Redemption
Chapter 24
He led her away from the curious onlookers, the looks of sympathy, the looks of pity that he knew she'd detest.
"I can't believe she's dead," Sydney whispered into his shoulder.
"Tell me what happened?"
"They got a video and pictures," her voice trembled as she struggled to control her breathing. "It was meant for us, it showed them .. it's authentic." She shuddered
"Sshhh," Vaughn held her close again. "We'll find them, we'll find who did this."
"They found her body in Rome early this morning, intelligence," Sydney pulled away from him trying desperately to compose herself. "My dad is going to identify her and bring her home, I should go with him."
"Syd you don't have to-"
"Yes I do. Vaughn this is all my fault."
"What? Syd no, you couldn't have prevented this-"
"My mother came to see me, the other day at the ice rink. She told me things about Katy that I should have told my father right away, she told me not too and I shouldn't have listened to her."
"Syd this wasn't your fault." He took her in his arms again and looked through the window towards Jacks office. Sydney followed his gaze. Jack sat behind his desk staring at the wall unmoving like stone. "What he said before-is it true?"
"That he's her father?" she looked to him for clarification and he nodded. "He is," she nodded. "We thought Khasinau was her father, so did she, it was never even a question, but we never thought." her voice trailed off and she shook her head and wiped her eyes. "This is killing him," she said softly looking over at her father. "I should be with him," she started to walk away but Vaughn took her hand stopping her. "You know where I'll be if you need me-I could go with you to Rome."
She shook her head. "We need to do this, but thank you." She kissed his cheek and wiped her eyes. "I'll see you again before we leave."
He watched her walk away, to her father's office. She looked as if she could break, fall apart at any moment but he knew she wouldn't. He watched her enter her office. Jack didn't make a move as she closed the door behind him. He just stared at the small rag doll in his hands, twirling it by the arms over and over again. Sydney pulled a chair over to his and sat there for a few moments before leaning back in her chair and covering his hand with hers.
Running a hand through his hair Vaughn returned to his desk and sat down. Weiss, Marshall and Carrie hadn't moved from their spots and a new face had joined them, Will. Weiss sat playing with his yo-yo watching the toy methodically go up and down. Marshall had tears in his eyes and was trying desperately not to let them show.
"Mike, is it true?" Will asked finally breaking the thick silence.
He sat down retrieving the coin from his desk. He flipped it several times before looking up at their expectant faces. He dropped it back into the drawer, "yes." He began rearranging the files on his desk before knocking them onto the floor in frustration. "Kat's dead. We received video confirmation and Sydney and Jack are going to Rome to retrieve her body."
"She was so kind, and smart," Marshall stuttered to himself slowly processing the news he'd just received. "She'd kill me if she knew I'd told you this but remember last week with Kendall and the baseball hat." he started laughing and Carrie glared at him. "Well it was funny really-"
"That was Kat?" Will laughed remembering the incident and how Kendall had walked around for three days with a Mets cap on his head. "I thought it was you," he pointed to Weiss. "But I didn't think you'd have the guts to do it."
"What?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "Oh that hat Kat written all over it."
"The Mets won the pennant," Marshall grinned. "She just wanted to make sure that he knew that. I doubt he even knew it was her until she gave him the solution to get the glue off."
Vaughn suppressed a laugh; "she always did have guts."
"How's Sydney?" Will asked.
"She's a mess," Vaughn flipped his pen in his hand. "But she'll be okay, eventually."
"Tell Sydney, I'll talk to her later," Will stood. "I have to prepare a briefing for this afternoon."
"Yeah sure," he nodded to Will and began picking up the discarded files. Marshall and Carrie wandered off a few moments later and slowly the office began to return to normal. Finally he turned to Weiss who had remained rather quiet during the entire ordeal. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Weiss had returned to playing with his yo-yo.
"Well, you knew Kathryn pretty well." his voice trailed off as he looked over at Eric.
"What are you getting at Mike?" he glanced at Vaughn obviously irritated.
He shrugged. "You knew Kathryn better than anyone. You knew her better than Sydney."
"What's that supposed to mean? You know what Mike, she's dead and yeah that sucks, that sucks a lot. She'd been through too much, and she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to die like this."
"Weiss-"
"Just forget it,' Weiss stood and grabbed his coat. "I'll be back later."
Vaughn watched him walk away unsure of what to think of his friends actions. He was hurting even if he didn't want to admit it.
Sydney approached his desk; "we're leaving now. I'll call you when we know for sure."
Vaughn stood and hugged her tightly. "I'll be here when you get back, what ever you need."
"Thanks," she said tearfully. "Vaughn, I love you."
"I love you too," he hugged her and kissed her once more before watching her and her father walk out the door.
Hours later he received her call. Everything was true.
Kathryn Sullivan had been murdered with a single gun shot wound to her temple.
Chapter 24
He led her away from the curious onlookers, the looks of sympathy, the looks of pity that he knew she'd detest.
"I can't believe she's dead," Sydney whispered into his shoulder.
"Tell me what happened?"
"They got a video and pictures," her voice trembled as she struggled to control her breathing. "It was meant for us, it showed them .. it's authentic." She shuddered
"Sshhh," Vaughn held her close again. "We'll find them, we'll find who did this."
"They found her body in Rome early this morning, intelligence," Sydney pulled away from him trying desperately to compose herself. "My dad is going to identify her and bring her home, I should go with him."
"Syd you don't have to-"
"Yes I do. Vaughn this is all my fault."
"What? Syd no, you couldn't have prevented this-"
"My mother came to see me, the other day at the ice rink. She told me things about Katy that I should have told my father right away, she told me not too and I shouldn't have listened to her."
"Syd this wasn't your fault." He took her in his arms again and looked through the window towards Jacks office. Sydney followed his gaze. Jack sat behind his desk staring at the wall unmoving like stone. "What he said before-is it true?"
"That he's her father?" she looked to him for clarification and he nodded. "He is," she nodded. "We thought Khasinau was her father, so did she, it was never even a question, but we never thought." her voice trailed off and she shook her head and wiped her eyes. "This is killing him," she said softly looking over at her father. "I should be with him," she started to walk away but Vaughn took her hand stopping her. "You know where I'll be if you need me-I could go with you to Rome."
She shook her head. "We need to do this, but thank you." She kissed his cheek and wiped her eyes. "I'll see you again before we leave."
He watched her walk away, to her father's office. She looked as if she could break, fall apart at any moment but he knew she wouldn't. He watched her enter her office. Jack didn't make a move as she closed the door behind him. He just stared at the small rag doll in his hands, twirling it by the arms over and over again. Sydney pulled a chair over to his and sat there for a few moments before leaning back in her chair and covering his hand with hers.
Running a hand through his hair Vaughn returned to his desk and sat down. Weiss, Marshall and Carrie hadn't moved from their spots and a new face had joined them, Will. Weiss sat playing with his yo-yo watching the toy methodically go up and down. Marshall had tears in his eyes and was trying desperately not to let them show.
"Mike, is it true?" Will asked finally breaking the thick silence.
He sat down retrieving the coin from his desk. He flipped it several times before looking up at their expectant faces. He dropped it back into the drawer, "yes." He began rearranging the files on his desk before knocking them onto the floor in frustration. "Kat's dead. We received video confirmation and Sydney and Jack are going to Rome to retrieve her body."
"She was so kind, and smart," Marshall stuttered to himself slowly processing the news he'd just received. "She'd kill me if she knew I'd told you this but remember last week with Kendall and the baseball hat." he started laughing and Carrie glared at him. "Well it was funny really-"
"That was Kat?" Will laughed remembering the incident and how Kendall had walked around for three days with a Mets cap on his head. "I thought it was you," he pointed to Weiss. "But I didn't think you'd have the guts to do it."
"What?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "Oh that hat Kat written all over it."
"The Mets won the pennant," Marshall grinned. "She just wanted to make sure that he knew that. I doubt he even knew it was her until she gave him the solution to get the glue off."
Vaughn suppressed a laugh; "she always did have guts."
"How's Sydney?" Will asked.
"She's a mess," Vaughn flipped his pen in his hand. "But she'll be okay, eventually."
"Tell Sydney, I'll talk to her later," Will stood. "I have to prepare a briefing for this afternoon."
"Yeah sure," he nodded to Will and began picking up the discarded files. Marshall and Carrie wandered off a few moments later and slowly the office began to return to normal. Finally he turned to Weiss who had remained rather quiet during the entire ordeal. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Weiss had returned to playing with his yo-yo.
"Well, you knew Kathryn pretty well." his voice trailed off as he looked over at Eric.
"What are you getting at Mike?" he glanced at Vaughn obviously irritated.
He shrugged. "You knew Kathryn better than anyone. You knew her better than Sydney."
"What's that supposed to mean? You know what Mike, she's dead and yeah that sucks, that sucks a lot. She'd been through too much, and she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to die like this."
"Weiss-"
"Just forget it,' Weiss stood and grabbed his coat. "I'll be back later."
Vaughn watched him walk away unsure of what to think of his friends actions. He was hurting even if he didn't want to admit it.
Sydney approached his desk; "we're leaving now. I'll call you when we know for sure."
Vaughn stood and hugged her tightly. "I'll be here when you get back, what ever you need."
"Thanks," she said tearfully. "Vaughn, I love you."
"I love you too," he hugged her and kissed her once more before watching her and her father walk out the door.
Hours later he received her call. Everything was true.
Kathryn Sullivan had been murdered with a single gun shot wound to her temple.