Heh - for the first time ever - I am posting chapters at AA before I post them at SD-1. I'll leave the fic for you to enjoy!!! Ooo! One more thing to add - no smut for awhile, but it is near and this time - it will be real! No more dream smut! :lol: BTW -
Joyie - I added you to the PM list ^_^
Without further ado-
‘She came alone.’ Sark said as he entered Sloane’s office. Sloane looking out the dark window of his office turned to look at him. Smiling slightly at Sark, Sloane gestured to the chair across from his desk.
‘Did she get the drop on you Mr. Sark?’
Sark sighed disdainfully at the remark. ‘I made the mistake of assuming she was more heavily drugged than she truly was. It won’t happen again.’
Sloane nodded and moved to sit in his chair. Sark studied the man’s actions trying to gauge what Sloane’s next move may be.
‘Did the admission of Lauren’s true identity surprise you?’
Right. We are going down memory lane again.
Sark sharply inhaled. ‘Really, sir, I never knew that you would have had any children. I assumed that Sydney was the closest thing you had.’ Sloane leaned back in his chair taking in Sark’s statement.
‘It’s true. In both Emily and my own minds, Sydney was like a daughter.’ He paused to smirk at the utterance ‘I even led a few people to believe she was my daughter.’
That admission did not shock Sark; Sloane would stop at nothing to gain an edge over someone. That was of no concern to him now though as he was more worried about how he was going to get Sydney out of here, but that depended on what Sloane’s plans for her were.
‘May I be so bold as to inquire what you plan on offering her?’ Sark noted that the surveillance image was now rotating to different cameras, no longer staying fixated on Sydney’s cell.
‘I’m going to offer Sydney the opportunity to work with me again.’ Sark raised his eyebrows at this for he knew there would be no ultimatum in this case, but he asked anyway trying to buy time to figure out the time frame on the surveillance monitor.
‘And if she refuses?’ If he could figure how long it took to get back to the cell image after getting visuals from every other camera in the building, Sydney might be able to use that window of time to escape.
‘There will be no other acceptable answer. She joins me or she dies. It’s that simple.’
Three minutes, Sark counted, until it was back at Sydney’s cell. Sark stood up from his chair. ‘You really think you will be able to do that? Kill the woman who is like a daughter to you?’
Sloane looked up at Sark smiling slightly. ‘No, but that’s why I have you. I couldn’t bear to have Sydney’s blood on my hands. So I thought, what is one more on yours?’
Sark nodded solemnly. Once again, he was expected to do Sloane’s dirty work. ‘Of course, sir. Do you expect to make the offer to her or am I to extend that as well?’
Sloane paused thoughtfully weighing his decisions. ‘I will be the one to ask for her final decision, but you may go ahead and tell her what I am proposing.’
Sark went to leave the office, but stopped and turned slightly back to face Sloane with his hand on the doorknob. ‘Do you expect me to be cordial or incensed?’ Sloane studied him, surprised at the question ‘I only ask because I want to handle this correctly, for your sake.’
Sloane smiled bemused. ‘Do you as you see fit, Mr. Sark.’ Sark nodded at him and left the office.
He needed a moment to think. That last question had been a test, and Sloane’s answer gave away more than he probably intended it to. Sloane was testing him that had been made clear by the look on his face. Maybe his previous visit with Sydney had raised some paranoid concern within Sloane, but Sark knew he couldn’t hold back this next time. Not only did he have to convey to Sydney her means of escape, but also he had to show his loyalty to Sloane. It was going to be near impossible, but not only was Sydney’s life at stake but for the first time, it felt his was as well.
It’s the cruelest thing - The cruelest thing
That I've ever known - Just time and circumstance
Taking their toll - As the storm beats and rolls ~ David Gray
Arvin set the monitor to view Sydney’s cell. The cell was dark, but he could make out her figure sitting on the cot. Sloane leaned back in his chair watching Sark enter Sydney’s cell wondering how Sark would treat Sydney this time. Clearly, she had put up a small struggle the last time he went in there. He would be surprised if Sark didn’t make her pay for that. As Arvin thought he knew Sark rather well, he suspected Sark asking how to treat her was his way of seeking permission to be rough on Sydney the second time around. In fact, the more he thought about it, he expected Sark to be rough on Sydney. He would no doubt be her executioner if she turned down the offer to join The Covenant.
When Sark had been in the first time, he found it curious that during the scuffle between Sark and Sydney, there was no sound. Even as she obviously had attacked him, there was no audible reaction. Not to mention, Sark had taken the brunt of it without much retaliation. Arvin wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was going to keep an eye on them this time. If anything suspicious happened, Sark was going to have a lot of explaining to do.
~~~~~~~
Entering her cell, Sark took a deep breath preparing himself for what he was about to do. Not only did he have to relay the details to Sydney on how she would be able to escape, but he would also have to convince Sloane of his allegiance.
Sydney squinted as the overhead light of the cell came on. She looked to the doorway where she saw Sark leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him. Noticing the piercing gaze that Sark had given her, she sensed his demeanor from their previous meeting had since changed.
I need to trust what he said to me before. He would not have given me a gun if he were not going to help me.
Sydney saw that Sark was unmoving waiting for her to break the silence. ‘What do you want now Sark?’
He smirked satisfied that the silence between them was no longer. “I have come to make you an offer Sydney.” Still leaning against the wall, he made no attempt to move near her. Sydney waited unsure of what he was doing.
“You are being offered a role in our organization.’ Sark looked at her unmoving. “Might try to act gracious Sydney, it is more than I would offer you.”
Sydney chuckled. “And if I don’t accept?”
Finally, Sark moved from his position against the wall and walked towards her. “You don’t have that luxury.”
The realization of his statement hit her suddenly. Sydney was going to be killed unless she joined The Covenant. Uncrossing her legs and moving them out in front of her, she stood up from the cot to look Sark dead in the eye. “Go to hell you son of a b****.”
Sark smirked at her. “Is that your final decision?”
Moving closer to him, she moved right up to his face catching a slight whiff of his cologne. “You are such a coward Sark, you know that?” He did not react. “Always someone’s lackey, you will never be the man in charge. You don’t have the strength. Even now, my wrists are bound and you act like you have this great power over me. Honestly, you know what I could do to you if I had the chance. You don’t have the guts to find out if you could top me.”
Sydney saw something in his eyes flicker at her. Without saying a word, he reached in his pants pocket and withdrew his switchblade. Flicking it open with his right hand, he grabbed her wrists. He squinted hard at her as he brought the blade to the tape.
“Remember my warning earlier Sydney? Just think, you brought this on yourself.” He replied coolly as he slit the tape in one quick flick of his wrist with the sharp blade of the knife.
Sydney pulled the tape from her arms wincing slightly as it ripped at her arm hair. Noticing Sark still held the knife in his hand, she nodded at it. “Not much of a fair fight if you have a weapon.” He glared at her as he flicked the knife shut and returned to his pants pocket.
Who will make the first move?
As soon as the thought entered her mind, she wasted no time in jumping up to deliver a kick to Sark’s right side. Quickly, he brought his left arm across her face sending her over to the wall.
Landing with a small thud against the wall, she turned bracing herself against it send another kick to him as he approached. This time it did not catch him off guard as he brought his hands up to catch her foot. Pressing off with her other foot, she spun around causing him to release the foot he held and feel the blow delivered by the spin kick.
They stared at each other for a moment anticipating one another’s next movement. Sark’s gaze began to convey something to her. Rapid blinking patterns - a message.
My left pant pocket – take the paper. She dipped her head slightly acknowledging she understood.
Sloane is suspicious and that is why he is doing this.
Sydney let out a small yell and she spun around her right leg poised to strike as if Sark was her punching bag and she was mad as hell. Sark fell backward on the floor and Sydney was on him instantly. If Sloane were watching, he wouldn’t wait long to send in another guard.
Hand in his pocket, she felt the small piece of paper and went to conceal it in her hand as Sark’s elbow came crashing into her face. Stunned, she stumbled backwards as she felt another sharp kick come across her shoulders. Before she knew it, she was the one on the ground with Sark leaning over her. The switchblade was back out and this time pressed at her throat.
“I’d be willing to call it a draw when it comes to hand to hand Sydney, wouldn’t you?” She gasped still stunned at how quickly he had gone from being on the ground to now being the one in control. “Maybe you would surpass me if you had a weapon, but unfortunately you’re not going to get that chance.”
He took the knife away from her throat and slowly stood up staring down at her. “The man wants to hear your decision personally, so you still have a chance to save yourself.”
Moving over to leave, he turned back and cast one final glance at her. “I’d wager you might have thirty minutes to think it over. Good-bye Sydney.”
Sloane sat forward in his chair smiling. Sark had once again proven why he was the most valuable man in his organization. At first, he had been concerned that Sark allowed Sydney to get his weapon, but there had been no mistaken the last few blows he had delivered to her. Sydney was still lying in the middle of her cell when he flipped to view the other locations in the building. Smiling sadly to himself, Sloane realized he was going to miss Sydney.
She can only save herself now. Unbeknownst to Sloane, that was far from the truth.
Hehehe - sending out the PM's now!! ^_^
