"Very funny. Am I in charge of how fast the thing downloads?" Vaughn smiled as the elevator started to descend into the sublevel basement. He held the needed swipe ID card, now complete with the correct information, in the allotted space. It allowed the elevator to enter the restricted space. His body was standing straight, shoulders level with the muzak playing in the background. Externally, he looked calm and collected. Inside however, he was a jumble of nerves. This was rare for him. He never got nervous. He double checked everything over and over again in his mind. In a few hours, all of this would be over.

Sydney watched with nervous energy as the numbers blinked with each passing floor. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back and she concentrated on each rise and fall of her chest. Her breathing was much slower now. It was easier to be in this odd state of limbo than to be anywhere else in the world.

Beep. Lower Lobby

She was starting to lose control of the situation. They were entering the unknown realm where their lives were going to be in peril. But it didn't matter; they had no choice but to find Kilmer and the little girl.

Beep. Parking Garage

Vaughn adjusted the weight on his feet, just to regain the feeling of them. His palms were beginning sweat slightly. This was a bad sign. He was rarely nervous. Okay, almost rarely.

Beep. Basement

Hell and damnation...they were diving deeper into the underbelly of the hotel. They shot each other sympathetic glances as if they knew what the other was truly thinking. For the most part, they did. She knew that he was nervous about this...he was a field agent but there was something different about being in the field with her. She made him even more nervous. And he knew that there was part of her still loved Kilmer but she would make the right decision.

Beep. Subbasement

It dinged upon arrival, "We're here." Her voice was low and raspy. She was beyond adrenaline. There was always a point during the missions that she became frantic and had to think of a way to deal with it. She was at that point now. Her body was shaking and her palms were sweating. As much as she hated this feeling, it was a nice reality check that she was human. Vaughn removed his gun from his shoulder holster and handed Sydney's hers.

"Okay, they're in room DS492. That's down the Northwest corridor. We have to go this way." He replied softly to her as they took that brief period before they stepped into the subbasement. She took a slow breath in and stepped off of the elevator, Vaughn at her heals. They made their cautious way down the hallway, keeping a steady eye out for any guard. They had traveled about twenty or thirty feet, when they heard a familiar voice. A slight urge of panic shocked through their systems and both looked for a place to hide. Together, they ducked behind some sort of crate. It was enough coverage to keep them hidden. Vaughn had his back pressed against the wall, facing Sydney with her back against the crate and into some indentation of the wall. Their faces hovered inches from each other and their bodies very close.

A feisty black hair woman with a British accent came trilling down the hallway, dressed in a white button down shirt and black pants. "I swear to you, if someone follows them, I will kill you. Are you listening to me, Jules? I want my daughter safe passage way out of this hell." The woman stopped dead in front of the crate and tapped her heeled foot. Silence only responded. "I'm waiting for answer, Julian."

Sydney adjusted her weight slightly and was able to peer out into the corridor from the darkened corner they were sandwiched into. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head at the view of a very strong looking Madison, glaring down a very scared looking Sark. Sydney felt a pair of hands grab her and pulled her back into the depths of the darkness. Even though shadowed, Sydney could still make out the questioning look crossing over Vaughn's face. She was slightly discouraged and wasn't exactly sure how to tell him that it was Madison and Sark. Her hand went to his shoulder and tapped out the agent's name. Upon registering this information, Vaughn's eyes went wide.

Sark, meanwhile, scoffed and took a nervous step away from her. Making a move, he then moved closer towards her and starred down into her icy eyes. "I'm sorry, love, but that wasn't part of the deal."

"I want it to be part of the deal. I want their safe passage." Madison took a step back, towards the indentation. Her heels were pressed together and her hands pressed into her hips.

"No." Sark answered abruptly and turned his back towards Madison, pacing up and down the hallway.

Sydney reappeared from the side of the corner and motioned to Madison, who recognized her immediately, despite her disguise. They locked eyes and Madison, although shocked, could see process information and managed to blink an instruction in Morris code. Both straightened up immediately and turned to their partners with a definite state of mind. Sydney nodded to Vaughn and he seemed to be able to read her mind.

Vaughn knew that they had to take action. This was a golden opportunity for them to seize Sark and rescue Kilmer and Layla. Pressing his hand into her shoulder, he bent down and whispered "On my count-we'll make our presence know." Sydney nodded in agreement.

One

Two

Three

"Sark! Hands on your head! On your knees! Hands on your head! On your knees!" They shouted in near perfect unison, their guns trained on his head and his heart. The adrenaline started to rush again and all Sydney could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her head. Vaughn inched forward as Sark was forced onto his knees and secured by the two shouting agents. Actually, it was Vaughn who physically fixed firmly Sark. Slightly unhappy with this response, Vaughn took the business end part of his gun and connected it with Sark's temple.

"Madison!" Sydney turned quickly around and made eye contact with the other agent. "Madison, are you alright?" She rushed towards her and watched Madison shake her head back and forth. She put her hands on Madison's elbows to steady her but it was unnecessary. She was stable and coherent.

"I'm fine!" She shook Sydney off of her arms, apparently annoyed with this "rescue." She knew she was more than capable of handling herself. There was no reason for their to get involved in this situation whatsoever. Her hands returned to her hips but then briefly went onto her forehead.

"Alright, are we clear?" Vaughn shouted as he stepped over the unconscious body and towards the two women.

"Yes." Sydney replied and steadied Madison slightly. "Madison, take my gun and keep an eye on Sark. We'll go and get Kilmer and Layla."

"They're already being released." Madison replied simply. "I was just negotiating with the son of a bitch that they won't be tailed." She brushed past Sydney and grabbed Sark's belt, removing a walkie-talkie from his front belt loop. She took the black plastic piece in her hand and pressed a button, "This is Madison Perkins. I want the tail taken off of Kilmer-now. This is an authorized order. Code-word clearance; mocking bird." She dropped the electronic and stepped firmly on it, shattering it into a million pieces. She turned back towards Vaughn and Sydney. "Beat the crap out of him. I don't care what happens to the bastard." Without much thought to it, she walked over to Sark's body and delivered a quick and blunt kick to the solar plexus. "Son of a bitch."

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Kilmer continued down the street, keeping a steady eye on his back. He was being tailed and was terrified. It was rare that he felt that emotion rushing through his veins. Layla was clutching to his chest, wailing and screaming as only children can. She was equally as terrified but not of them men following down the busy Athens street but of the way she was being held and the uneasy breathing causing an uncomfortable sensation beneath her tiny body.

"I know baby. I know." He whispered now again, starting a faster pace. The sunlight was beating down on him and warming his body even more. Sweat started to trickle down his face. However, with each step, he was also becoming increasingly weak from the chemicals pumped through him. There was no way he could stop though. It was far too dangerous. He flashed around one more time and watched the three men, dressed head to toe in black business suits come to a complete stop. One had his remote link pressed up towards his mouth. Then, the same man motioned for the others to stop. They obeyed and turned around, like nothing had happened.

Kilmer watched with disbelief and clutched his daughter closer. His lucky was changing and for the better. He was so lucky. His body started to crumble and in the thick of the sidewalk, he crashed down, clutching his daughter to his chest. He sat there for a while, just rocking back and forth. The sun started to shift in the sky and a soft wind began to kick up. Layla stopped her crying and instead, just sat in her father's arms, happy to be safe. She murmured sounds that he assumed to be words in her world. He knew that he had to get them back to the safe house or find a safe house but he didn't know if he could physically stand. His body was so weak and Layla seemed so heavy in his arms.

"You're getting big." He managed to say at last. "So big." He kissed the top of her forehead, smiling as she emitted unpleasant noise. "You're safe now, baby girl. I'm so sorry I let anything happen to you. It won't. Over my dead body will anything happen to you."