MAÇOIS BAY: FAILED OPERATION

Day 3 (part II)

MAÇOIS BAY – ON THE WAY TO THE CAMP

It was 8 p.m. Michael’s GPS sent a beep out, startling him. In the middle of the silent forest, it had sounded as an explosion. It was Weiss.

“Vaughn, where are you?”, he asked
“I’m two or three miles far from the camp. I hid the jeep hours ago, and I’ve made the way on foot, but I cannot advance so fast. There’s no path at all and it terribly hot”
“Move carefully. The satellite has been catching much movement around the area. Ten minutes ago, a plane has landed in the strip”
“No! – Michael cried out – Don’t tell me she’s gonna be moved, now that I’m presumably near. Please, tell me you’re joking”
“Sorry, Michael, but I’m not joking at all”, Weiss murmured
“Could you access to a thermal scanning?”
“I’ll try it but I cannot promise everything. Kendall is gonna contact you tomorrow in the morning to check your progress. We’ll have our heads nicely cut and packed when he find out what we’re doing. So you’d better solve something tonight, uhmm?”
“Get me that scan, Weiss. I wanna know how many people is on the plane if it takes off, how many people on the camp… just everything you can see, OK?”
“Whatever they’re doing, it’s evident they’re in a hurry. That’s all I can infer from the data sent by the satellite… I tried to contact you before, but you might be in a non-range zone”
“No matter, guy. Even if you’d contacted before, I wouldn’t have done anything to go fast. I’m exhausted. The fear to lose Sydney forever is the only thing that keeps me stood”, Michael admitted, “She’s my priority… not the CIA, the SD-6 or the protocols, Weiss. Did you manage to contact Jack?”
“That’s what I was going to comment now. Bristow contact me half and hour ago. And I tried to call you but I can’t. My suspicions are now confirmed: your cover has been uncovered. Jack is hidden, he said the line was not secure so he didn’t allow me to give him much details. He’s escaped from SD-6. He sends you a beg: bring Sydney back with you. He ignores when was that Sloane knew the plot, so he doesn’t know what he can have planned. If you try to go out there, trust nobody! They know who you are and they are on your track”
“Damn it, Weiss. Any more problems on sight? ‘Cause I thought I had enough” – Michael was getting nervous.
“…. Yes, Michael. It’s a weird thing…”
“What? Tell me…”
“I’ve filtrated two communications to the Credit Dauphine site and…”
“And? Come on Weiss, I don’t have time to waste!”
“Both comms came from Brazil, from the very zone of the camp.”
“But… this is crazy! Do you think the SD-6 has a mole in the Group? ****..”
“If I get any news, I’ll contact inmediatly, Vaughn, don’t worry. But be careful… I don’t know if he or she is inside, or outside the group”
“I’ll take care. Thanks, Weiss”

Michael ended the transmission. He was dazed. Things couldn’t go worse. He stopped a minute to drink some water. Now, more than ever, he had to forget his tiredness and make the last effort, for Sydney. He would never forgive himself if he didn’t manage to bring her back.



MAÇOIS BAY – MILITARY GROUP CAMP

Night was falling over the silent camp. The plane had taken off an hour ago, and only Sydney and the three warders stayed there.

“Red Bird talking. They’ve set off for Mexico. I’ll begin the last phase of the operation in an hour. I’ll get rid of the two guys and bring Bristow to the agreed place. Ending transmission”

It was Flavio who was talking, from the darkness of one of the rooms. He was contacting ‘Credit Dauphine’, because he was the mole infiltrated by the SD-6. Silently, he went towards Sydney’s cell.


Sydney was sleeping, restless. Fever had come back, making her delirious. She woke up, startled, when she felt Flavio’s hands tying hers to the bed.

“What…?” she started to say

Flavio silenced her words with his hand. Sydney, terrified, saw him sitting besides her. She tried to struggle, it was impossible. A smile appeared in Flavio’s face.

“At least we’re alone, miss Bristow”, he said while he touched her hair “SD-6 has not played fair on you, has it? Everything is going according the plan…”, he said with sibilant voice.

Sydney looked at her, without understanding.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if I tell you…”, Flavio explained, “I actually work for SD-6, my little one. My task was assure you didn’t die here, because Sloane is more than interested in knowing how far your betrayal has reached. If everything goes well, in two days you’ll be in his hands and I’ll be a very rich guy, trust me”

Suddenly, Flavio bent and kissed, with restrained lust. His hands slid along Sydney’s body. She, dazed, moaned. That simply couldn’t be happening. Once more she wished to be dead. She was completely defenceless and she couldn’t avoid what was going to happen. When Flavio’s hands went under her clothes, Sydney closed her eyes waiting for a miracle, trying to think of another thing, trying to put her mind far from there.

“No, please…”, she cried, “Take your hands off”

No effect. She also tried to think, even more desperately, of something different, when Flavio lay down on her. Nobody had prepared her for such a thing. Nobody could be ever prepared for such a thing. Unconsciousness’ mists seized her again.

“Michael…”, she whispered in almost unhearable voice before fainting down.


Flavio left the cell with a satisfaction smile in his mouth. It has been a recurrent thought since they captured her two days ago. And he’d done it. He was taking a great risk in this mission, at least he had enjoyed a little reward, a delicious and sweet one. He went to his room and lay on his bed, delighting with the memories of the recent past.



Michael reached the camp’s place. Camouflaged under the trees, he observed the darkness. It seemed desert. He became to feel growing desperation. If Sydney wasn’t there, any hope to find would die. But he noticed a movement next to one of the buildings. An armed soldier was lighting a cigarette. “Good!”, he thought. At least there was someone in the camp. He looked at great length and he realised that there were two lights on in two windows of the camp. One was on the nearest barrack and the other a little further away. GPS’s vibration put him out of his thoughts. He connected the written system. It was Weiss again.

Michael read the message. “I send you the results of the thermal scan, from five minutes ago. Hope it is useful. I couldn’t do it before, because Kendall has been prowling around here. Another transmission has been sent from your area, so I think the mole hypothesis is more than credible”

Michael opened the scan file. Sensors had detected two motionless persons, one per barrack, and other two walking around the outer perimeter of the building nearest to him. If Sydney was still there, the logical move was to begin with that one, because there was more security. And it could mean it wasn’t too late, that she was still alive. He set about, with renewed spirits. Stealthily, he moved amongst the bushes and took a gun with silencer out of his bag. He got closer, then he pointed at the smoker and fired. With a slight groan, the soldier fell to the ground. Suddenly, Vaughn saw a face in a window which disappeared quickly. He’d been discovered. Vaughn ran towards the barrack.

“Flavio? Flavio? Position 2. We have a visit” – the soldier inside the building was trying to contact Flavio, who was still in his room.

He got no answer; Flavio had forgotten his talkie in Sydney’s cell. So the man went there. He had to know who was attacking them. He burst into the room and got Sydney out of the bed.

“Who has come for you? Who has killed my colleague?

Sydney, still bewildered, didn’t know what was happening. The soldier hit her and she screamed. A little snap was heard and the man fell dead to the floor. Sydney looked at the door; she saw Michael. She stopped, surprise. She fell on her knees.

“Vaughn…”, she mumbled, bursting into tears.

Michael ran to hug her. Sydney couldn’t speak, she was shocked.

“Take me out of here, please, take me out”, she repeated
“Calm down, Sydney. I’m here now. It’s over”, Michael was frightened. He had never seen her so unprotected, so desperate. He rocked her softly, trying to calm her down.


Flavio was sleeping when Sydney’s scream woke him. Feeling that something was wrong, he ran downstairs and went out the barrack, in silence. He saw the soldier’s corpse and he decided to wait outside. That building had only one door, so he only had to be patient.


“Syd… come on, we’ve got to get out of here. Answer to me, please”, Michael tried to get some information from shocked Sydney, “Are there more soldiers? I’ve got rid of two, but I think there’s another one”

Sydney was breaking after so much tensión, but she nodded.

“Can you stand up? Come on, please, don’t give up now. A last effort, Syd”, he tried to talk tenderly, hugging her to stand up, “I haven’t come here just to lose you now”

Holding her by the waist, Michael managed she stood up. He pulled her outside the barrack, ignoring that Flavio was waiting there.

“We have to find a vehicle, my jeep is too far for you to go walking. Just wait me here, right? – Michael resting her against the wall.

That was the moment Flavio, hidden in the shadows, was waiting for. He grabbed his gun, pointed carefully to Michael who was turned to Sydney. But she saw him and reacted.

“Michael! Careful!”, she exclaimed.

She pushed Michael out of the bullet’s path, the very moment Flavio pressed the trigger.
An explosion broke the night and Sydney fell, putting her hands to her side. She had been hit by the bullet.

“Noooo!!”, Michael screamed.

He rushed at Flavio. Flavio tried to shoot again but the gun jammed. He threw it and began to run. Michael, furious, jumped over him, making Flavio roll to the ground. Anger blinded Michael who, taken by an uncontrollable fury, overpowered him soon, leaving him unconscious. Michael ran back to Sydney.

“Syd! Syd!”, he called out her name, almost crying. She was buckled on the floor, “Why have you done such an stupid thing?”

Sydney breathed hard. The bullet had impacted on her right side, just under the lung. She was bleeding so much.

“Please… resist”, Michael repeated it, rocking her in his arms.

With the free hand, he connected the GPS.

“Come on… come on”, he said impatiently.

Weiss answered.

“Michael! Wh…?”
“Weiss, listen to me, there’s no time. Wake Kendall up, threaten him, do whatever you want, but I need an extraction team now! Sydney’s just been shot, I… I don’t think she’ll resist much. I’m going to look for a vehicle to try to go to Brasilia, or some town with a doctor… I don’t know what I’m gonna do, just call me when you have something”, Michael was deadly worried.
“But Vaughn…”, Weiss tried to reply.

Communication was cut.

Michael lifted Sydney in his arms and went crossing the camp, trying to find a jeep.

“Michael…”, Sydney was trying to speak.
“Sshhh… Don’t speak, not now, please. I’m gonna go and take you out of here, even if it’s the last thing I do”

There were four jeep parked in line. Michael threw away the keys, except for the one they were going to use. Carefully, he lay Sydney along the back sits. She moaned painfully. Michael looked for a bandage in his bag, to cut the bleeding. He covered the wound, trying not to hurt her.

“Hold on, Sydney, please. We’ve gotta go. Press the bandage over the wound, OK?”

Sydney, deathly pale, nodded.

Michael started the jeep and sped up. He had to reach at least the bunker to look after her properly. The bullet was inside and that was not good. They were forty miles but he knew the way, and he had not to care of noise. Worried, he looked through the rear mirror every few seconds.



In the camp, time after, Flavio recovered himself. He touched his head, still dazed by the beat. He stood up, staggering, and had a look around. They’d gone. And it would be expensive for his. He analysed the situation: if he tried to escape the SD-6, sooner or later, he’d be found, so better if he told the truth. He sent a message to say he was on his way to the meeting point and went to the jeeps. Damn it! The guy had taken all the keys away. In few minutes, he hot-wired one of the jeeps and set off. It would be a long long journey, but he preferred to tell Sloane personally.


MAÇOIS BAY – BACK TO THE BUNKER

They were only five miles far from the bunker when Michael saw they were running out of fuel. It was not possible! Everything went worse and worse! Can’t they be a little lucky just for one single time?

The GPS rang and Michael connected the free-hand system. Kendall’s voice sounded on the line.

“Agent Vaughn”, he said, “You’re in a good mess. You’ve disobeyed a direct order from me”
“I’m sorry sir, but we’ll talk about it later. Now there’s no time to lose. We’re running out of fuel. Agent Bristow is severely injured. SD-6 is also behind our track. Please, sir, I’ll accept the consequences when we’re back, but send the team”
“Give your coordinates”, Kendall ordered.
“It was risky to stay at the camp, anyone would look for us there in the first place. So we’re going t…”

Transmission ended abruptly. Not given credit to his eyes, Michael looked at the GPS screen. Battery was flat. He tried to connect several times, with no results. Weiss had to suspect they were going to the bunker, or they would be completely lost.


LOS ÁNGELES – C.I.A. UNCOVER OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT

At Kendall’s office, discussion was on.

“We cannot locate him”, Kendall spoke, “His GPS is off and the only thing we have are the last coordinates. Again the same story. And they were driving, so they’re not going to maintain the position”
“Yes, sir, but…”, Weiss tried to convince his superior, “Given the route they were on, and the fact that they were running out of fuel, their situation is desperate. Their only exit is the abandoned bunker”
“Weiss, I cannot do it. Oh, my God! I’m tired of having the same conversation once and again. I can’t send my men into a confrontation with the SD-6 without information. Just make an effort to understand it, agent Weiss. Their cover has been destroyed, so I just cannot lose men’s lives to save two uncovered agents. These things can happen. I don’t like them, but I have to assume that it’s possible”.

Weiss, feeling helpless, left Kendall’s room. He would try to scan the bunker area, but the scanning wouldn’t work in the bunker. At least he should try. If it proved useless, there was only a card to play to save them, there was only a person capable to make Kendall change his decision, but he couldn’t find him. He could do nothing except waiting, and hoping that Jack Bristow contacted him again.
 
Day 4

MAÇOIS BAY – ABANDONED BUNKER

The car’s motor started to splutter, due to the lack of fuel. But they could already see the bunker. They were arriving. They could manage to. Michael had a look through the rear mirror, Sydney seemed to unconscious.

The motor stopped definitely. Fortunately, they were only a hundred metres far from the building. Michael raised his eyes to the sky, asking that SD-6 hadn’t tracked them yet. Maybe they were busy enough with the operation in Mexico and to capture Sydney and himself back were a secondary issue. After all, it was not expected that Sydney eventually escaped. Everything depended on the mole they had put in the group. Was he one of the death ones? Was he the guy who tried to kill them? Vaughn thought he might have killed him, just to be sure, but he had to help her. Vaughn turned his gaze to see Sydney. She was mortally pale. His heart jumped in his chest.

He get off the car, took the guns, the bag and went as fast as his tiredness allowed him to bring everything in the bunker. Michael tried to feel her pulse, it was to weak. She breathed with great difficulty. Michael was extremely worried. Tears came to his green eyes, realising he could lose her forever any moment on. He took her fainted body between his arms with tender care, and walked again to the bunker.

He knew where there was a suitable room. There was a bed on it. What he ignored was that it was the same room where Sydney was kept during her stay there.

Michael placed her body in the bed. He opened her shirt. The wound looked really bad, but bleeding had stopped a little. He took his water can and poured some water over the hole, to see better what he was doing. Sydney shook in pain and opened her eyes.

“Vaughn…”, she cried
“Calm down, sweetie. We’re safe now. Nobody has followed us”, he wanted to find the right tender words to relieve her pain and her fear, but words didn’t come to him.

Sydney tried to smile, but suffering showed in her beautiful face.

“I.. I would like to take you to a doctor, but it’s not possible. We can’t afford waiting for someone to find us. The bullet is still there, and I have to take it out”, he stated trying to sound calm.

Tightening her lips, Sydney nodded and, at the same time, he pressed tighly Michael’s hand.

Michael took his first aid kit and chose the tongs and some lints. He’d been trained to extract a bullet, of course he knew how to do it, but theory became difficult to apply when one was risking a life. Specially if that life belonged to the person he loved above any other thing in his life. His face was dripping with sweat.

Being extremely careful not to hurt Sydney more than necesary, he separated the lips of the wound. Sydney let a sigh out. Trying to control his pulse, Michael inserted the tongs, checking for the bullet. Sydney clenched her teeth, making a great effort not to scream. He found the bullet but, when he was about to extract it, it slipped off. The second try proved better; the projectile shone between the tongs. Sydney screamed, fainting once more. She was too weak to cope with such a pain.

Michael cleaned the wound with water and covered it with strong bandages, praying it would be of use.

He had some clean clothes in the bag, so he caught a shirt to change Sydney’s one. Tenderly, he sat her up in the bed, and took out her dirty shirt. Michael could not avoid a sigh and became pallid, when he saw the marks the whip had left along her back. He put her on the clean clothes and put her again to bed. Sydney seemed to have a temperature. He wetted a clothe with the water and cleaned her face, to leave it on her forehead. Her breathing was agitated.

Next to the bed, he found a blanket. Michael covered her with it.

“What have they done to you, Syd?”, he murmured, “I can’t imagine how much you’ve passed these days, but I wish I had been the one to be on your place”.

Michael loved her madly. Now he was realising how strong were his truly feelings for Sydney. To see her that way, defenceless, broke his heart. Now, the only thing they could do was to wait, wait for Sydney to get a little better, wait for the CIA to find them before the SD-6, wait…

He suddenly remembered to have seen some medicine ampoule to fight infections in the kit. He burst for one of them. He injected the liquid in her arm; so pale she was that it wasn’t difficult to find a vein. Sydney moved a little, but she didn’t wake up.

“I love you, Sydney”, he whispered in her ear, cursing himself for not having told her before. She may get to know it never, but Michael denied to think of that chance, “I don’t want to lose you”

He couldn’t do anything more for the moment. Michael was exhausted, he should rest some time. The bed was big enough for both, so he lay down next to Sydney, trying not to wake her up.

A time later, he woke up, startled. Next to him, still fainted, Sydney was shivering and moanig of fever. He touched her forehead; she was cold. An attack of hypothermia? He didn’t know, but he embraced her, tenderly but firmly, until she stopped trembling.


Michael woke up hours later. Sydney was still asleep. He was desperate, helpless. Dark fell over the building. He went for a short walk around, without reaching so far, afraid of something happening.

He went back to Sydney’s bed, dejected and sad, and he knelt down besides her. He took her hand, kissed it softly and began to cry. Never had he felt so alone.

“Sydney, please, you… you have to hold out. You’re strong, you’ve always been strong and I… I don’t know what to do if you’re not here, with me. I would give my life to grant you’d keep yours”, he moaned.
 
OMG!!!! You are great writer!!! that was really good (y)
thanks for the PM!!!!!!!!!
Please post more soon- it's really good!!!
:woot:
 
Day 5


The morning light began to illuminate the room. Sydney moved, restless. Besides her, knelt on the ground, Michael has finally succumbed to the sleepless night and he was sleeping, holding Sydney’s hand, as if he could keep her with him that way.

Sydney’s eyelids trembled. Slowly, almost painfully, she opened her eyes. She turned her head and saw Vaughn holding her hand, sleeping. She touched tenderly his hair.

Michael felt the touch. Startled, he woke up to see Sydney awake too.

“Hi!”, she said weakly.
“God! I thought I’d never hear your voice again”, Michael’s voiced showed an immense relief, “How do you feel?”
“Not very well. Everything aches. What has happened? Where are we?”, Sydney tried to stand up, but pain made her go back again.
“You must rest, Syd. You’ve lost much blood and you’ve passed through so many things these days”
“What happened? I can hardly remember you appeared in the camp, that you rescued me…”
“You got shot. Actually, you got a bullet which was for me. It was stupid, I’ve been about to lose you”, Michael caressed her forehead
“If I hadn’t done it, both would have died, Vaughn. Where are we now? Who else has come with you?”, she asked
“Syd… we’re alone. We’re at the bunker where you were captured. I could not afford the risk of going with you to Brazilia. And, we ran out of fuel…”, he explained
“Have you come on your own?”
“Kendall didn’t authorise your extraction, he said we had not enough data to do it. But I couldn’t stay quiet just waiting, I didn’t want to lose you”, he confessed.

Tears came to Sydney’s eyes.

“It’s been totally crazy, Vaughn. You’ll got fired when Kendall notices it”
“I don’t mind. To see you alive, Sydney, is worth a thousand firings... Listen to me, I know this is not the best moment, but I have to say something. During this day you’ve been between life and death, I’ve had much time to think, to think how stupid I’ve been, to think how I’ve let protocol to stand in my way...”, Michael held Sydney’s hand and looked her to the eyes, “I’m not doing it anymore. I’ve thought I was going to lose you, it was making me insane. What happens is...”

Michael stopped talking; he didn’t know how to continue.

“What?”, Sydney asked
“You know it. You must have notice it”

It was a difficult moment. For the first time, they were talking about something they should’ve talked long time ago.

“I want you to tell me, Vaughn. There always are a lot of things
we know, lots of things we feel for sure, but they are not said...”

Sydney had an inner discussion. She needed to know, but at the same time she was confused about what to do. Painful memories of the last days passed through her mind and she didn’t know if she was prepared to cope with it. She thought of stopping him, but she couldn’t. She needed him much more than she had ever needed someone. It was then or maybe never, they didn’t know what was going to happen from then on, she was afraid to lose that chance...

“What do you want me to say?, Michael said, “That when you’re on a mission I can’t sleep? That when we work together I have to concentrate myself in what we have to do, in what we have to plan, in what we have to review? And say to myself that we’re working, that I’m your handler, when all I wanna do is kiss you? For God’s sake, I became mad when you were captured. I didn’t know whether you were alive or not, I knew nothing... except that I loved you as I’ve never loved anybody else, and that I had to do something, and that I was never going to lose an opportunity to say I love you more than my own life... I... I don’t know what’s going to happen to us, I’m aware this is not the moment, but I had to tell you.

Sydney was crying. All that had to happened to test the strength which keep them together. In silence, Michael bent to kiss her. A pure, calm, tender kiss, which became longer with the anxiety they were dying in from long ago. Time stopped around them. In that very moment, nothing else mattered, last days didn’t matter, problems didn’t matter. They loved each other and they were safe in each other’s arms. They kept embraced long time, not daring to break the moment.

“Why do you say that you don’t know what is going to happen? Someone will have to come for us, what more does Kendall need?”, Sydney asked time after.
“Well, I talked to Kendall. I told him to rescue us, that I’d found you, that you’d been shot... When I was about to inform him we’re coming here, to the bunker, the GPS battery died. It’s possible he didn’t hear that last part”
“What? It can’t be...”
“Hope Weiss has the inspiration that we’re here. Otherwise, we’re done for. We’ve got supplies for three or four days, but that’s not our bigger problem... the SD-6...”, he was interrupted by Sydney
“I know. SD-6 is looking for us. They know all, I got the news before you rescued me. If they finish their tasks in Mexico, we’ll come for us; it’s a matter of time. Vaughn, do you know about my father?”, she was worried, “Have they caught him?”
“I think he’s safe. He ran away, and he’s hidden. But he contacted Weiss to inform, so you don’t need to worry about him. But the SD-6 had a mole inside the group, that worries me. It could be the man who shot you.”
“Yes, Vaughn. He was the mole. He told me everything, sure that I wouldn’t manage to escape”, Sydney confirmed the point.
“I... I should have killed him but there were no time”, Michael stopped when he saw Sydney’s face, “Syd, what happens?”
“Nothing, nothing...”, Sydney lied. She was not ready to tell him, she was not ready to tell anybody about what Flavio did to her, not yet. She needed time. “It’s only that memories come to me. It’s been hard, Vaughn”

Michael embraced her tenderly again.

“You need rest, baby. We don’t know yet what we’ll have to cope with, so I need you to recover. You’re still so weak, and we depend totally on the CIA to go out from here. There are so many miles to walk to the nearest town. Why don’t you try to sleep a little?”, Michael touched her forehead, “No fever, good. But I don’t want to take risks. I’ll prepare something to eat, OK?”

Sydney nodded. Michael kissed her cheek and left the room.

It was true she was deadly tired, but she had her mind in other things. She was not shocked anymore, she had remembered everything she had lived during the kidnapping. There was a lot to recover from. What was happening to her? She was still frightened. And it was not because the SD-6 may get to them; it was because she don’t know how to face up to her feelings. Sydney tried to sleep, but she couldn’t. Michael was there, Michael loved her. He will take care of her. Her dad was safe. They would be rescued and she would get over all. She tried to convince herself about that, but she felt empty. Physical wounds will heal, but what Flavio did was a injury difficult to forget. She felt dirty, ashamed, and afraid of facing him again. She would have liked to tell Michael, but she was afraid of his reaction. Sydney cried in silence.

Michael walked to another room, lost in his thoughts. He could notice it, he’d seen it before in other agents captured and brutally tortured. He didn’t know what had exactly happened those days, but Syd wasn’t the same Sydney Bristow he used to know. Perharps, he shouldn’t tell her what he said. Perhaps he should wait but he had to do it. She was still very weak and she hadn’t take consciousness of reality yet. Vaughn was happy of having her, but he was afraid of the future. They will have to face hard moments.



SAO PAULO (Brazil)

Flavio parked the car. He tried to keep himself calm for his meeting with Sloane, but he was nervous. He had a look around to make sure nobody was following him, and he went to a garage door. There was a numeric pannel there, and he entered the code.

The door unlocked and Flavio walked into, alert. It seemed that nobody has arrived yet. Suddenly, he heard Arvin Sloane’s unmistakable voice.

“Where on hell is Bristow, Flavio?”

Flavio trembled.

“Listen to me”, he answered, “I c..can explain everything. But listen to me, please.”

Two SD-6 men, hidden in the shadows, grabbed Flavio and took him to Sloane.

“Something went wrong”, he tried to explain, “You said nobody could track her. But a man, a tall American guy, managed to reach her short before we could get out of the camp”
“What are you saying, Flavio?”, Sloane’s face was darkened with anger.
“I swear I tried to avoid it, but he overpowered me and took Bristow with him”
“Was he on his own?”
“Yes, sir”
“Vaughn!”, Sloane cursed, “CIA was supposed not to authorize the rescue, as we expected. We filtered messages showing partially that we hadn’t discovered her double agency just to prevent them from going to the rescue. But that foolish lover had to break our plans. But I think the CIA had not supported his risky mission, after that he went alone. But you’re a fool, Flavio. You’ve disappointed me terribly”
“They can’t have gone far, sir”
“Why do you supposed so?”, Sloane inquired.
“First of all, their jeep hadn’t much gasoline and...”
“And?”
“I shot Bristow, sir. In fact, I shot the guy but she got in the middle to save him”

Sloane slapped Flavio’s face.

“You’ll come with us. If she’s dead and we cannot count on her information, I assure you’ll want to be dead too. Did you put the tracker we gave you in her food?”
“Yes, I did so...”, Flavio had become completely pale.
“Blackmore!”, Sloane talked to one of his men, who was operating a computer, “Connect to the tracking satellite, we can locate her. But we’ll have to do it in less than two minutes. We cannot afford that CIA suspect anything”

Blackmore entered the codes in the keyboard. After a neverending minute, system showed operative. Seconds went passing, and the location of the fugitives didn’t appear. Twenty seconds before the time expired, a map appeared in the screen.

“We’ve got her, sir”, Blackmore announced.


Sloane looked at the screen. The shine of Sydney’s tracker was weak, but it didn’t leave place to doubt.

“They are in the bunker you abandoned. The signal seemed to be a bit weak, maybe she’s dying. But she’s alive. We set off right now, guys. It will take us almost two days to reach them and we’ll do it using alternate ways, not to find any Group agent, but it doesn’t matter. They’re still there, what means the CIA isn’t acting. Otherwise, they’d already been extracted. Come on, let’s go for the jeeps, everyone. Flavio, you come with me”, Sloane ordered.



MAÇOIS BAY – ABANDONED BUNKER

Sydney had tried to sleep unsuccessfully. Images came to her head once and again. Her mind was clear now, and she remembered every single detail: Sark, Kreschnik, the tub, the needles, Flavio… She wanted to block their feelings, but she could not do it. She needed to express her feelings but she didn’t feel strong enough to do it. She was still crying.

In that very moment, Michael came back to the room. Alarmed, he put the meal on the table and caught Sydney in his arms.

“What happens, little one? Come on… come on, please, you’re safe now”, Michael felt something was really wrong. She was trembling and he didn’t expect something like that; he was confused, “I’m here. I’m not going to allow nothing to hurt you more, do you hear me?”

But she didn’t speak. He had to break that silence.

“Come on, Syd, tell me what’s happening. You’ll feel better”
“I’m afraid, Vaughn. I can’t bear the sole idea of being caught by Sloane. I wouldn’t be able to resist it again”, she said.

Sydney told him everything that had happened since she was captured. Everything, except the last night in the camp, when he came to the rescue. Vaughn was shocked, worried for her.

“It’s over, honey. And I can’t understand how have you bear it. It was normal you finally surrendered”, Michael was shaken by the telling. The sequels could be terrible, “I’m here and I’ll always be here for you. We’ll get over all this.”

But he didn’t know how would they do it. Michael wasn’t calm, he had the impression that she hadn’t told him everything, but he couldn’t ask. He would wait. Maybe he was acting paranoic, fearing for her.

Sydney tried to smile, but it was a sad smile.

“We’ll do it. Do you promise?”, she asked.
“I’ll promise, Syd. Let’s eat something, you need it”

Michael helped her to stand up and to sit at the table. She could hardly walk, she was weak and Michael knew it was painful, but she had to do it. She had to move.

The meal was simple. A pair of sandwiches, some packed fruit and water. But, as soon as she started to eat, Sydney realized how hungry she was. How long had she been without food?

Michael was still pensive and worried. His intuition told him that something happened that night, but what? What could be worse than all she had told him?

They finished lunch, and Michael forced her to rest again. He examined and heal the wound. She might be having a really bad time. But she tried to be strong so she didn’t moan nor an only time. The Sydney Michael knew seemed to revive. He gave her another dose of medicine and told her to rest. She seemed to be more calm.

Sydney was sleeping the rest of the day. Michael, except the long times he passed beside her bed, looking at her, used the time to explore deeply the bunker. Perhaps, he could find something useful. Gasoline, a power supply, something... But there was nothing which could help them.

When the night came, Michael decided to go bed. He was discouraged. He could feel that staying there was a great risk, but they can’t do anything except being patient. If the CIA hasn’t given any signal, that means that they probably wouldn’t do it, if that were not the case that they contacted to confirm their location. It was too risky for Kendall’s protocols to play with the lives of an armed team to save two agents whose cover had been destroyed. Michael knew it was logical, that was the protocol, that was the unstable and insecure life for an uncover agent.

While he was going to the room, he heard Sydney screaming. He burst into the room, but there was nobody there, except Sydney, fighting in dreams, likely a nightmare. He was about to wake her up, but what he heard, paralized him.

“No, please”, Sydney was dreaming, crying, “Take your hands off me...”

A suspicion of what had happened during her last night in the camp crossed Michael’s mind. It fit. He wished he was wrong, but if not, Flavio would do better not crossing his way again. Michael woke Sydney up. She tried to push him away, hysterical.

“Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!”, she shouted
“Syd! Syd! Calm down... It’s me... Michael”, Michael held her by the shoulders until she calm. He touched her hair, “Come on, over, it’s over... it was a nightmare, only a nightmare”

And he would truly like to believe it. Sydney cried in his chest. Michael didn’t want to press her, but he needed to know. He finally decided to wait until she felt comfortable to tell him. Maybe he was paranoid about that; he loved her so much that he couldn’t accept the idea that she’d had to suffer such a thing...

Sydney was about to tell him the truth, but she feared Michael moved away from her when he knew it. She said nothing. She took refuge in his arms and tried to sleep...
 
OMG!!! That's soooooo gooooood!!!Very Good!!!! It's great!!!! (y)
Thanks for the PM!!!!!!!!!
Please post more soon :woot:
 
Day 6


The smell of toasted bread woke Sydney up. She looked around and saw Michael, in the following room, knelt besides a little fire, cooking something for breakfast. She got up slowly and went there. She felt more mobility, but her side ached terribly.

“Good morning”, she said
“Hey! Morning!”, Michael turned to her, “What are you doing out of the bed?”
“I felt better... I couldn’t stay more in bed. What’s the time?”
“Almost midday. I didn’t want to wake you yet. Last night was bad for you”
“Thanks for being there”, Sydney kissed his cheek.

Mentally, Michael thanked God. She really looked better and that was all he needed to see.

The meal was ready. They sat at the table.

“They’re not coming, are they?”, she asked
“Who?”
“CIA. They’re not coming for us...”, she stated again
“I can’t lie to you, Syd”, Michael nodded, “If they were to, they would already be here. Kendall loves the protocol and this is outside the protocol.”
“We’ll have to do something”
“First of all, you have to recover. Then, we’ll think about the next move, OK? Don’t think about it yet”.

They kept eating, in silence. Michael observed her and Sydney caught his glance.

“What?”, she asked
“Nothing, Syd”
“Don’t tell me nothing, Vaughn. I can see it in your eyes”
“I’m worried for you, that’s all”, he answered touching her hand.
“ Vaughn...”
“Yes?”

Sydney shook her head, a sad movement.

“Nothing”
“OK. Don’t tell me if you don’t feel so.”

Then or never. Sydney took a deep breath and spoke.

“Vaughn... I haven’t told you everything”
“Syd, you don’t have to. I’m here, when you want to, just do it”
“Come on, Vaughn. I think you know it. You saw me last night”
“You’ve suffered a lot these days and you were having a nightmare, it’s logical. Time will help”
“Hope so”
“I only want you to be OK. I’ll do whatever to help you...with anything. I know there’s something more you’ve not told me about, called it a sixth sense, but I can feel it. Don’t ask me why. I can’t pretend I wouldn’t like to know it, to help you if I can, I can imagine lots of things, but I’m not forcing you. I’ll just wait. But I want you to know that I’m here.”
“Vaughn... I was raped. It was Flavio, I could do nothing to stop him”, Sydney found the strength to tell him, “Was this what you wanted to know?”

Michael got shocked of hearing the truth. He knew it, he felt it, but he hoped it was not true. That wasn’t what he wanted to know; he wanted to hear nothing near to his suspicions. Sydney kept on talking.

“I couldn’t defend myself. I was almost unconscious. I couldn’t do anything...”, she broke in tears.

Michael took her in his arms.

“It was not your fault. He took advantage of the situation, Syd. Do you listen to me? Nobody deserved such a thing, but you had no guilt in it, OK? You’ll eventually forget it. I’ll help you. If I see that son of a ***** again, I’ll kill him, I swear. I... I only say nonsenses... I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to help you... I’m so sorry... If only I had arrived before... God!”, he was in anger.
“Neither was it your fault. You were successful, Vaughn, you saved my life. If you hadn’t come, I’d have killed myself before going into Sloane’s hands.”
“Don’t say such a thing. Don’t say it again... ever. We’ll fight this together, I promise. And we’ll get it. I don’t know how, but we will, Syd, we will.”

Both became silent, embraced by each other’s arms. Sydney felt safe, she had just thrown away a heavy weight. She truly believed they were going to get over that.

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It was two o’clock. Hidden in the forest, Sloane, Flavio and Blackmore were watching the bunker front door. A hundred metres away from there, other two SD-6 agents, were doing the same with a side door.

Sloane’s walkie sounded.

“Sloane, Vaughn have just gone out. Should we get him?”, a voice asked.
“Not yet”, Sloane answered, “As soon as he goes a little far, enter the bunker, understood? I want you all inside. And remember I need them alive. Ending transmission”

They had reached the bunker. The moment of the truth was near.

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Michael went to walk a little. Everything looked as quiet as before. Sydney had gone to bed again, she felt tired. Michael was still shocked by Sydney’s confession. He didn’t know how to help her.

He walked away from the door, kicking the ground, looking sadly the floor.

And he didn’t see the shadows silently going into the bunker.

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Sloane’s henchmen took position in all the building, vigilant to the doors and looking through the little windows.

Sydney was resting, her eyes closed. She felt better after telling Michael the truth, even she would have preferred not to remember never more the issue. She heard steps coming. She smiled slightly. Michael would never leave her alone more than the necessary.

“This wait is consuming me. We don’t know if they’re coming. If only the Agency would be on the way...!, she said, unaware of what was actually going on.

She felt him sitting on the bed. But she noticed a strange scent, a very familiar perfume and she opened her eyes... to find herself in front of Sloane. She attempted to shout, to warn Michael, but Sloane’s hand shut her words.

“Hello, Sydney. How are you?”, Sloane leaned on her injured side making tears come to Sydney’s face, “mmmmm... I see that not very well. I’m terribly disappointed with you and with your father. He has managed to escape, for now. But now that I have you, he’ll come crawling as soon as he notices. Now we’re going to stay silent a time, until your tender guardian angel comes back, OK?”

Sydney tried to move, but Sloane’s hands were like pincers. The end had come; they wouldn’t resist much in their hands. Fear invaded her again.

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Michael turned to walk back to the bunker, but something caught his attention. A light smell of burning, and a thin smoke column between the bushes. Stealthily he took his gun out and went there. There was nobody, but a cigarrette butt smoked still in the trampled grass. He stopped. They were in. They’d been observing and when he went out, they entered. How could he be so confident? He had wide opened the doors for them.

And now? He had to think something, and quickly.

He was being observed and the agents soon realized Michael was suspicious. Blackmore called Sloane.

“It’s Blackmore. Vaughn has noticed something. He had hidden from us”

Sloane cursed.

“Your pal is clever, Sydney. I’m not giving him time to plan anything. Though he doesn’t count with means to do anything. CIA has abandoned you, hasn’t it? Why don’t you call him and tell him to come here inmediatly? He’ll obey”, he said.
“Don’t count on it, Sloane”, said Sydney smiling

Sloane slapped her in the face.

“You think so? We’ll see it”, he said

He forced her to follow him to the bunker main door, a gun pointing her head.

“He knows you won’t kill me. You need me alive ‘cause you need to know how much the CIA knows about the SD-6”, Sydney said.
“Better if you don’t bet to that horse, Sydney. I must confess that I’m desperate and if I must conform myself with the testimony of only one of you, I’ll do it. Sydney, after so many years, you know me, you know I’m not shooting a line. You’ve been my most brilliant agent and nevertheless I didn’t hesitate in ordering your fiancee’s death, remember? And I don’t really need to kill you to force agent Vaughn to come. I only have to take advantage of the human weakness, what becomes particularly easy in this situation”.

Sydney didn’t answer.

Michael observed the scene, hidden in the forest. Nor a single useful idea came into his mind. And he had no time to think properly.

The bunker door opened and Sloane appeared. Two of the henchmen took Sydney out.

“Agent Vaughn!”, Sloane called him, “I know you’re listen to me. You’re clever, but your time to act the hero has ended! Come here now, hands up. If you don’t, you know who’s going to pay for it”
“Michael!”, Sydney shouted out, “Don’t do it, that’s what he wants. Get out of here, please!”

Sloane went to Sydney and shut her words by slapping her. Michael felt his blood boiling. Sloane hit her in her injured side. Sydney’s knees bent down but she bit her lip to avoid screaming. Sloane took a knife out and pointed to her neck... Michael tried to think about something, desperate. Sloane scratched slightly Sydney’s skin.

Michael couldn’t bear it for more. He threw his gun and went out of his hiding place, with his hands clearly up.

“Michael don’t...”, Sydney sobbed.

The two soldiers ran to Michael and tied his hands to his back.

The group went back to the bunker.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sloane kept them in a room. He stayed with them.

Michael was worried. He could notice there was a blood stain in Sydney’s shirt. The wound might have opened again. It was not good, she wasn’t strong enough now to resist anything.

“You’ve been very bad guys...”, Sloane was talking, “Sydney... I can understand that such a gorgeous man like agent Vaughn can attract you to the bad way. Did you seriously think we’ll never hear of your little plan? But...”, he crossed the room towards Sydney, “you shouldn’t have bitten the hand that pays you... never!”

He was angry and hit her fiercely. Sydney look to him, defiant.

Sloane turned to Michael.

“And you... I think you’re too soft to be a ops agent for the CIA, and so subjective to be a good handler for her... don’t you think so?”, he said to Michael, “You’re making big mistakes which have eventually given us the victory... First of all, the error a handler shouldn’t never commit... to fall in love with the handled one! So sweet...! In the camp you let our man escape when you had the chance to prevent him from contacting us, but minutes were vital to safe her, true? That saved her in that moment, but it has finally proved to condemn you both”.


Sloane looked satisfied, while Michael was broken in two. “Sloane is right”, he thought, “I’ve been stupid”. Sloane switched his talkie on.

“Come here, Flavio, sure you wanna meet our guests again”, he said.

Sydney became pale. She has dreamed of never seeing his face again, but it couldn’t be. She was tense. Michael looked at her, worried. If Sloane got to know what happened with Flavio...

Seconds passed. Flavio entered the room and Sydney couldn’t avoid a slight moan of anguish.

“Surprised?”, Sloaned inquired, “Don’t say you don’t know he was
my little mole... It would be disappointing. How do you think I’m sending my dear Sydney to a non-return mission, if I don’t have someone to bring her back to me?”

Michael looked at Sydney. She was trying to restrain her tears, but her eyes were wet.

“What happens Sydney, dear? Aren’t you glad to see Flavio again?”, he asked to her.

Sydney’s lips trembled of rage. If Sloane knew the truth, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it against her. Maybe he already knew...

Sloane tied Michael to the chair, while Flavio did the same with Sydney. She couldn’t control her trembling when she felt Flavio’s hands touching her again. She close her eyes not to think of it.

Flavio and Sloane left the room. Michael and Sydney looked at each other.

“Well, what can we do now?”, Sydney tried to keep calm, “It’s clear that we cannot count on the CIA. We need a miracle”

Michael was blocked. He tried to find something which allowed them to gain sometime, but he couldn’t. Sydney let a sigh out.

“What’s the matter, Syd? How are you?”, he asked
“Don’t worry. The side... it aches”, she said taking a deep breath.

Sloane came back, followed by Blackmore.

“Come on... Don’t make things worse”, he said.

Blackmore kicked Michael’s stomach.

“I’ve been a time with suspicions about your link. You’ve put me in a difficult situation and I don’t know yet how much the CIA knows about our activities... Agent Vaughn, would you be so kind of telling me something to this respect?”, Sloane talked to Michael.

He said nothing. Blackmore hit him again. Sydney tried not to look. She didn’t want to see Michael suffering, but she knew that in the moment they gave the information Sloane wanted to hear, their death sentence would be signed. It was necessary to gain some time, awaiting for a miracle... Michael looked at Sydney, forbidding her to say anything to Sloane, while Blackmore kept on punishing him. Sydney could not bear it. Her eyes were full of tears. Sloane turned to her.

“You impress me, Bristow. I didn’t think you would like to live again the death of your loved one because of you”, he stated.
“Don’t be cynical. You know you’ll kill us anyway”
“Of course!”, Sloane laughed, “But there are many ways to die. Some are fast, even painless, but there are others which can turn your last life moments in a hell...”

He went near Michael to whisper something to his ear.

“She’s strong, she acts like if she had no feelings at all. I trained her well, uhmm? But would you be able to do the same? Let’s check it!”, he said.


Sloane made a sign to Blackmore and he beat Sydney. Sydney tried to recover breath.

“Michael... don’t say... anything”, she begged.

Michael didn’t know what to do. He had to stop it. Tied as she was to the chair, Sydney fell to the ground, while Blackmore keep attacking her.

“Strong... both of you are strong ones. Ok, Ok... I realize that I won’t get anything this way...”, Sloane began walking up and down the room, pensively.

Sloane went out the room with Blackmore.

“Syd... are you OK?”, Michael asked

She nodded her head, trying to hide a expression of pain.

“I can’t stand this. I can’t see you this way, Sydney”
“Do you prefer to see me dead? Don’t be crazy, don’t tell him anything, understood?”, she replied.

Blackmore came into the room again. He untied Sydney and took her out of the room.

“Where do you take her? Leave her alone!”, Michael protested unsuccessfully.

Sloane closed the door and sat next to Michael.

“I wanna be sure that the information you’re gonna give me, ‘cause you’re gonna do it, is reliable”, he stated.
“Where is she?”
“You’ll see it right now, Vaughn. But in the meantime, we can save sufferings and you can tell me the password to access the CIA server where the SD-6 files are located”
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to do that. I don’t even know all the codes”.
“It’s OK. Begin with the ones you do know”

Michael didn’t answer. Sloane opened a computer, a notebook, he had left on the table and turned it on. There appeared an image of a room
Michael haven’t seen before. Blackmore was pushing Sydney inside that room. The more details appeared in the image, the more worried Michael was. He realized, horrified, what they intended. Hanging from one the room’s beams, there was a rope and Blackmore was adjusting it around Syd’s neck. She had her hands tied to her back and her eyes were covered.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In that room, Sydney tried to loosen the ties. But Blackmore had done a good work. They were done for, but, for that time, the feeling of having no chance kept her senses alert. She already knew the rules of that play; she had seen it before and she never had the need of try it. Sloane could be very creative when he wanted to get information.

Sloane’s voice sounded through Blackmore’s talkie.

“Well, Sydney... you’re still on your agent’s hands. I think you’re clever enough to know how this works, aren’t you? I could have used any of you for this play, but I have my reasons to do so... I have feelings too, Syd, it hurts me that the people I put my confidence in stab my back... I’ve always treated you as a daughter to me, you were part of my family, and this is how you pay for it?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on Sloane... it doesn’t matter who is in that room... you’ll finally get what you want. Change her place for me”, Michael asked for.
“Vaughn... I’ve already said it didn’t matter, but I want some satisfaction for the personal side of her betrayal. Now, stop chatting. Give me the codes...”

Michael hesitated.

“Go on!”, Sloane ordered through the talkie.

Michael looked at the screen to see how Sydney handled a hit in the stomach. Her knees trembled and she staggered. Blackmore prepared to hit a second time.

“Sloane, wait!”, he said. “The main directory of this case, has all the information you want. My access code is 555-GHJ-2947-mv.
“Your ID, agent Vaughn?”
“VAUGHN-LA-435”
“OK, I’m gonna go check it. If you’ve lied to me, she’ll pay for it”
“You can check it, it’s true. But stop your agent”

Sloane looked at him with a sardonic smile in his mouth. And Michael realized he had gone right into the trap. Sydney was not saved. Sloane looked for revenge and he was going to get it anyway. Anguished, he turned to the screen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first attack caught her by surprise. She almost lost the balance. Sydney tried to keep her head concentrated, overpowering the pain; if she fell down she would suffocate herself. She cope as her best with the next ones, but if Sloane didn’t stop that, she wouldn’t resist much more.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael was really worried, waiting to see her falling any moment on, when Flavio burst into the room, with a gun in his hand.

“Sir, an armed team is coming from the west side of the bunker. There are about twenty men”, he announced.
“Damn it! So the CIA guys have sent their people to the rescue, after all. Flavio, took Vaughn to the jeep. Don’t hesitate to kill him if it’s necessary”, Sloane turned the talkie on, “Carson, Mainfield, we’re just under attack, cover the west access”

Sloane left the room quickly. Flavio followed his orders and, pointing him with the gun, he took Michael out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Blackmore stopped. Sydney hear Sloane’s alterated voice while she was being untied. Her eyes were uncovered.

“Your CIA friends have come to the rescue. But I assure you that they’re not going to get your way”, he said to her.
“We’ll see it, Sloane, we’ll see it”

Sloane grabbed strongly her arm.

“I would kill you right now, but I need you to escape from here. That’s the only reason why you’re still alive...”, Sloane’s voice was threatening.

He pushed her towards the back exit of the building. Blackmore stayed with the other two soldiers, installing C-4 charges to get rid of the CIA team. Sloane was more worried about reaching the jeeps than to be aware of what Sydney was doing. Sydney had to refrain a triumphal laugh; the ties in her hands were stretching.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flavio guided Michael to one of the jeeps. He fixed Michael’s ties and locked him in the back part of the vehicle.

“If I catch you, you... bastard, you’ll wish to die”, Michael told him.
“Don’t dream of it. Anyway I’ve already lived a lot of this life, agent Vaugh and many people will remember me, I assure you. Even your girl... though she hasn’t much time to remember the time I enjoyed with her.”, Flavio tried deliberately to provoke Michael, “Have she told you about me?”

Michael felt anger burning him. But he decided not to answer to the provocation. That was what Flavio wanted. If he got killed, Sydney would be lost. Michael ignored the commentary.

“There are so many CIA agents around. You’ll not escape”
“So many agents who will blow out the very moment they entered the bunker, Vaughn”

Flavio closed the jeep door and went away. He didn’t want to be captured. He was sure that if he ran away now to hide in the forest, he would survive.

Michael fought against the ties. He had to hurry. He had to find Sydney once more. And to warn Weiss, because he was sure it was Weiss the one directing the team.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss looked around, carefully. He made a sign to the agent who followed him. No movement could be seen. He hoped they hadn’t come too late. Or maybe he was mistaken and the bunker was not the place Michael wanted to indicate.

Jack Bristow had luckily contacted him again and when Weiss told him the situation, he inmediatly contacted Kendall to force him to use their last card.

The team had just arrived and they didn’t know what they could expect. Everything was very hasty and they hadn’t time to plan a well-structured operative.

The agents were close, rounding the bunker. A little far, Weiss caught a glimpse of a jeep figure, camouflaged in the vegetation. Pointing at it in silence, he sent two of his men to investigate. He didn’t want to take the risk of entering the bunker yet. He took a deep breath and grabbed his assault gun.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sloane noticed movement near the jeeps. He decided to hide in the forest, until the agents entered the building and he could get rid of them. She pushed Sydney the opposite way and looked around for a place to hide.

She had managed to untie her hands and when Sloane was near enough, he kicked his hand to throw away the gun. She threw the ties to the floor, in front of her old boss’ astonished eyes, and attacked him.

To her surprise, Sloane had physical skills which didn’t fit his age. He stopped her blows, which were weak ones, given her situation, and he managed to get her guard off a couple of times. Sydney realized that Sloane was trying to move their fight near the place where the gun had fallen. She was getting tired, her side ached and she breathed with difficulty. Sloane jumped over her and both rolled along the ground. A rock stopped them.

Sloane stood up, triumphant; that rock proved to have been providential. Sydney lay at his feet; her head had banged against the rock.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Michael, after long minutes, freed his hands. He pushed with his feet, trying to open the jeep door. The lock seemed to be strongly fixed. Finally, he got it and he went out of the car. He looked inside the vehicle and he found two guns. He had no time to check how much ammunition there was, time was pressing. He went towards the bunker, eyes wide open.

He was walking down the path, covered by the shadows of the trees, when somenone jumped over his back. Michael got up, taking a gun out, to find himself in front of the ATACANTE. A huge smile appeared in Michael’s face.

“Weiss! I was sure it was you. Where are your men?”
“Just about to assault that damn bunker. We’ve not find anything around, so we supposed you were in.”
“Stop’em Weiss. It’s a trap. C-4 is connected inside the building to blow you out”

Weiss connected his talkie.

“Weiss speaking! Abort... don’t enter the bunker, it’s full of explosive. I got Vaughn. Ending”, he turned to Michael after the transmission, “How are you? Where is Syd? I thought she would be with you.”
“That’s the pending issue. Sloane took her with him. I supposed they were for the jeeps but nobody had reached there. Sloane must have seen movement and he will have moved into a different direction, awaiting the explosion...”, Michael explained quickly, “I have to find them”
“I’ll go with you. I’ll warn the guys”
“Don’t. I prefer you to look for a tall dark men, called Flavio. He escaped through this way. I want him alive, it’s a personal issue. As for your men, I’m the last person Sloane expects to see now. We’ll increase the chances if I go on my own. Give me your gun, please”
“I’m not going to argue with you, foolish guy. You’re crazy, and I’m worried about you, but for some unthinkable reason you’re always right and you get your targets, so... just take care, OK?
Sloane must be now very very furious...uhmm? Don’t get yourself killed now, you’re my future boss when we’ll get fired, remember?”

Vaughn ran, bent down, across the terrace. He had to hurry more than ever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sydney recovered. Her head ached. She tried to stand up, but she had been tied again. She heard Sloane’s laughing besides her.

“Did you seriously think you were going to overpower me? An old man, you thought. Yes, definitely I’m not in my twenties, but there must be some reason for the fact that I’m still in charge of the SD-6, don’t you think?”

Sydney analized the situation. Now, she was done for. She decided to try attract some attention to the area.

“MICHA...!!!”, she shouted, but Sloane’s rude hand closed her mouth.
“Don’t even try, Sydney. He may hear you... from another world! Flavio had very clear orders to get rid of him. He was not useful anymore.”, Sloane made a pause, “It’s unlucky to fall in love with you, isn’t it?”

Sydney’s heart bumped. Sloane talked through the talkie.

“Is the C-4 prepared, Carson?”

Sloane attended to the answer and pushed a button in the talkie. Near there, in the bunker, an explossion resounded in the forest. The three SD-6 agents were rounded by the CIA guys and they couldn’t go out of the building, but Sloane detonated equally the artifact.

“Well, Sydney, we’ve come to an end. Sorry for not saying goodbye properly, but I have to get out of here. Now I’m alone and I don’t have nor a single vehicle, so you wouldn’t be more than a nuisance”

Sloane kissed Sydney’s forehead.

“If you play with fire, sooner or later you get burnt. I told you once but you didn’t listen to me...”, he sentenced

Sloane pulled the gun safe. Sydney closed her eyes, waiting the shot, focusing her last thoughts in Michael’s face. Maybe she would find him in other life... The shot was made and she felt Sloane’s body falling over hers. Shocked, she opened her eyes to see Michael, standing there, with a gun in his hand. She was waiting for a miracle and it happened. Michael threw his gun, took Sloane’s body away and tied his hands. He knelt in front of Sydney and embraced her. He trembled while Michael was taking the ties off. They kissed, unable to say anything.

“Just in time... I almost lose you forever, again”, Michael repeated, touching her face,
“Sloane told me you were dead...”, she cried
“I’m here, Syd. It’s over.”, he whispered.

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke behind them.

“Oh... what a tender scene.”

It was Flavio. Sydney looked at him over Michael’s shoulder. He had a gun pointed right at them. Michael moved his hand to the side, looking for the other gun he had taken from the jeep.

“Stop, Vaughn!”, Flavio ordered, pulling the safe, “Throw the gun. I knew there were two guns in the jeep”

Michael did so. He looked to Sydney’s eyes and embraced her hard. She felt Weiss’ borrowed gun and she, slowly, grabbed it. In a fraction of a second, Michael separated while Sydney shot to an astonished Flavio. He fell down. Sydney stood up to shoot him two times. She let her fall in the floor, crying. Now, it was over.

Weiss and his team were running towards there. They caught Sloane, still fainted, and carried him back to the bunker.

“You two”, Weiss said, “You’ve been born lucky. Come on, the helicopter is near. Can you walk?”, he asked Sydney, realizing she seemed still shocked.

She looked completely exhausted. Michael took her in his arms and
went towards the helicopter which was landing. Everything was over, yes, but what was going to happen now? He preferred not to think. He got Sydney and that’s what he had come for.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
It´s AWESOME. Sloane is dead?????? Yuujuuu :woot: But Poor Syd, I hope that she can full recover.

Gracias por el Privado ;)

~Nat~
 
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