1.

Sydney Bristow stood on the roof of the building. Looking down she could see the traffic below her, cars and people looking like ants from the great height. Above the stars twinkled in the sky, encouraged by the full moon.

Hearing voices coming up the stairs she felt even more panicked then she had before. She had to act quickly as she was unarmed. She stepped into a dark corner of the roof, listening.

"You're telling me a woman ran up here?" One voice asked disbelieving.

Without looking Sydney could tell the voice belonged to the hotel's head of security, Adam Campbell. She knew because she had been working undercover as a chambermaid in the hotel for the last two days.

Concealed in her hiding place Sydney took the opportunity to look at the small box she was risking her life for.

"There's no-one up here! There couldn't be! It's impossible. This hotel's security is too tight. I should know, I'm in charge of it." Campbell boasted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." The other voice said.

"My name?" Campbell questioned. "It's Campbell, Adam Campbell." He replied proudly.

"Well Mr Campbell, my name is Patrick Owens…"

"Mr Owens…I…err…had no..." Campbell stuttered.

'Oh my god!' Sydney thought, her eyes widening in shock. 'Owens is here!'

Her mission had been clear from the start. All she had to do was get the prototype off of Patrick Owens. The only catch was he wouldn't let the box get out of his sight. But Sydney hadn't thought that would be a problem. SD6 had received intel that Owens was staying at LA's own Queen Elizabeth Hotel. She hadn't counted on Owens being as dangerous as she later found out. On her first day undercover he had taken the life of her partner, Alex Green, who was posing as one of the hotels' porters, without breaking a sweat.

"I know you didn't" Owens cut Campbell off.

From her hiding place Sydney heard the quiet pop of a gun with a silencer. She took a chance and looked out, knowing that if she were seen she would be dead. Luckily Owens had his back to her. She spotted Campbell slumped on the floor, dead. Her heart went crazy in her chest. She definitely wasn't safe.

"Who's up here?" Owens called. "I know you're here, I would have got to you sooner if I hadn't ran into Campbell coming out of the john."

Sydney hadn't realised she had even been spotted taking the prototype.

She took another look at Owens. He was walking around the roof with his gun in his hand. Stepping back she disturbed a pile of stones with her foot. 'Uh oh!' Owens turned and headed towards her. There was nowhere to go. Sydney stepped out and put her hands in the air, indicating she was unarmed.

"Where's the box bitch?"

"Je ne comprendz pas. Je ne parle pas Anglais. Je soulmaint parle Frances." She tried, hoping to hold him off shooting her. Backing up towards the edge of the roof.

"Come off it, I know you're American! Now give me the box and I'll give you your life." He lied, raising the gun towards her and fired.