You might hate me forever after this chapter, but well this is what the story is about. I'm sorry.

Chapter 16: One Blaze of Glory

Vaughn felt the knife against his throat. So this was the end. He glanced at Sydney who was on the floor. And then he glanced down at his crying daughter. Their eyes meet and instantly she stopped crying. "I just want you to know, little one, that I will always love you and your mommy" he whispered to her as he felt the knife press more firmly at his throat. He closed his eyes ready to accept his fate.

And then a shot rang out.

The General paused and watched as one of the two bodyguards holding Vaughn down collapsed, bleeding from the bullet. Vaughn saw movement in the red cloaked believers and he gathered up his strength and knocked out the other guard. He grabbed his daughter and flew down form the altar before the General even knew what was happening. Vaughn's eyes were locked on Sydney. She had heard the gunshots and waited until her captors had been distracted. She had knocked a few of them out and was proceeding to take down the rest of them.

Vaughn looked around for Sark but he must have left already. And to make matters worse the General was no where in sight. "Shit" he mumbled as he reached Syd.

With his daughter in his arms he took down a member who was approaching Sydney from behind. She turned and saw him and then she was in his arms. Vaughn squeezed her gently before pulling away and handing off their daughter.

"Come on Sydney, we need to get Erica to safety."

"Vaughn how did you, who did you—"

As gunshots flew all around them, Vaughn turned to smile at his love.

"Your parents."

On cue, Jack and Irina appeared from underneath two red cloaks. They were both sporting guns and Jack through a spare to Vaughn.

"Where's my gun?" Sydney protested. Vaughn smiled inwardly. Sydney always wanted to be in a fight.

Irina grabbed her daughter and pulled her behind the three people who loved her most as a shower of bullets from the believers tore past them.

"No gun" she said to Sydney. "You protect our grandchild."

Vaughn returned answering shots and turned to Jack and Irina. "We have to get Sydney and Erica out of here."

Jack nodded and began to formulate a plan.

"Ok Vaughn, you be decoy. Take an extra blanket and wad it up in your arms as if you're carrying the child. Run across the courtyard to the exit. Sydney and I will follow with the baby; I will shield them with my body and take a different route across the courtyard. Irina, come last and cover us the best you can"

Vaughn set out running with the blanket. He fired like crazy and ran like hell. He was about to feet from the exit when he heard Sydney's cry. He turned around and saw Sydney, Jack and Erica. They were up by the altar, and they were going down. Vaughn briefly linked eyes with Irina before running towards them.

Sydney was crying and covered with blood as was Erica. Vaughn reached her and shook her gently. "Sydney, baby, are you hurt, is Erica hurt? Whose blood is that?"

Sydney continued to cry and Vaughn looked to Jack to get answers.

Jack was down behind the altar, a perfect circular bullet hole was in his chest. Vaughn gaped, and Sydney cried. And then Jack began to talk. "Sydney, honey, don't cry. I love you. And my granddaughter" Jack looked lovingly at his daughter and granddaughter before wincing with pain. "Vaughn, you look after the both of them, and if you don't, I will know." Vaughn gulped and nodded. "Yes sir"

And then Irina appeared, triumphantly. "They are all gone, is everyone ok—"

She stopped cold when she saw Jack. Jack looked up at his wife and told her the truth

"Irina, I just want to let you know that I love you still. After everything that has happened between us, I still love you. I always have."

"I love you too Jack"

"If only you hadn't left, think of what—

And then he was gone. Nothing was left but a body bleeding on the stone. Love was bleeding on the stone.

The child, drenched in the blood of her kin, opened her tiny mouth and began to wail. The wail was pure, innocent, full of the sorrow that was in her parents and grandparent, and full of love, love that laid bleeding on a cold stone altar.