eyes avoiding his as she fussed about him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, attempting to sit up but promptly felt his wife's hands pressed down on his shoulders, easing him back down.
"You stay." She replied.
"Don't touch me. Get out." He asked again, wanting to bark but came out like a whisper.
Lauren looked at him with a true look of disdain but she obeyed. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked to the door. "Sydney. He wants to see you." She took a glance at her husband, lying battered and bruised on the bed and then walked into the living area.
Meanwhile, Sydney sitting on the worn couch with Kilmer on one side and Madison on the other. Sydney's head was resting on Kilmer's shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her, pulling her towards his chest. She was still feeling ill and was wishing that the dizziness would subside.
"He's going to be alright." Madison said, trying to soothe Sydney. She finished wrapping up Sydney's leg and reached over to the coffee table to grab the ice pack. Madison worked to keep Sydney's wounds comfortable and clean as possible.
"I know but I just hate this waiting game. I'm not good at it." She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to check herself. She licked her lips over a small laceration and took in a slow breath.
Madison smiled and took her hands in her own, "Your hands are freezing. Do you want a blanket or gloves or a sweater or something?" She rubbed hands, trying to get the blood flowing once again.
"I'm fine, Madison. Really." She shot her a weak smile.
"For a spy, you're a horrible liar, Syd." Kilmer replied, giving her another tight squeeze, avoiding hurting her.
Sydney sat up slightly and clasped her hands in her lap and decided to stare down intently at them, "It's just hard to sit here and do nothing. I hate it. I honestly do."
And that's when Lauren called her into the bedroom. Sydney responded by pushing to her feet, still feeling slightly wobbly. Kilmer saw this and jumped to his feet too, stabilizing her with his arms. They stood there for a moment as Sydney fought to see straight. She shook her head back and forth quickly to try to clear her blurry eyes. "I'm okay, Kilmer. I can do this."
But the former boyfriend wouldn't let her alone. He kept a tight grip around her waist as they walked to the bedroom. They walked slowly, one step at a time. They reached the bedroom door and Lauren walked out in the living area and collapsed down on the couch opposite Madison.
"I can get it from here, Kilmer." Sydney whispered as they passed the threshold.
"Let me help you, Sydney." He responded and helped her over to the bed. "Hey Vaughn."
"Kilmer." Vaughn nodded as he watched Sydney sink onto the bed and Kilmer let go of his hold to her.
"How are you feeling?" Kilmer stood up straight and stepped back a ways.
"I've had better days." Vaughn admitted with that type of macho man smile that men use as a total defense.
"I hear you, man. We've all been worried about you." Kilmer crossed his arms over his chest and looked from Sydney to Vaughn and back again. "I'll leave you two to talk. If you need me, I'll be right outside?" And with that, he backed away.
"Close the door?" Vaughn called after him.
Kilmer nodded a reply and shut the door firmly behind him.
"What happened?" Vaughn pushed himself up with such force that he nearly knocked himself out in the process. "The last thing I remember is walking through that door and then everything went black and I wake up here with Lauren standing over me? Since when is it policy to report injuries? How did she get here so fast? How long have I been unconscious?"
Sydney settled down on the bed and placed her hand on his arm, "You're starting to ask questions like me. One at a time."
"Fine." He relented.
She took in a slow inhale and pushed the air out of her lungs just as slowly, "First of all, lie back down." Vaughn obeyed and stared up at her with wide eyes. "Okay...
FLASHBACK......
The music was pumping loudly in their ears. Together, they bolted down the hallway. Sydney's shoes beat against the cold tile. She officially had shut down her personal sensor and was now only working. Her mind focused on only one step after the next, one breath after the next, one movement after the next. It was this type of linear thought process that kept her alive after so many near-death experiences. It was what kept her alive during her stay as a captive or double agent, which ever you prefer to think, in the Covenant. The hallway was much colder and a much different atmosphere than the club above them. The music was still loud and pulsating through them but the hospital like halls were almost entirely different.
They didn't have to worry about the alarm system. Kilmer had cut that the moment he got into the club. Vaughn ran, keeping up to pace with Sydney. That was a feat in and of itself. If you could keep up with the incredible Sydney Bristow, you knew you were in good shape. But he kept in sync with her, glancing behind him every now and then to make sure no one was behind the pair.
Sydney started to silently curse her shoes. They ached more with every step further she took. But then the adrenaline kicked in and the pain disappeared. "How do we look? Anything on the radar?" She asked as they slowed down, glancing at every door to check the number on each door.
"I-I don't know!" Kilmer started frantically over their comm. link. There was a panic rising in his voice.
"What do you mean you don't know? Is there or isn't there?" Vaughn snapped, glancing at one door and finding it not the one they needed.
"The heat sensing is picking up everyone in the club!" The emotion was almost blocking out the sense in his voice. He was absolutely terrified. "You're in there blind. Go radio silent. Good luck. I'll see you at home."
Silence took the place of his voice through their ears. Sydney stopped and placed her arm on Vaughn's for him to do the same. She reached down to pull up her pant leg, and found her concealed weapon. "We're in here blind. We need to be more careful." She hushed her voice and together, they started to walk at a fervent pace to find room AL-347. Sure enough, after checking two dozen rooms, they found it. A small white door in the large white hallway with blacking lettering reading clear as day "AL-347."
Sydney suppressed her smile and pulled off of her shoe. In the heel, there was an electronic device that she placed on the metal door against the standard keypad that she had seen so many times before. She was almost called by the gently beeping noise emitted by the lock door. They were going to succeed. Now maybe this idea of mental celebration was premature or maybe it was just her psyching herself up for the next part of the mission.
Whatever it was, it was too little too late.
There was a sequence of numbers that flashed and ran through a list of a dozen numbers. She glanced down the hallway and back to the device. Vaughn stood, guarding her back and glancing down each side of the hallway. Silently, they both urged the device to work faster. They hated going in blind and it would have been so much easier if they weren't.
"So much for advanced technology." Vaughn spoke in a hushed voice.
She laughed lightly as she steadied her hand beneath the small computer, "Sometimes low tech is the best way to go. Welcome to doing this the old fashioned way." A sly grin crossed over her face.
A soft vibrating spread through her fingertips as the code was broken and they were granted access into the forbidden room. Sydney pulled the device away and stored it back on her shoe. Before entering, she checked adjusted the weight of the gun in her hand and opened the door slowly. Vaughn pulled his gun too and followed, still guarding. They entered the room, dark. Their eyes adjusted slowly to the lighting and it was Vaughn that groped around for a light switch and found it.
Bright light showered the sterile looking white room. It was bare with the exception of a few lockers, that resembled kennel cages with strict locks on them. One long white table lined the back wall but none of that really mattered. What did was the four guards standing with their guns raised. They were dressed head to toe in black with their faces partially covered with masks, similar to the masks that Sydney and Vaughn had worn during the take-down of SD-6.
"Drop your weapons!" One of the guards barked as soon as they registered the two other agents had guns.
Sydney shot one tentative look to Vaughn and complied. Her gun hit the floor was a loud THUMP quickly followed by Vaughn's.
"Hands on her head! On your knees!" The guards barked again. Vaughn and Sydney obeyed, resting on their knees hard. One of the guards came forward and tied Sydney up. There was no way to escape this. Another guard came forward to tie Vaughn. Neither one of them could make their move. The third and fourth guard kept their weapons aimed on the two captives. White plastic twist ties were bound tightly so that they couldn't move. They didn't know what was going to happen but when a guard came forward, they knew exactly what they were in for. One guard came forward and without so much as a slow breath, he delivered a swift kick to Vaughn's side, sending him crashing down to one side, with a groan. He continued to assault him, landing kicks and punches everywhere. A definite crack sounded through the air as bones started to break and shatter within his skin.
Sydney watched in horror as she watched him being assaulted. She knew better than to cry out for them to stop. It would only mean their attacks would become worse and maybe one of them would shoot their silver guns. A low groan was emitted from Vaughn as he curled together near Sydney. She wanted to shift closer and comfort him but knew it would only be suicide. She felt a warm liquid pool near her ankle and knew that it was his blood. Her brown eyes drifted down to his body and then back up at the four guards, who were now standing closer than ever to them. She felt a surge of panic and didn't know whether or not they were going to attack her or attack him further or kill them or what. It was just a massive area of misunderstanding. Part of her wanted to plead with them for their lives but almost knew that, that would never work.
Well, Sydney was right and wrong. They came closer to the two bound agents and just started beating them. Their heavy black boots seemed to be everywhere and their fists flying just as furious. She blacked out at one point. The pain was just to great.
Later she woke up in the safe house. Kilmer and Madison had been doting over her during her time of unconsciousness. They had cleaned her many lacerations and set her numerous broken bones as they filled in the missing pieces.
The guards continued to assault them until they both passed out. Blood was seeping from both of them but the guards started to smile satisfactorily. "What do you want us to do with them now, boss?" One of the guards called in over the radio.
"Get Jonathan Ross down there and he'll know how to deal with them." A cryptic voice came over the communicator.
"But how will we know what he looks like? We've never seen him before." The guard replied, rolling his eyes out of aggravation.
"He'll be sitting at the bar drinking a gray goose martini." The voice now sounded more irritated. "We went over this before you left! I can't believe you're this-"
"We've got it boss!" The guard almost yelled.
"Make sure you change out of those disgusting clothes you're wearing. I don't want anyone upstairs knowing what's going on. Got it?"
"Got it." The guard replied before sticking the radio in the pocket of his pants.
Kilmer, meanwhile, had picked up all of this. He had been sitting in the truck, watching everything on computer screens. "Maddie, did you hear that?"
"Yes. Are you going in?" Madison replied from the safety of the kitchen table.
"I have to, Maddie. Gray goose martini, right?"
"That's what he said, yeah. Be careful, darling." Madison replied.
"I always am." He threw the headset off of his head and checked the clip on his gun.