The flight back to the states on an old, uncomfortable military plane was
long and more arduous than Sydney would care to admit, even to herself.
Although she didn't like to admit it to anyone, she was still very weak.
She didn't like to feel weak. When they finally got off the plane at LA
airport, she was forced to let Vaughn help her to the waiting car.
They were taken from the airport to another CIA run hospital, were Sydney was thoroughly checked over be a team of concerned doctors. The flight had taken its toll on Vaughn to. He had dark circles under his tired eyes. She looked worse, just. She was pale and shaking. After three long, tiring hours, she was finally allowed to leave, even though she had an armful of tablets to take with her.
It was dark when she left the hospital, and had started to rain quite heavily. The wind had also taken on a chill. Syd shivered as Vaughn held open the glass hospital door for her. She was wearing a pair of borrowed jeans and a thick wool jumper, but somehow, she still felt cold. She walked through the door and smiled her thanks to Vaughn. He smiled back ruefully, and took the bag full of medicines she was carrying.
He lead the way to the car, which was parked a short distance away from the exit, it's powerful engine idling. Again, he opened the door for her. She slid into the warm, leather scented car and closed the door behind her with a murmured word of thanks. Vaughn got into the front, next to the driver. He half turned so that he could look at her.
"Before we go to the safe house, we have to make a short stop. Is that okay?" he said. From the way he said it, and the strange little smile on his face, she knew it was more than just a quick stop, but she couldn't figure out what else it could be.
She smiled tiredly. "Yeah, that's fine. Just as long as its not another hospital."
"I promise you, it's not a hospital. In fact, I think you'll quite enjoy this." He turned back round, leaving her trying to figure out the meaning of his words.
The car pulled smoothly away from the curb. She relaxed, knowing that she was safe. It was a nice feeling. In the front, the two men talked to each other. After a few minutes of listening to hockey talk, she tuned them out. Before the car had left the hospital grounds, she was asleep. She woke with a start as the car stopped. She'd forgotten all about the stop.
"Vaughn? What's wrong?" she asked
"Nothing. Remember I told you we had to make a stop?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, this is it."
"Okay." She said and got out of the car, shutting the door quietly behind her with her good hand. She followed Vaughn as he led the way into a refuse processing plant. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of burnt plastic, but didn't say anything.
The huge room was dimly lit by a few low-wattage bulbs, scattered at irregular intervals around the dirty walls. For a second, she felt like she was still in the were-house in Moscow. She froze just inside the door. Her breath came fast and she shook slightly. She knew that it wasn't the same place, but it was so similar that she couldn't help feeling trapped.
Vaughn turned to look at her. "Shit." He said, with a glance at the other agent. I told them not to use this place, but do they listen? No. He thought disgusted by the agency's thoughtlessness.
"Syd?" he said as he got closer to her. He could see that she was very pale and shaking slightly. "Syd, come on. It's okay. It's not the same place. Nothing here will hurt you, okay?"
She blindly reached out and took his hands. "Promise that you won't leave me?" she asked in a small voice.
"I promise." He said. "I promise." He said, turning and leading her round a stacked pile of shipping containers. In the small area surrounded by the packing cases, there was a table and two chairs. There was also a large canteen of water on the table.
Syd barely noticed any of that. Her attention had been caught be a shadowy man standing at the back of the room.
She took two steps away from Vaughn, and said one word
"Dad?"
They were taken from the airport to another CIA run hospital, were Sydney was thoroughly checked over be a team of concerned doctors. The flight had taken its toll on Vaughn to. He had dark circles under his tired eyes. She looked worse, just. She was pale and shaking. After three long, tiring hours, she was finally allowed to leave, even though she had an armful of tablets to take with her.
It was dark when she left the hospital, and had started to rain quite heavily. The wind had also taken on a chill. Syd shivered as Vaughn held open the glass hospital door for her. She was wearing a pair of borrowed jeans and a thick wool jumper, but somehow, she still felt cold. She walked through the door and smiled her thanks to Vaughn. He smiled back ruefully, and took the bag full of medicines she was carrying.
He lead the way to the car, which was parked a short distance away from the exit, it's powerful engine idling. Again, he opened the door for her. She slid into the warm, leather scented car and closed the door behind her with a murmured word of thanks. Vaughn got into the front, next to the driver. He half turned so that he could look at her.
"Before we go to the safe house, we have to make a short stop. Is that okay?" he said. From the way he said it, and the strange little smile on his face, she knew it was more than just a quick stop, but she couldn't figure out what else it could be.
She smiled tiredly. "Yeah, that's fine. Just as long as its not another hospital."
"I promise you, it's not a hospital. In fact, I think you'll quite enjoy this." He turned back round, leaving her trying to figure out the meaning of his words.
The car pulled smoothly away from the curb. She relaxed, knowing that she was safe. It was a nice feeling. In the front, the two men talked to each other. After a few minutes of listening to hockey talk, she tuned them out. Before the car had left the hospital grounds, she was asleep. She woke with a start as the car stopped. She'd forgotten all about the stop.
"Vaughn? What's wrong?" she asked
"Nothing. Remember I told you we had to make a stop?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, this is it."
"Okay." She said and got out of the car, shutting the door quietly behind her with her good hand. She followed Vaughn as he led the way into a refuse processing plant. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of burnt plastic, but didn't say anything.
The huge room was dimly lit by a few low-wattage bulbs, scattered at irregular intervals around the dirty walls. For a second, she felt like she was still in the were-house in Moscow. She froze just inside the door. Her breath came fast and she shook slightly. She knew that it wasn't the same place, but it was so similar that she couldn't help feeling trapped.
Vaughn turned to look at her. "Shit." He said, with a glance at the other agent. I told them not to use this place, but do they listen? No. He thought disgusted by the agency's thoughtlessness.
"Syd?" he said as he got closer to her. He could see that she was very pale and shaking slightly. "Syd, come on. It's okay. It's not the same place. Nothing here will hurt you, okay?"
She blindly reached out and took his hands. "Promise that you won't leave me?" she asked in a small voice.
"I promise." He said. "I promise." He said, turning and leading her round a stacked pile of shipping containers. In the small area surrounded by the packing cases, there was a table and two chairs. There was also a large canteen of water on the table.
Syd barely noticed any of that. Her attention had been caught be a shadowy man standing at the back of the room.
She took two steps away from Vaughn, and said one word
"Dad?"