Thanks for the sweet reviews. :lovely: Hopefully you'll like this chapter too. I'm much more happier with this chappy then with the last one...so be prepared (a little wink to Vaughn).
A few important points for this chapter:
The italics are
flashbacks. In Sydney's case she has been questioned, now we see her
after the questioning!
In some cases the italics are inner thoughts, but I guess you know that by now.
A part of this chapter was in the prologue. Remember "
Harder to breathe"? Now you can read what the prologue was about.
And the most important point: ENJOY!
Love, Danuta
Chapter 37 – Harder to breathe
Time was now foreign word for her. Seconds, minutes, hours, days – they were interwoven with each other.
“Tell me your name.”
“Who are you working for?”
“What do you want?”
“Who are you?”
The questions swirled around in Sydney‘s head. The urge to vomit was washing over her, like a wave pulling her violently into the sea.
The pain of her gunshot wound hadn’t eased a bit, instead the throbbing increased from second to second. Pain choking her. Lights blinding her. Hands grabbing, hurting her.
They had tethered her up like a wild animal. The chains and handcuffs prevented Sydney from moving even the slightest amount. There was no chance to escape, no chance to hope anymore. Vaughn didn’t knew that she was here...no one knew it. Regretting that she hadn’t told Weiss about her plan, Sydney felt a tear drop making its way down her pale cheek. She would die. This was it. This was her end. And who would have known that it would take place in a grungy warehouse in Warsaw with a few Russian bastards taunting her?
The interrogation began again. In different languages. Butwith the same meanings. And again, not one single word left her lips.
The first punch in her stomach left Sydney breathless for a minute. The second one – harder than before – made her lean forward and she vomited heavily until only dry coughs escaped her mouth.
Kneeling down in front of his victim, the boss of the group titled Sydney‘s chin up and caught her glance. Hard, suffering eyes. Smirking devilishly, he knew that it would be just a matter of time before Sydney broke. They all broke in his hands.
“You have a beautiful face, little lady“ he sighed playfully, his index finger running down her jaw to her neck line. She refused to flinch away from the touch, but her body tensed automatically. When his hands wandered lower and began to touch her breasts, Sydney spit into his face. Closing his eyes without losing his countenance, the man swiped off her saliva. His reply was hard. Slapping Sydney across her face, he whispered slowly: “What a pity that we have to destroy it.“
His words stung more than his slap. Feeling her cheek burning, Sydney observed how the man rounded a small desk and opened something that looked like the old toilet bag her father had used for his shaving things when she had been a child. It had been made of black leather, and with the time, the smooth surface got coarser and coarser- like her father.
Watching the man opening this bag with such obvious pleasure made Sydney‘s stomach turn at this sight. Extracting some kind of thin knife, she gulped hard, trying to keep her facade up. This wouldn’t end good.
“I’m sure you’ll share your voice with us soon.“ Grinning broadly, he approached her once again, the knife in his hands. Ready to be used.
She wanted to be strong.
Vaughn would have wanted me to be strong.
She wanted to be brave.
They all said that I am brave.
She couldn’t when the knife bored through her fresh wound. When the blood spilled on the floor and the pain captured her body.
Screams later, her hair matted against her head, lungs tired, breathing ragged, blood boiling, sweat trickling, she thought about giving in and up.
But before Sydney could say one word, a female voice with a strong Russian accent was slicing through the air.
“Mischa, stop right now.“
“But...“
“No but. She is my daughter.“
***
A day later:
“You did what?” Eric Weiss screamed into the phone, nearly choking on his muffin.
“I don’t have the time to explain. Please make sure that Jack is okay.” Making his way through the supermarket, Vaughn grabbed the most important things from the shelves while talking to his friend on his new mobile.
“You haven’t punched him unconscious and tied to his water pipe.”
-----
“You will kill you both. You are so stupid, Michael.”
“I’m in love.”
“That’s the same thing.”
-----
“Out of your mouth, that sounds so brutal.”
“It is.” Sighing deeply, Weiss walked into one of the spare rooms so none of his colleagues would get suspicious. “Vaughn, what have you done? Your job, your reputation is...”
“It’s not important!” Vaughn ended his sentence. Entering the toilet of the supermarket, he locked himself inside one of the stalls and began to undress. “I need to find Sydney. She’s in great danger.”
“Michael, I understand that you want to help her, but wouldn’t it be wiser to accept help from the CIA? They’ve been searching for Sydney since she fled from the safe house.”
“No! I don’t know who’s really on our side. Betrayal is everywhere, Eric.” He knew that Jack must have had allies who had helped him. Not even the great Agent Bristow can steal the lives from two people without help.
“So I was right.”
“About what?”
“That Sydney is your downfall.”
Sitting down on a closed lid, Vaughn didn’t know how to answer. Sydney and he, they were the perdition for each other. They were connected deeply, and it would never end between them. He even doubted that death could part them. So, he chose to ignore Weiss’s comment. “Will you help me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Frowning deeply, Vaughn answered: “Not really.”
“Then what’s your plan, boss?”
Looking into the mirror, Vaughn was content with his new outfit. The black turtleneck and black jeans fit perfectly with the three-day stubble. Perfect for a little trip to Warsaw. Perfect to save Sydney Bristow.
***
He came nearer. A syringe in his hands.
“Here, we have a nice little cocktail for you. It will help you to...limber up a bit.” A smirk crossed his lips. Leaning over Sydney, Mischa grabbed her arm violently. Trying to jerk away from his touch, Sydney gasped out, loudly, when the needle pierced her skin. The blue liquid flowing inside her veins, she felt heat erupting in her body. The sweat trickled down her forehead, into her eyes – blinding her for a moment.
‘This stuff works fast’ was her last coherent thought before the world stopped. The adjacence faded slowly into a shade of grey, and everything sounded so distant. The laughter of the guards-hollow, like an echo. Mischa’s words repeating themselves over and over in her head. Closing her eyes, Sydney tried to concentrate on her own breathing. Every intake of air seemed to be a great exertion of force.
Breathe in. The sound of her boiling blood in the ears.
Breathe out. The pain throbbing in rhythm with her beating heart.
----
“Mum?” How? Why?
“I have waited so long for this moment.” A smile plastered on her face. The same dimpled smile she knew from herself.
“This isn’t possible.”
A simple nod as an answer. “I have to tell you so much.” Smoothing Sydney's hair and brushing away the dirt clinging to it. A motherly gesture.
----
The demons were haunting her. Dark ghosts trying to pull her into the abyss of hell. Dead people were coming back. She was dead. Her mother had died in a car crash. There was no way that she could be sitting in front of her.
The smell of oil. Daddy? Water, everywhere is water. The screams of her mother.
She was loosing her mind, Sydney thought, while shaking her head to banish the old memories.
----
“You are old enough. There’s no need to tell you fairy tales Sydney. Now is the time to focus. You have something I want. And I’m sure we can work this out. There’s no need to overreact or to get sappy. I never died. It was my job to marry your father and to get pregnant. I wanted information and I got it. A group named “The Followers of Rambaldi” sent me a prophecy about me and my role in Rambaldi’s endgame. I had no choice, Sydney. It’s my destiny to search for his artifacts. I staged my death and now here I am. The head of the Order of Rambaldi. And you, my dear, will follow the path I have taken so long ago. It’s your destiny.”
----
It felt like thousands of needles were piercing her body. Like ants were crawling over her smooth skin. It itched, it burned, it hurt. Moving restlessly on the chair, Sydney tried to free herself from the bonds that held her captive. The guards were away. Hadn’t liked her screams. One of them had tried to tape her mouth. She had bitten him.
The blood had tasted good. ‘Crazy whore.’ And again a punch to her stomach.
Her fingers were playing restlessly with the trammels. An idea popped up inside her head. Grabbing her left hand with the right one, it took her only a second of self conquest. Crack. And her wrist was broken. The drugs were like a fog, trying to keep her from the pain, but it sliced through her body when she freed herself.
She was free. Now she only had to find a way out of here.
----
“I won’t work with you.” Her voice steady and sure. Her body weak and pained.
“Why not? Because you are CIA?” Irina asked, a mischievous grin settled on her face. Who would have thought that Sydney would be so loyal to an organization that had betrayed her. Jack, Devlin, Barnett...all names that she was highly familiar with.
“You know?” Big, shocked eyes. Like when she was little.
“Sydney, I have monitored your life. I know everything about you. Your friends, your ideologies....” she hesitated a bit before adding: “...your love” And the look Sydney sent her was the confirmation she had needed. “There are no secrets Sydney. There is nothing to hide anymore.”
“This was all planned.”
“From the beginning.”
“The Agents in Poland?”
“Means to an end.”
----
Running along the corridor, Sydney tried to be as silent as possible. But the drugs made her movements sloppy, her reflexes delayed, her sight bleary. She would have no chance against the guards. Bracing herself against a wall, Sydney took a deep breath. She had to regain some clarity if she wanted to escape her crazy mother.
‘Vaughn, right now, I need you so much.’ Sydney thought, desperately, tears spilling on her cheeks. Her emotions were a blur. She was giddy, angry, high, down, thoughtful and confused.
‘I must have my wits about me.’ Shaking her head, Sydney tried to clear her foggy mind. Concentrate, focus, think.
Looking down, Sydney gasped when she noticed the large spots of blood on her skin. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it. The illness spreading through her whole body, leaving her sick and tired. But she had to fight. One step after the other. Vaughn would wait for her. Vaughn would....wouldn’t he?
And this one thought kept her moving.
----
“What do you want?” Sydney asked harshly. The constant torture and talk sessions were hard to take.
“Not now. We have to wait for someone. “Sitting down in front of her daughter, Irina was the epitome of perfection. Black pantsuit, blood red lips, black-rimmed eyes, tight bun, stern expression. Not one hair out of place. There was nothing left of the lovely and openhearted Laura Bristow, who loved children more than anything.
“For whom?”
“It’s all written in the prophecy.”
“You really believe some guy who’s been dead for hundreds of years?” Sydney snapped, angrily.
A slap was her only answer. Her head flew to the right, the sudden movement putting too much pressure on her shoulder. Gritting her teeth so she wouldn’t scream, Sydney felt her head being tilted up. The deep brown eyes of her mother – so similar to her own – were staring right into her soul. But Sydney could see right through them. Could see behind the hate and anger and sick revenge. And there was nothing. Not the spirit Laura Bristow had had in her eyes. Only blankness.
Irina’s face only inches in front of her, her mother smiled gently.
“You are the living proof that Rambaldi was right.”
***
“Boy Scout, do you copy?” Eric’s voice whispered through the comms.
Rounding a corner, Vaughn stopped when he stood right in front of the club in Warsaw. The guards were chatting with a few blondes – not really paying attention what was happening around them. One of the girls spotted Vaughn, and a big, lazy smile lit up her face. Grinning back, Vaughn turned away, before replying: “Yes. I’m right in front of the club.”
“Okay, the transmitter you put on Sydney works.”
-----
“You put a transmitter on Miss Super-spy?” A trace of laughter in his voice, Weiss began to snicker.
“While we kissed.” Vaughn sighed, not really happy about his decision. “It’s some kind of sticker that combines itself with the skin and attains the blood.”
“She will be totally pissed.”
“Hey, she gave me every reason to do this.”
-----
Watching the monitor in front of him, Weiss saw how the big red point blinked brightly. He hadn’t told Vaughn that she wasn’t moving anymore. But at least it was blinking. “Use the backdoor entrance. The satellite is showing me only two guards.”
“Only. Easy to say when you’re sitting in LA.” Vaughn mumbled under his breath.
Doing what Weiss had said, he found himself faced by two giant guards.
“Ahem, sorry. I’m from the USA. I want to go to the Apocalypse club. Am I right?”
“Nie.”
“Really? But here on the card....” Closing the distance between him and the guards, Vaughn showed them the card, pointing furiously at a street. Wanting to get rid of the stupid American tourist, the guards leaned over, giving Vaughn the perfect opportunity to flip him over. And then he began the choreography he knew so well. One movement was followed by the next. He never thought when he was fighting. It was a natural gift. Fast fists, strong legs, hard punches. Three minutes later, the guards were lying unconscious in front of his feet.
“Weiss. I’m going in.”
***
Sydney was tired. Her eyes burned, her steps got heavier. Stumbling around the warehouse, she had no idea how to escape this freakin‘ labyrinth. Every corner she rounded was leading her to another branched corridor, and it was making her dizzy. Leaning on an old dresser, Sydney took the opportunity to rest a second. Looking in the dirty mirror, her fingers touched the thick layer of dust and oil. Her fingers slipped away, this small action costing her more power than she had left. Seeing her reflection, a choked scream was her only answer. She could see only red. There was no face anymore, nothing but red. Slipping down on the dark floor, tears cascaded down her cheeks, washing away the red marks on her face.
Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it’s me that has all the control
“Miss Bristow. Haven’t I told you that you shouldn’t try to escape?“
The crisp voice of Mischa sliced through the air, and it felt like it sliced right through her throat. Leaning herself against the cold brick wall, Sydney heard how the steps got louder and louder. There was no chance that she could escape. A wave of nausea washed over Sydney, letting her fight with the need to sleep. Just closing her eyes and never waking up again. But Vaughn’s voice flooded over her, telling her to stand up, and to fight. Standing up slowly, Sydney tried to put one foot in front of the other, but she fell down again. The cracking of a bone could be heard, but the mixture of the drugs and her nausea made her feel numb. No more pain. Only the demons of her past were following and haunting her.
Looking up, Sydney noticed her gun that she had lost when she had fought with the guards. When was that? Yesterday? A few hours ago? Or a few days?
When it gets cold outside and ya got nobody to love
You`ll understand what I mean when I say
There`s no way we´re gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Her breathing more ragged, Sydney felt like someone was strangling her. Coughing hard, she tried to regain her normal breathing, but it didn’t help.
“Miss Bristow. In your current condition you shouldn’t strain too much. Believe me.“
Fingering the throbbing wound, Sydney felt weaker then ever. Brushing a bloody strand of hair behind her ear, she chose to ignore the pain that flashed through her body and crept forward. Her gaze on her gun. Grabbing it with shaky hands, her stiff fingers found their way to clasp the cold metal.
“Miss Bristow“, Mischa taunted her mercilessly, stopping right in front of her. Standing there in his stark white suit, he grinned down at the desperate woman.
*“I could never forget you Sydney Bristow. I love you.”*
“I.....am.......a......fighter“ Sydney choked, tears in her eyes, before pulling the trigger.
But nothing happened. No big report that strained her drum skin. No unpleasant smell. No blood, that flowed slowly like a river. No recoil that let her fall on the floor.
“It’s possible that you’re a fighter Miss Bristow, but every fight has an end.“
Is there anyone there cause it`s getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone there cause it`s getting harder and harder to breathe
“And there’s someone who really wants to see you.”
Is there anyone there cause it`s getting harder and harder to breathe
***
“I’m in, Weiss. Please send the plans of the building and Sydney’s whereabouts to my PDA.”
Seconds later, Vaughn had received the material and was looking over the plan. It wasn’t impossible. Most of the guards were standing alone. He could knock them out one after the other. Making sure that his tranquilizer-gun was loaded, Vaughn began to follow the first corridor.
“I have to go radio silent. I’m sure they are scanning the building for communication devices and signals.” He whispered in his comms, making sure that nobody could hear him.
“Please be careful.”
Smiling gentle at his friends worried voice, he replied: “I will be.”
Taking the comm out of his ear, Vaughn switched it off before putting it into his jacket pocket. The way before him was dark and destructive.
Taking one step after the other, he checked his PDA and was surprised when the red point vanished from his monitor.
“Welcome, Agent Vaughn.” This voice. Taunting and blaming.
Snapping his head up, Vaughn was faced by a group of armed guards.
“We have been awaiting you. Eagerly.”
***
tbc...
!! The phrase:
*“I could never forget you Sydney Bristow. I love you.”* is from chapter 16:
Pushed into the abyss before Vaughn and Sydney get brainwashed. Just as a little reminder.
Reviews, reviews, reviews. I'm waiting for them eagerly.