A long and uncomfortable silence clung to the air as Sark and I merely stared at each other. Perhaps it was to see who would make the first move, but after breaking into my house and pointing a gun at me I would say the first move had already been made and this was round two.
"What do you want?" I said, finally breaking the silence. Sark looked at me and smiled. It wasn't quite a smirk, it was more so the type of smile you would give if you were about to laugh. It was as if he were relishing in some private joke from this statement, which he probably was.
"I want many things Sydney," He said. The smile was quickly replaced by a blank expression of calm as he spoke again. "…My presence here however, is on behalf of my employer."
"Sloane." I muttered darkly. If there was one person I hated more than Sark it was most definitely Arvin Sloane. "So what does Sloane want?" I asked beginning to lose my patience.
"He merely wants what we all seem to want Sydney…you." Before I could truly grasp the meaning or implications behind what Sark had said he pulled the trigger, on what I soon found out to be a tranquilizer gun. I had only enough time to reach up and feel the small dart that was now protruding from my neck before I fell unconscious on my kitchen floor.
When I next woke up my head was throbbing painfully. It was the kind of throbbing you get from a hangover. Of course I would never know whether or not the throbbing came from the alcohol, the tranquilizer, or falling to the floor unconscious. As I looked around I realized I was in a large musty room. I was sitting in a chair and both my hands and feet had been tied with thick ropes that were digging painfully into my wrists and ankles. The air had the distinct smell of rust and corrosion, and from the high number of crates and boxes I figured I must be in some form of warehouse. I didn't have a long time to contemplate my surroundings before a large metal door slid open and Sloane walked in. Sark, as well as a few guards I had never seen before accompanied him.
"Good morning Sydney." Sloane said in his usual cheery voice. "I suppose you must be wondering why I brought you here." I said nothing and turned my head to the side as he came nearer. "You see Sydney, I received some Intel that says there is a backup version of the 47th parallel chip." I jerked my head back to face him.
"What!" I said allowing my confusion and worry to seep through my voice.
"That's why I brought you here Sydney. I'm sending you on one last assignment for me." He said before smiling. I flinched as he ran his callused fingers over my cheek.
"What makes you think that I would ever help you?" I spat. Sloane just continued to smile and chuckle to himself.
"Because right at this very moment I have a total of 8 snipers back in California that are tailing both your father and your precious Mr. Vaughn." He stopped smiling and kneeled down in front of me so that his face was directly in front of mine. "All I have to do is say one word…and they will both be dead." I would have loved to think he was bluffing but I knew Sloane to well to believe that.
"Fine." I said weakly. Sloane stood back up and smiled again.
"You will be leaving immediately for France. Mr. Sark will accompany you on this mission. You will pose as a couple staying at the Hotel de la Cite in Carcassone. You will meet with a man named Dante Manoir. You will collect the chip and bring it back. Then and only then will you and your loved ones be freed" With that he turned and retreated through the same metal doors he had come through. Sark and the two guards stayed behind. Sark walked over and took out a knife, which he promptly began using to cut through the ropes that held me to the chair. When he was finished he offered his hand to help me stand up, I refused it.
"You really should start playing nice you know." Sark stated as he watched me stand. I said nothing and merely followed him through the large metal door. We took a plane to France. Sark and I were under the alias's Mr. Charles Martinique and Mrs. Emily Martinique. We were supposedly a newlywed American couple that was just beginning their honeymoon in France. It was a decent enough cover but the thought of being forced to actually talk to Sark for a whole 2 and a half hours made me sick. I really had no intentions of talking to him at all if I could help it, so for most of the flight I feigned sleep. Near the end of the flight I must have actually fallen asleep because I was awakened by being shaken gently and Sark calling me Emily and telling me we were there.
"I'm awake." I said groggily. He held his hand out to help me up. I took it so as not to arouse anyone's suspicions. He continued to hold on to my hand as we left the plane. I gave him a quick death glare but did not say anything else or try and remove my hand. It took us an additional half hour's cab ride to get to the hotel.
When we finally did get there I was in awe of the majestic beauty the hotel portrayed. It was huge and almost resembled a castle in design. I was so incapacitated that I didn't even realize that Sark's arm had snaked around my waist. I was about to say something to him about it when we neared the reception table but was cut off when Sark began to speak to the hotel's receptionist.
What truly caught me off guard was Sark's American accent. I just started laughing. It wasn't that his American accent was bad, in fact it was quite the opposite. It was just that this was the first time I had ever heard him speak in something other than his calm British and I found it hilarious. He smiled sheepishly before taking the keys from the receptionist and leading me up to the room we had been given. When we got inside the room any trace of the act was gone and he immediately began condemning my actions in the lobby.
"What the hell were you thinking Sydney!" He proclaimed angrily. It was my turn to look sheepish.
"Your accent…it was just…amusing." I said trying not to start laughing again. He looked at me with a confused frown on his face. A few seconds passed, and then he started laughing to. And if anyone knows anything about laughter, they know it's contagious, so as soon as he began laughing I started laughing again. And we just stood there laughing like hell for almost five minutes before we calmed down enough to talk seriously about anything.
"So…" Sark said his smile dropping slightly. "There's only one bed…" Before he could continue I cut him off.
"I'll sleep on the floor." I said immediately. He looked up at me frowning.
"No. I'll sleep on the floor. I've delt with far worse. Besides you spent the better half of yesterday roped to a chair." I nodded before divvying up the blankets and pillows. Sark took out his lab top. It looked like he was working with some form of satellite surveillance system. His mood seemed relatively nonchalant for the next fifteen minutes. Then after seeing something on the computer screen he straightened up in his chair. His shoulders tensed up and he looked thoroughly uncomfortable. He turned and looked at me. His face was no longer calm, he seemed…nervous.
"What?" I asked. A hitch of worry sounding in my voice.
"…I think you should have a look at this Sydney." It was his only reply. I walked forward cautiously as he turned the screen in my direction. When I finally saw what was on the screen I gasped in shock. I felt hot tears spring to my eyes as I watched the horrifying spectacle, and yet somehow I couldn't seem to tare my eyes away.
"…Vaughn…"I said shakily "…He never stopped seeing Alice."
A/N: HAHA! Another cliffhanger! Anyway my head is already pounding away with ideas for the fourth chapter so hopefully it won't take me all that long to write it. I hope your enjoying the story so far. Review please :makes puppy dog eyes: any comments or criticism are welcome.