Illusion Of Sin

Amisha, go re-read again, does Zack die in that chapter? no. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, but he's not dead in that first chapter anyways
lol
aww poor worried Amisha!
Ha Ha Ha
E
 
you are so evil!!!

he doesn't seem to die but then when she asks will if he's gonna be okay, he hugs her and she cries. that's a sign of dead-ness. however, your response tells me he's alive and kicking so i'll let you off for now.

and don't tease me!!!

i take things like this very seriously!!!

amisha
xxx
 
A/N: Just a forewarning that this chapter does contain a few bad words and sexual comments. It’s probably like PG-13 or 14-A or something.

Illusion Of Sin
Part 5
Betrayal

Rory held on to her desk for dear life as she slumped down in her chair. Her head was spinning out of control and she was afraid that if she let go, she would fall to the ground. She lay her head on the table and closed her eyes trying desperately to still the sledgehammer in her skull.

“Morning.”

Rory opened her eyes as Zack set two aspirin and a bottle of water in front of her. She sat up, smiled gratefully, and then took the medication.

Zack perched on the edge of her desk. “Feeling any better?” he asked a little too loudly.

Rory winced at his tone. “Possibly, if I could find a way to drill a hole in my brain to relieve the drum practice.

“That bad huh,” he lowered his voice with a smile. She’d been asleep when he left for work so he’d let her sleep in and given Dixon an excuse as to her absence.

“Would you believe me if I told you that I’d never been drunk before?” she asked half-heartedly and took another sip of water.

“Actually yes, I would.” His tone of voice was laced with humour and she had to smile as well.

“Anything on Slother?”

“Not yet. Dixon is still keeping it under wraps until we can narrow down exactly where the leak is coming from. Mike-Agent Vaughn is investigating it. We have a meeting set up for later this afternoon.”

Rory’s eyes scanned the rotunda in search for her partner Byron Richards. They needed to go over the debrief report for their last mission and fill in a few holes. She didn’t see him. She did spot Agent Vaughn who was speaking with an older man she had never seen before. “Who is that with Vaughn?”

Zack turned his attention to where she had been looking. “That’s Jack Bristow, Sydney’s father. He works mostly at the downtown office on consultation. I’m surprised to see him here actually.”

Rory shifted her attention back to Zack who had stood to walk back to his own desk. “Zack?” He stopped and turned back to her. “About last night-“

“Rory don’t-“

“I believe I said that I hoped to get so drunk I wouldn’t remember anything in the morning.” She looked him in the eye, regret evident in her features. “Or something like that. Unfortunately that didn’t happen.”

“It didn’t?” he asked nervously wondering how much she did remember.

“I remember everything.”

“Everything?”

“Everything,” she whispered nodding. Her memory of the kiss and the circumstances surrounding it were fuzzy, but she knew exactly what had happened. “Zack, I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry. I was drunk and I know that is no excuse but I don’t think I had any idea what I was doing. If I had, I never would have done what I did and I’m incredibly embarrassed that I put you in that position-“

“Rory stop,” Zack interrupted her and squatted down to her level. “I’m as much to blame. I gave you the wine and I should never have let you get as drunk as you did. Nothing happened. Everything is forgotten. We’ve got more important things to take care of.”

Rory nodded and stood as he did. His tone of voice had changed, and that left her uneasy. Nevertheless, she extended her hand. “Thank you, Agent Weiss.”

Zack gripped her hand gently. “Agent Summers.” He nodded and walked away feeling rather confused by the entire situation. Not that this was anything new. Rory often left him with that feeling.

Rory sat down in her desk chair and buried her face in her arms. She had never felt worse than she did at that moment. She had a killer of a headache, her head spun with every step she took and her stomach wretched with any unpleasant smell. It quickly became very clear to her why she’d never been one to go out and party. Hangovers were spawned by the devil, she was sure. After blinking several times to clear her vision Rory opened the files in front of her and set to work translating the surveillance wire taps regarding a drug cartel from its native Portuguese into English.

While she worked, she started to feel uneasy. Something was off. She looked up from her desk, only to meet Agent Jack Bristow’s cold, dark stare.

Jack, well aware that he had Rory’s attention, walked to an empty conference room within her vision and held open the door. After she walked in, Jack closed it behind them and gestured for her to sit down before sitting across from her. “Agent Summers, Jack Bristow. I’m consulting on your situation.”

“Nice to meet you.” Rory’s gaze flicked over the elder agent quickly. He seemed tired. He looked like he’d been up all night and she was quite sure her situation was to blame. Despite his age, he appeared to be quite fit and she had no doubt that he could defeat anyone he came up against.

“Director Dixon is briefing Agent Weiss now but I wanted to speak with you myself.” Jack pulled out his pen and twisted the lid activating a bug killer for precautionary measures. He leaned back in his chair and studied the young girl. She’d opted to go with very little make up for the day and the fading bruises of the physical torture she’d been subjected to during her captivity only days earlier were prominently displayed across her face.

“You’ve examined the analysis reports that were done on your apartment?” Jack questioned and then nodded his approval after she replied. “We still haven’t found the direct source of the bugs but my investigation has turned up a very likely candidate.”

“You know who it is?” she asked surprised that the culprit had been identified so quickly.

“We don’t have any solid proof yet, but, in the last few weeks, we’ve suspected that there was a mole highly placed within the agency. Thanks to you, we now know where to narrow our search. We’re going to arrange a set up and we’ll need your help with that. You should be able to get him to admit to it and once we have his confession, we’ll take him into custody. Agents, Weiss, Richards, Vaughn, Patel and Clark will go in with you as backup and-”

“Agent Bristow, do you have any idea why it was me?” Rory interrupted ignoring the look of annoyance she received from him. “It could easily have been any agent on this task force with higher security clearance, more information, so why me of all people?”

Jack leaned forwards in his chair. He knew this question was coming. “I believe it has to do with your lack of experience,” he explained. “You’re young, naïve, well trained and building quite a reputation for yourself within the agency. You were targeted perhaps four to six weeks ago. I don’t believe Slother thought you would excel so quickly.”

“It doesn’t make sense-“

“It makes perfect sense, Agent Summers,” Jack interrupted her and slid a file in her direction. “He’s planning on recruiting you to work with his organization.”

“That’s insane, why would he think I’d ever work with him. I-“ she stopped mid-sentence as the realization hit her.

Jack nodded, well aware that she now knew exactly how Andrei Slother was planning on recruiting her.

“He was going to blackmail me with the surveillance footage from my apartment.”

Jack nodded again. “I expect he would have also falsified evidence to implicate you as the mole and destroyed your reputation. He could have taken you or killed you when you were captured but your extraction was far too easy. You walked away virtually unharmed with no life threatening injuries. Slother had no intention of keeping you any longer or taking your life.”

Jack watched the change come over Rory as he explained Slother’s actions. Her eyes seemed to cloud over in anger into a darker blue and her jaw was set firm. There was still a certain naivety about her, and he could see that made it difficult for her to believe his words. If she was as smart as she seemed, her state of denial wouldn't last much longer but he knew she would feel the sting of betrayal.

He’d read her report on the botched mission and was well aware that she had killed one of the guards. Her first reported kill. With the new developments regarding Slother and his plans, she was seeing the dark side of the agency for the first time and her life was about to take an unexpected turn. “If he’d taken you then, you would have rebelled. He had to wait until he broke you. He had to wait until he’d completely destroyed your life, threatened to destroy the lives of your family and friends and left you with nothing. Then his organization would seem appealing and you would feel you had no other choice.”

“I believe he is the naïve one to expect that he could convince me to work for him.” She looked up to Jack. “I know how to disappear.”

“I do not doubt your skills Agent Summers, but Slother is a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. You disappear, he will find you.”

“You sound like you know him?” Rory asked curiously.

“I’ve known many men like Andrei Slother. They’re ruthless. They will do anything to get what they want, without concern for anyone who stands in their way. Don’t underestimate him. To him you are a commodity, insurance, an asset. He wants your skills and he wants you.”

Rory swallowed hard and nodded. The entire situation was difficult to understand. She eyed the folder in front of her but resisted the urge to open it. Her eyes connected with Jack’s.

“Who is it?”

Jack said nothing, but reached over and opened the folder revealing the image of the man who they thought to be betraying their country. He watched Rory’s face. Her eyes closed briefly in denial, the shock and horror passed her face.

“God no.”

~ ~ ~

With the amount of agents on standby, it would have seemed like a semi-difficult operation, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t even a real operation. It was a carefully designed set up, planned to pinpoint the mole. It had been six days since Agent Bristow had revealed to her who the mole was. Those six days had turned out to be even more difficult than Rory ever could have imagined. Not only did she live each day with the knowledge that this man had betrayed her trust, she was forced to work with him, eat meals with him, and plan this operation.

Jack looked up from the computer he was working on. He was positioned in one of the security vans controlling the operation from there. Their mole had no idea that in reality there was a back up van filled with agents in anticipation of any foul play.

His gaze immediately locked on Agent Summers. She sat awkwardly on the bench while a member of their tech ops division adjusted her communications link. He walked over to her. “I’ll finish up,” he said dismissing the other man.

Rory was surprised as Jack knelt in front of her and began checking the straps and buckles on her kevlar vest. She’d never guessed him to be the hands-on type of Agent.

Jack kept his voice low so not to be heard by the others. “Are you ready for this?” he asked frowning as he tightened one of the buckles until it was deemed suitable to him.

“Yes, Sir.”

If Jack noticed the nervousness in her voice he didn’t mention it. Instead he concentrated on double checking and triple checking her vest and communications link. He pointed to the hidden button on her vest. “Press it in and your com link connects only to myself and Director Dixon at the JTF. When it’s out your com is connected to everyone. You need to be aware at all times of who you are speaking to.” Jack spoke in a low voice to prevent any of the others from overhearing.

“I understand.” Her hand trembled slightly and she moved to tuck her hair behind her ear, but Jack stopped her. He grabbed her wrist holding it in place mid air and her eyes widened in surprise as he reached up with his free hand and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear.

“You’ll be fine,” Jack said softly and lowered both hands.

Rory just stared at him in surprise. She couldn’t help but feel there was something familiar about him. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt that way either. Over the past few days, she was sure she’d caught him watching her on a number of occasions but each time, there always seemed to be a reason and she couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly about him that intrigued her. Agent Bristow also never failed to surprise her. She’d been shocked when she’d learned that he would be accompanying the surveillance team. He didn’t look nor act near his age but she was sure that he had to be pushing seventy and was positive that he didn’t belong out in the field but here he was.

“Stay cool, calm and do what I told you, and you’ll be fine.” Jack stood as best he could in the van and returned to his chair in front of the computer monitor.

‘Thank you Agent Bristow.’ She meant to say the words, but they never left her lips.

“Rory, let’s go.” Rory’s partner Byron Richards had already exited the van with the other members of their team. He held the door open for her and then took her hand as she jumped down.

With one last glance at Agent Bristow Rory followed her team to a nearby alley. As designated in the mission outline, they all split up upon entering the building. It was an old abandoned building that used to be a flourmill. Most of the windows were broken and the floors caked with dirt and unseen objects. Their mission was to secure the above floors before proceeding to an underground level where information on a newly emerging opposing force to the US Government was hidden.

However, the entire operation was a set up, primarily designed by Agent Bristow and Director Dixon to allow the mole to implicate himself. Rory’s mission was to conceal her identity, corner the mole and get him to confess. In theory it should go off without a hitch; however, playing it out could prove to be more complicated.

As soon as she was alone Rory took the steps two at a time up a rickety metal staircase to the fourth level. Agent Vaughn was waiting for her, having approached from a more direct route.

Wordlessly, Vaughn helped her change her clothes. She pulled a pair of black jeans over the black full bodysuit she was wearing and changed to a different black sweater. Vaughn handed her a small blue container and in a matter of seconds her eyes had gone from blue to a light hazel. Lastly, she traded in her knitted black cap for a full cover ski mask.

Rory pressed the hidden button on her vest and switched her com link over.

“Base van, this is Thrill, checking in.”

“Thrill are you in position?” Jack adjusted the volume controls on his computer and studied the visual monitor.

“Yes Sir.”

Vaughn could see that Rory was scared to death. Although her entire physical identity was concealed and her once bright blue eyes were now dark, they still showed fear. She wasn’t afraid of being in physical danger as she knew she was well protected but she did fear the reaction of the mole when he learned that it was she who set him up. Even though he’d endangered her life, she still felt loyalty towards him. Gently Vaughn reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. He handed her a gun. “If you have to, use it.” She nodded firmly and slipped the gun on the inside of her vest.

“Target is on the basement level. Southeast Corner. Proceed with caution,” Jack instructed.

“Yes Sir. Thrill going radio silent.” Rory took a deep breath and turned off her comlink. With one last look at Agent Vaughn, she crossed to the catwalk steps that would lead to the elevator shaft. A sudden tapping of footsteps on the metal stairs caused her to stop and turn.

Zack stood at the bottom watching her intently and gave her two thumbs up. “Good Luck” he mouthed. If she hadn’t been wearing a full covered mask, he would have seen Aurora Summers smile.

Zack descended the catwalk steps. Vaughn took note of his lowered shoulders and worried expression and slapped his godson lightly on the shoulder. “She’ll be fine,” he said confidently.

“I know.”

Vaughn switched his comlink on. “Base Van, this is Boyscout. Thrill is proceeding to the target. Boyscout and Black Eagle are retreating to the rendezvous point.”

“Copy that Boyscout.” Jack sat back in the chair. There was nothing he could do now but wait and rely solely on the target's comlink to know what was going on. They couldn’t risk the chance of feedback in the mole’s ear from Rory’s com so it had to be turned off.

~ ~ ~

As Rory made her way down the vacant elevator shaft, she was surprised at how calm she was. Her entire future depended upon this operation. If it failed than she might never know what Andrei Slother’s game plan entailed. What his plan was for her.

Soundlessly she dropped to the concrete floor. The target was only meters in front of her with his back to her. The soles of her shoes made no sound as she crossed the nearly barren room. The target was hunched over a computer performing the task he’d been assigned. Copying computer files onto a CD.

She never saw the first punch coming and his fist struck her hard. Reeling backwards Rory landed hard on her back and scrambled quickly to her feet. She lunged at him attacking from the side, his balance was offset and she easily pinned him. The mole made a grab for her mask and she rolled to her side evading his grasp but allowing him freedom. He couldn’t know who she was; not yet.

The mole made a move towards her this time. She matched him punch for punch and kick for kick. Neither managed to get the upperhand until he kicked Rory’s right thigh and she went down.

He stood over her breathing heavily and one foot pressed hard on her chest stealing what little oxygen she had. “Who the hell are you?”

Rory struggled with each small gasping breath. They felt like daggers in her chest and her entire upper body seemed paralyzed. She couldn’t let him win and with a new burst of energy, Rory’s hands flew up unexpectedly and grabbed his ankle. Using it as leverage she twisted her body and pulled him down. The takedown was a shock to him and delayed his reaction time. By the time he realized what had happened Rory was already handcuffing his hands to a sturdy metal pole.

“Your worst nightmare.” Rory answered the question he’d posed only moments earlier but this time, it was she who was in control.

~ ~ ~

Jack checked his watch for the tenth time in the past few moments. Something was nagging at him and he couldn’t explain it. He leaned on the table and rubbed his eyes wearily. Agent Summer’s face flashed in his memory and he felt a sudden feeling of remorse. She was a more than capable Agent and he had no doubt that she could pull off the operation without a problem, but he wished there were another way. He’d had plenty of experience with the mole in question and knew that if he were pulled in for questioning, no one would be able to get anything out of him. This was the only way, but it was going to leave Agent Summers with a jaded perspective and grappling with the unexpected reality of his admission of guilt. He shrugged it off. When had he become soft?

His cell phone shifted his attention and he answered it quickly. “Bristow.”

“Agent Bristow, this is Agent Morrison in security, I have the information you requested.”

“What is it?” he asked leaning forwards in his chair.

“I have the info on Agent Summers. Unfortunately there isn’t much to add to what you already know, but we were able to find her original birth certificate and records in Pittsburgh and all the information she gave has been verified. It does list her middle name, which was not in any of her files and we were able to find information on her mother including her maiden name Johnson. Would you like me to forward it all to you?”

“Yes, do it now,” he ordered. “What about Andrei Slother?” There was a pause on the other end of the phone that Jack could only take as a bad sign. “What is the status on Slother?” he repeated.

“I’m e-mailing you the reports now and the pictures,” Morrison said. “He lost the tail and we lost two men.”

“What happened?” Jack nearly shouted into the cell phone ignoring the curious looks he received from the surveillance agents.

“He was meeting with an associate, we’re still trying to ID him but somehow he figured out we were following him after the meeting. Slother pushed the car into the guardrail. There was no hope, no chance. His whereabouts at this point are unknown.”

“Send me the pictures.” Jack snapped his phone shut, took a sip of water and waited for the e-mail notification that would hopefully dispel any fears he had regarding the life of Agent Summers.

~ ~ ~

The mole spit a mouthful of blood onto the concrete floor. “This building is surrounded, the CIA will be here in minutes when they realize I haven’t checked in.”

Rory circled him several times before speaking in a thick British accent. “You’re very good, you know. I could almost believe that you were working for the CIA.”

“I am CIA.” The mole protested and struggled against the restraints but soon gave up. It was useless, he was trapped.

Rory stood in front of him her arms crossed over her chest. “I didn’t say you weren’t,” she said in a clipped voice. “Slother sent me.”

The mole let out an exasperated sigh. “Well if you know who I am then what is the meaning of this, you’re risking my cover.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “How do I know you’re with him?”

“If I wasn’t, then why would I be wasting my time on a low grade agent like you?” she answered quickly. Rory circled him several more times and pulled her gun running the cool surface over hands. There it was, the admission she’d been seeking. It was true, he was the mole and she fought hard to keep the tears from her eyes. Her job wasn’t over yet.

She stopped in front of him squatting down to the ground, still holding the gun in her hands. The mole swallowed nervously. “Slother is a little uncertain as to your true loyalties at the moment.”

“My loyalty is to him, he knows that. I’ve done everything he’s ever asked-“

“And the CIA?”

“Haven’t got a clue.”

He said it so smugly that Rory had to muster her strength not to hit him with the butt of her gun and wipe the look from his face. She stood and swallowed hard hoping her voice was as steady as it needed to be. “There is something I’m a little curious about. Why does he want that girl?”

“Summers?” he asked surprised and took her silence as a yes. “Damned if I know, she’s a good agent, but she’s not that good. Bastard probably wants to f*** her senseless. Can’t say the thought hasn’t ever crossed my mind. I’d bet any money she’s an animal in bed,” he laughed.

It was that laugh. The one she’d heard so many times before that made her snap. She punched him knocking a tooth free. He spit it out, “what the hell-“

Rory stood in front of him and pulled the tape recorder from the inside of her vest. The utter look of shock and horror crossed his face as she held it in front of his eyes. She dropped the heavy British accent she’d been using to disguise her voice.

“You’re not as good as you think you are Byron.” Rory pulled the mask off, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and leveled the gun aiming directly at his heart.

“You did this to me?” Her partner Byron Richardson sounded almost offended as he spoke; his voice trembled slightly with fear.

“You did this to yourself,” She spat the words from the tip of her tongue. “And while we’re setting the record straight, the thought or even the want to sleep with you has never, nor would ever cross my mind. I’d rather sleep with a 90 year old bed ridden man than touch you with a ten foot pole.”

His reaction was not what she expected. He smiled. A slow vindictive smile that she’d never seen before. She realized too late that something was amiss. It was the gun against the back of her neck that alerted her to the presence of another being in the basement.

“You would be a good f***, wouldn’t you.” With his left hand holding a gun to the base of her skull Andrei Slother reached in front of her and took her gun. Another pair of hands pulled her arms behind her back and secured them tightly before spreading her legs slightly and frisking her in search of other weapons. “Wouldn’t you?” he repeated jabbing the gun harder into her neck. Slother used his other hand that was holding Rory’s gun and trailed it up and down the front of her body. She closed her eyes tightly supressing the urge to vomit as Slother slipped his hand to the junction of her thighs and rubbed her roughly through the layers of material.

“It’s never going to happen, so why torture yourself by fantasizing.” Rory kept her voice steady and attempted to sound bored and unaffected which was exactly the opposite of what she was feeling.

Byron laughed loudly and was immediately silenced by Rory’s gun. She watched in horror as the blood spilled from his forehead. “Well now that that’s taken care of, you and I have some things to discuss.” Slother gripped Rory’s bound hands and pushed her towards the wall. She lost her balance and her knees slammed into the concrete. Slother paid no mind and hauled her up by her hair and pushed her back against the wall.

It was then that she got her first good look at the man who was intent on destroying her life. He had to be in his late thirties with sandy colored hair and grey eyes. He could almost be considered attractive, were it not for the fact that he was a heartless SOB. There was only one other man with him in the basement. A burly hulk of a man who looked like he’d been in the boxing ring when he was younger stood near the exit. She wasn’t surprised that there was only one guard with Slother. Too many would have risked exposure and she couldn’t fathom how Slother managed to get into the warehouse in the first place. Where the hell was her backup?

Slother had decided to abandon his gun for the use of a sharp knife. He slid the tip lightly down her face until the blade made contact with the knit sweater easily slicing through the material until it fell in shreds to her bound hands. He raised the knife to her chest and toyed it along the buckles of her kevlar vest. “Your birthmark if I remember correctly should be right about here he said lightly tapping the spot on her left breast with the tip of the knife. A sly grin spread across his face as his other hand slipped between her shirt and the vest and cupped it tightly.

“I’m considering having it removed,” she shot back disgusted.

“Don’t.” He pressed the edge of the blade against her neck and leaned in, his lips close to her ear. “It’s endearing.” He lips moved down to the side of her neck and proceeded to suck her skin slightly, swirling his tongue over it. His teeth nipped slightly at her pulsepoint and his free hand slipped between her jeans and the black bodysuit she wore. “You know, we could take care of a little pleasure before business.” Slother whispered in her ear his fingers grasped at her body.

Rory closed her eyes momentarily and swallowed hard. “Don’t make me vomit,” she said and spat in his face.

Slother slapped her so hard and fast across her cheek that the throbbing pain in her jaw barely had time to register before his hand closed over her neck holding tightly. “Don’t do that again,” he growled wiping the saliva away with his thumb. “The boss wouldn’t want me damaging the merchandise.”

“The boss?” Rory raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were the boss,” she said snidely.

Slother glared at her. “I am the boss, however occasionally my services are hired out. Come now Aurora, other than for a quick roll in the hay, of what use could you possibly be to me.”

“Perhaps we can come to an agreement between the two of us,” she said suggestively. Her mind was racing a mile a minute with the new information she’d discovered. Slother wasn’t a real threat to her. “You give me information on your boss and I’ll see that your ‘needs’ are satisfied.”

“That certainly is an enticing offer but I value my life.” Slother released his hold on her neck and Rory desperately sucked in much needed oxygen. “I will however give you a clue and for that, I get a kiss.” Slother immediately molded his lips to hers not waiting for her to agree to his proposition. Rory wasn’t an eager participant in the kiss but she didn’t deny him either. She was willing to sacrifice her dignity for information. His lips were bruising as he feasted on hers. When Slother plunged his tongue into her mouth Rory bit his lip hard, drawing blood.

He pulled back angrily. “What were you a vampire in another life?”

“I gave you permission to kiss me, not to play tonsil hockey with your tongue,” Rory stated coldly. She couldn’t hide her surprise when Slother suddenly kissed her again, hard, and pulled her lip between his teeth and bit down firmly, garnering a desired whimper from the back of her throat. He split her lip open and then pulled away licking his lips and tasting the blood on them. His blood. Her blood. Slother leaned forwards and traced her lips with his tongue cleaning the blood from them.

Rory could feel the blood dripping down her lower lip and onto her chin. “Now who’s the vampire,” she let out a bored sigh. “You disgust me.”

“Perhaps I should reconsider your offer?” Slother said with a smile that could only be described as wicked and pressed his body against hers.

“My offer expired.” Rory raised her knee to hit him in the groin but he caught wind of her plan and spun her around slamming her face into the concrete.

“You would be a wild cat in bed wouldn’t you,” he hissed in her ear. Slother used his knife and cut the plastic binding from her hands. Before Rory had the chance to fight back he’d grabbed her wrists and spun her around once more pinning them above her head. He had a height advantage of nearly a foot to his favor. Rory blinked rapidly trying to clear the darkness from her vision as her head cracked against the concrete wall again. She made a grab for the knife but Slother’s strength overwhelmed her. “You know I think my boss might understand if we have a little fun before I bring you in.”

“I’ve grown tired of your games.” Rory struggled to keep her eyes open and not succumb to the darkness that was pulling her in. The thought of what Slother could do to her, wanted to do to her, scared the hell out of her. “Now tell me who is your boss and what does he want with me.”

“That’s more than a clue Aurora,” Slother chided her. “I’ll tell you this. My boss wants to settle an old score.”

She hated the way he said her name, drawing out the r’s making it sound so vile. “What old score could he possibly have with me?” she wondered aloud not even bothering to hide the surprise in her voice.

“Ever the innocent aren’t you Aurora…”

While Slother busied himself grinding his body against hers, unnoticed Rory managed to angle her wrist upwards. The knife was almost within reach. All she had to do was grab it. Her hands would be free and she could activate her comlink. Slother was smart, just not smart enough. He was a guy after all and more often than not they did not use the brains god gave them.

~ ~ ~

“Agent Bristow?” a nervous voice asked for his attention.

“What?” Jack frowned waiting for the images on his computer screen. They were the surveillance photos of Andrei Slother meeting with an unknown associate. The notes and information Morrison had found were presently being printed off the small printer.

“It’s Agent Richardson’s comlink. We’ve lost communication.”

“What?” Jack asked distractedly. The paper had finished printing and he grabbed it studying the notes murmuring them aloud. “Father Joe Summers-occupation Construction Supervisor. Mother Katherine Summers –maiden name Johnson. Occupation Highschool Teacher, English and Science. Deceased twenty years ago, automobile accident…” He studied the information slightly puzzled and nearly tore the second page from the printer. Agent Summers’ birth certificate. The surveillance agent called his name again preventing Jack from examining the document. “What?”

“We’ve lost all communication inside the warehouse. Our signal has been intercepted. Infrared is down.”

Jack Bristow did not panic he was not a man who would panicked. He pounded the keyboard trying to retrieve the infrared. It didn’t work. “Agent Richards, what is your status?” Silence. “Retrieval Team what is your status?” Silence. “Boyscout and Black Eagle, what is your status?” Silence. “Boyscout, respond.” Silence. “Black Eagle?”

“I can’t rouse anyone on the com’s. The retrieval team isn’t answering either.”

Jack Bristow did not panic, but the fear was rising. His eyes fell to the birth certificate as it was spit from the printer. Aurora F. Summers, suddenly became Aurora Francine Summers. He seemed to freeze staring intently at the paper as the information processed through his brain. Katherine Johnson—Kate Jones, Joe Summers…Joe… Joe… Joe… Jonah, he realized. He glanced up at his computer screen; the surveillance photo had finished loading revealing an image of the man Slother had met with; a very familiar man.

“s***.”

Jack opened a cupboard door nearly pulling it off the hinges. He pulled two guns and handed them to the other agent. “Go after the retrieval team,” he ordered fearing the worst.

“What are you doing?” The agent asked staring at Jack incredulously as he pulled two more guns from the cabinet and checked their clips.

“I’m going after Summers,” he responded and exited the van running as fast as he could. He was in excellent shape for a man of his age, but he wasn’t as young as he used to be. He paused briefly outside the warehouse door to check his surroundings before entering the building. “Hang on Aurora,” he whispered though no one was there to hear it.

~ ~ ~

Rory grimaced slightly as Slother ground his body against hers and roughly kissed her neck. “Eager aren’t we,” she muttered. She needed to get him to lower her arms just a bit and she was sure she would then be able to get the knife. Rory lifted her right foot and trailed the tip of her shoe up his leg opening up her body to him. She draped her leg around his waist and as predicted Slother relaxed slightly. ‘Moron’ she thought shifting her hips slightly. He pushed harder against her in response to her new availability and continued nipping at her neck. “Careful now,” she chided feeling his obvious desire pressing into her. “We wouldn’t want you to have an accident.” Through gritted teeth, she whispered slightly seductively in his ear and eyed his guard who stood nearby clearly enjoying the show. The man was positively revolting and worst of all, he was falling for it. Her eyes shot up at the glinting silver in his hand. She was so close. Rory closed her eyes thrust her hips against his once more and was met with an appreciative groan. Yes!

Rory flicked her wrist and wrenched the knife from his grasp. Her right leg slipped down off his waist and hooked around his left leg. He pulled back surprised, and ready to retaliate, but it was of no use. His ass was on the ground before he realized what was happening. The guard lunged at her firing his gun. With a flick of her wrist the knife went sailing and landing directly in his neck. Bullseye, now she only had Slother to worry about. He was trying to get to his feet and Rory moved away from him. Her leg was on fire and she glanced down at it to see blood seeping from a wound on her upper thigh. She turned on her comlink. “Base van this is Thrill. I need immediate backup at my location.” Silence. “Base Van?” “Is anyone there?” she cried backing away from Slother who was slowly getting to his feet. “I need back up! Immediate back up required.” There was nothing but static and in frustration she ripped the earpiece from her ear throwing it to the ground and watching as it smashed to pieces.

She turned her attention to Slother. As he lunged for her, she fought back.

~ ~ ~

Jack stopped the moment he heard her voice. She sounded terrified and it only confirmed his suspicion that something had gone terribly wrong. He tried to respond but with the interference he couldn’t get through to her. He raced down the stairs to the lower level and nearly fell over a leg sticking out from under an old canvas tarp. He pulled the tarp off and found Vaughn and Zack. He checked their pulses. They were still alive and he pulled a tranq dart from each man.

“Come on,” he slapped Vaughn’s cheek and then Zack’s but neither man rose. He had to leave them.

Jack climbed down the elevator shaft using the old metal ladder. As he neared the bottom, he could hear the sounds of a fight in progress and he drew his guns in preparation to fire if needed.

Then there was silence.

~ ~ ~

Rory delivered a final kick to Slother’s chest and he went down unconscious. She fell to her knees unable to stand anymore. She didn’t feel the pain in her leg from the bullet wound but she was unable to walk. Rory crawled away from him. She had to get out. She needed help and she had to find out what had happened to the others. She crawled towards Slother’s guard in search of a cell phone and successfully she found one.

Jack carefully approached the room where Rory should be. There were no sounds until he heard her voice. Turning the corner he saw her standing talking on a cell phone. She was requested immediate backup and medical assistance from headquarters. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Slother.

“No!”

Rory whipped her head around at the sound of his voice and saw Jack running towards her his arms outstretched brandishing two guns. She turned to where Slother had lain unconscious and froze. He stood, bloodied and bruised pointing a gun at her. She looked down at her chest and saw the red dot wavering over her vest. The dot disappeared and she realized it was aimed at her head. The phone fell from her hand as gunfire erupted and she slammed into the ground.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay well what did you think? Feedback feeds the soul (and gets me to write faster!)
 
SECOND

OMG OMG
i think i'm on to what jack is on to. i know that makes no sence but i think i figured out something big. YEAH>

i love this fic. i am really enjoying the sences with rory, jack and vaughn.
 
Hello Secret_Agent_Angel and welcome Turpentine i'm glad you enjoyed it if you want to receive a PM next time I update, just let me know.

Where is everybody? This board has been so quiet lately.

thanks for reading
E
 
A/N-- Please forgive me if I've butchured the medical aspects of this chapter.
and at the end of the chapter is a similar scene to one that happened in alias. Kudos go to whomever can identify it.

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Illusion Of Sin
Part Six: Of Crosses and Transfusions</span>

Zack leaned against the wall watching Rory. She sat rigidly on an orange plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Her hands were clasped together and her injured leg lay bandaged and elevated on another chair. She hadn’t spoken a word since he and Vaughn had found her hunched over Jack Bristow pressing her hands against his wounds and screaming for help nearly an hour before.

Sighing Zack turned away and walked towards a vending machine. He deposited a few coins and retrieved a bottle of water.

“Zack?” Vaughn came up behind him. “Have you talked to her yet?”

“She won’t say anything. I don’t think we should push her-“

“I talked to Dixon, he’s on his way in. He wants to know what happened-“

“I understand the importance of it Uncle Mike, but she’s scared. I think something terrible might have happened-“

“Zack, our retrieval teams were ambushed, we were tranqued, satellite, infrared, and communications went down. Richards is dead, Slother is dead, the guard is dead, Jack might die and she is the only one who knows what happened-“

“I know.”

“Zack you need to get her to talk-“

“I know. Mike, I know,” Zack cut him off and they both looked over at Rory. Her eyes were closed, her chin angled to the ceiling and her lips mouthing words neither man could hear nor understand. “I’ll try.”

As Zack sat down in the chair beside Rory, she didn’t acknowledge his presence. He didn’t know what to say to her. Both he and Vaughn had already tried but she just did not respond at all remaining almost catatonic. “Rory, you have to talk, tell me what happened. Slother may still have men after you. I know you’re scared but you can’t stay silent forever-“

“I screwed up. I turned my back on him,” Rory explained softly her voice breaking off mid syllable. “Slother showed up, he pulled a gun on me and then killed Byron. I got control, killed the guard, took Slother down and then-“ Rory bit her lip and finally turned to look at Zack. “I turned my back on him. Zack, if Agent Bristow dies, it’s my fault.” Rory’s voice trembled as she spoke trying to fight back the tears and feelings of guilt that were threatening to overwhelm her. “Zack, I screwed up. I turned my back on Slother and Bristow saved my life. If he dies-“ Rory was unable to finish the sentence and she blinked the tears from her eyes.

“He’s a strong guy Rory, don’t give up on him too easily.” Unsure of what to do or say to offer her any comfort Zack settled for putting his arm around her and Rory dropped her head to his shoulder.

“I don’t know how to do this anymore Zack,” Rory’s voice trembled as she spoke. “I did something today that I am so ashamed of. I wanted that information from Slother so badly that I was willing to do anything to get it. Anything.”

“What information?” Zack looked down at her and saw the fear in her eyes. The fear of herself and her actions and he had to wonder what she had done.

“Why his boss wanted me.”

“Wait Slother’s boss?” Zack asked visibly confused.

Rory nodded in confirmation. “Slother was hired by this man who wants me. I wasn’t just a random choice within the agency and now Slother’s dead and Byron too and we’re worse off than we were before-“

“What information did Slother give you?” Vaughn asked kneeling down beside Rory’s chair. He’d been listening to her and Zack’s conversation from the other side of the wall.

Rory blinked away a few tears and cast her eyes down at him. “Slother said his boss wanted to settle an old score, which doesn’t make sense because I’ve only been active in LA for a few months-“

“Jack Bristow?”

At the mention of their superiors name both Zack and Vaughn stood and the doctor approached them.

“Are you family?” The ER doctor asked crossing his arms over his blood splattered scrubs.

“We’re the closest he has to it. How is he?” Vaughn asked apprehensively meeting the doctor’s gaze.

“He’s alive. We managed to stabilize him for now, but he is going to need surgery very soon. Whoever gave him first aid until the paramedics got there probably saved his life”

Rory only half listened to the doctor as he explained Jack’s prognosis to Zack and Vaughn. Dixon arrived in the middle of it and much had to be restated. She tried to listen but the doctor’s words didn’t seem to register in her brain. All she could think of was Jack Bristow and the look on his face when he’d ran to her firing wildly at Slother, knocking her to the ground and saving her life. The feel of his blood all over her hands was burned into her senses and she would never forget the only word he’d uttered before surrendering to the darkness and slipping into unconsciousness. ‘Sydney.’

“We need to get him into surgery right away, but until we get the back up blood from Angel of Mercy Hospital, I can’t risk it.”

“Can we give any?” Zack asked.

The doctor shook his head. “Mr. Bristow’s blood type is rather rare O-Negative and he can only receive transfusions with O-Negative blood so unless you’re o-neg than I’m afraid not.

Dixon, Zack and Vaughn all shook their heads no. Rory looked up at them forcing the words out. “I am.”

“Your blood type is O Neg?” the doctor asked surprised and Rory nodded. “You’d be willing to donate?”

Rory nodded numbly. “Can I see him before the surgery?”

The doctor nodded and called two nurses over. “Take her to exam three and prep her for patient to patient transfusion and I want you to bag two liters. Call the OR and tell them we’re coming up.”

“Aurora are you sure about this?” Dixon asked.

Rory nodded silently, Dixon’s use of her full name made her cringe remembering how Slother had said it. Jack had saved her life and now she had a favor to return.

As the nurse wheeled her into the exam room Rory caught sight of Jack immediately. It was impossible to envision this once strong and seemingly invincible man laying ashen on a hospital gurney with machines keeping him alive. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she’d have never believed it. He’d risked his life to save hers and that risk she couldn’t understand. In the six days since this entire nightmare had begun she’d heard a lot about Jack Bristow and that information hadn’t been kind. He was a good agent, one of the best but he was also considered a cold and heartless SOB whose dedication to the job consumed his life. Rory was only a junior agent, expendable, but still he’d come into that building after her, without any back up or proper protection. It didn’t make sense.

Rory stood from the wheelchair and gripped the metal rails of the gurney. He looked so pale as if life itself had left his body. She reached out to his hand but pulled back hesitantly.

“You can touch him.”

Rory glanced up at the nurse who stood on the opposite side of the gurney monitoring Jack’s vitals. She smiled slightly. “Can he hear me?”

“Possibly. He’s been in and out of consciousness since he was brought in,” the nurse said coming around the side of the bed. She touched Rory’s shoulder reassuringly. “But he’s a tough guy, he is holding his own. Your grandfather has a fighting chance.”

“Oh, he’s not my grandfather,” Rory said surprised. “We’re not related at all.”

“Oh pardon me dear.” The nurse double checked Jack’s chart embarrassed and stumbling over her words. “You both have such a rare blood type I just assumed… I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Rory shook her head and looked back at Jack. “Mr. Bristow doesn’t have any family.” She reached out her hand to his and tentatively touched the tips of his fingers. They were so cold. Rory reached for the gold cross around her neck and unhooked the chain. She had never been a very religious person but the cross had been her mother's and it meant the world to her.

Jack’s eyes fluttered open as Rory stared at the pendant swinging before his eyes. She whispered a silent prayer and Jack mumbled something incoherent while trying to focus on the necklace. Rory threaded the chain through her fingers and dropped it into the palm of Jack’s hand. She closed his fingers around it forming a fist and closed her hands around his as if trying to warm his frigid skin. Leaning she pressed her lips to the cool skin of his cheek. “Thank you for saving my life Mr. Bristow,” Rory whispered fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

“He’s trying to say something,” the nurse noted leaning in closer.

Jack’s eyes flitted around for a moment trying to focus. He looked down at his hand and Rory’s blinking rapidly trying to clear the haze from his vision. His eyes locked on the cross and tried to speak but the words would not come.

“What is it Mr. Bristow?” Rory asked in a soft voice.

Jack tried again and this time was able to vocalize the words he wanted so desperately to be heard. “My Sydney.”

Rory stood straight and gently pulled her hands from his. “I’m really sorry Mr. Bristow, she’s gone.”

The doctor entered the exam room and instructed Rory to lay down on the bed next to Jack. The nurses quickly set about beginning the transfusion and before long Rory was staring at the thin plastic tubing that was filled with her blood and was travelling into Jack. She looked over at Jack; he was watching her too. His eyes remained locked on her face until the nurse injected him with a drug to put him to sleep and his eyes fluttered closed.

~ ~ ~

As Vaughn glanced at the clock he decided it must have been going backwards. He leaned forwards in his seat and gently rubbed his right thigh where he’d been hit with the tranq dart. He and Zack had been taken completely unaware as they retreated to the rendezvous point. They’d been shot with tranq darts from behind not even giving them a chance to warn the others. He looked over to Zack who was pacing the floor again. Rory had been gone for twenty minutes now and he was obviously worried about her.

Rory.

With chaotic circumstances of the past few days he hadn’t had time to really think about her. He’d worked closely with Zack and Rory to plan the operation and Jack had finalized every detail. He was pleased to find that Rory lived up to her reputation. She was extremely dedicated to her job, worked until every detail and possibility had been accounted for. Her linguistics and code deciphering abilities were the best he’d seen in years and there was a kindness to her, an innocence that she held onto.

She trained hard and long putting in more hours than most and Vaughn attributed part of that to her lack of a personal life. She didn’t seem to have any friends in LA. She lived by herself and took courses online so other than the few she’d made at work, she seemed quite lonely. He looked to Dixon for the third time in as many minutes. “Dixon?”

“Dixon?”

“Yes Vaughn,” Dixon turned slightly in his seat.

“Agent Summers does she…” Vaughn's voice trailed off unsure of how to broach the subject.

“Spit it out Vaughn.”

“Does she ever remind you of someone?”

“Are we speaking of someone in particular?”

Vaughn nodded. “Sydney.”

“I suppose there are some aspects of her that do resemble Sydney; in this line of work that’s not uncommon. Over the years there have been many agents that have reminded me of her.”

“More so than usual,” Vaughn sighed. “When I first met her, I almost thought she was Sydney.”

“Vaughn, Sydney’s been dead for twenty years. I’ll admit when I first met Summers, I did notice the resemblance, but that’s all there is, just a resemblance.”

“Right, that’s all there is.” He turned at the sound of Rory’s voice. The nurse was pushing her wheelchair into the waiting room.

“Rory are you alright?” Zack crouched in front of the wheelchair his face marred with concern, as she was as white as a sheet.

“She’ll be fine,” the nurse squeezed Rory’s shoulder slightly. “She’s just very weak right now. All she needs is some rest, a good meal and some time to build up her strength. We took a bit more blood than she could have handled due to her injury.”

“Rory?” Zack took her hand.

“I’m fine Zack,” she made a feeble attempt at squeezing his hand but it was useless, everyone could see how exhausted she was. “Mr. Bristow?” she asked the nurse.

“Oh he’ll be in surgery for a couple hours darling, you best just go home and get some rest, come back tomorrow, doctors orders. Mr. Bristow seems like one tough cookie, I don’t think he’s planning on dying any time soon. You just saved his life.” The nurse patted her shoulder and nodded to the men before leaving.

Zack stood and moved behind the wheelchair. “I’ll take you back to the safehouse.”

“No,” Rory shook her head in protest. “I want to stay until Agent Bristow is out of surgery.”

“Agent Summers,” Dixon stood reigning his authority. “Go home and get some rest, that’s an order. We’ll call when there is news.”

Rory knew better than to protest Dixon’s orders so she went with Zack. They rode home in almost complete silence. Zack attempted to get more information out of her, about what had happened with Slother, about what she’d supposedly done but it was of no use. Rory wouldn’t speak to him. In addition to not speaking to him every time he’d tried to touch her she flinched away. He couldn’t so much as take her hand or help her into the car, even though her injured leg made it impossible to walk unassisted. Even though she wouldn’t talk to him, or even acknowledge his presence, Zack watched Rory out of the corner of his eye the entire drive and he didn’t miss the tiny tears that were wiped from her eyes.

When they reached the safehouse Rory attempted to exit the car by herself, which quickly proved to be a mistake. Zack managed to get to her just in time as her leg gave way. Slowly he lowered her body to the ground. She was angry now. The tears had given way to pure frustration and cursing as she was denied the simplest of tasks.

“Wait for me,” Zack instructed and hurried to the front door. He unlocked it, opened the door wide and disarmed the security system. As he turned around he wasn’t surprised to see that Rory hadn’t waited for him. She was attempting to stand on her own.

Her attempts though well meaning were not successful and before Zack could get to her Rory slammed into the ground scraping her elbows and forearms on the brick walkway. She lashed out swearing and hitting the pavement with her fist in anger.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Zack scolded her falling to his knees. “There’s no need for that.” He caught her fist easily and scrutinized her scraped knuckles. One glance at her face told him that she was a lot worse off than she’d let on in the hospital and the fall had only furthered her exhaustion. Her head hung limply chin to chest as if the simple act of holding it up was impossible. He squatted beside her body and placed one arm behind her back and the other under her legs. “Arms around my neck,” he ordered.

Rory refused. “You’re not carrying me, I can walk.”

“No you can’t. Now stop being so god damned stubborn Aurora,” Zack was beginning to lose patience with her now.

Detecting the trace of anger in his voice, Rory obeyed and on the count of three Zack lifted her into his arms. It wasn’t exactly easygoing getting her into the house but Zack managed and then gently deposited her on the sofa. He immediately noticed the blood seeping through the bandage and her sweatpants and went in search of the first aid kit and a pair of his pants for her.

“I can do it.”

Zack ignored her request and placed a blanket over waist to give her some bit of privacy. “Hold onto my shoulders,” he instructed and grudgingly she did enabling Zack to lift her slightly and pull the blood soaked pants from her waist. He pulled the pants down over her legs before tossing them into a plastic garbage bag. He sat in front of her on the coffee table gently lifting her leg into his lap. Zack noticed Rory’s breathing begin to labor as he removed the bandages. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands fisted at her sides. “Hey,” Zack placed his hand on her upper thigh above the wound, his fingers slipping under the blanket. Rory opened her eyes and her hands relaxed slightly at the sound of his voice taking her mind off the pain. “I was thinking that in a few weeks when your leg is better, we should go to a Kings game.”

“That would be nice,” Rory smiled slightly knowing full well that it would never happen. Zack was her handler, which meant they weren’t supposed to be seen in public together.

“Yeah.” Zack moved his hand from her leg and held it out to her, “give me your hands.” He watched Rory curiously follow his instructions and retrieved a fresh pack of gauze 4x5’s from the kit. “This is going to hurt,” he warned her and firmly pressed the gauze against her wound.

Rory gasped at the sudden contact and immense pain that followed. She gripped Zack’s hand tightly and found herself looking into his eyes finding the dark depths rather soothing.

Zack didn’t break the contact of her eyes as he pressed the gauze even harder against Rory’s wound eliciting a cross between a cry and a whimper. “You popped a few stitches when you fell,” Zack said quietly explaining his actions, which were causing her severe pain.

Rory managed a nod and felt the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “Oh god,” her voice choked out marred by a sob and entire body seemed to shudder as Zack intensified the pressure on her leg in his efforts to stop the bleeding.

Stabilizing the level of pressure on her leg Zack decided it would be a good time to question her about their earlier conversation and take her mind off the current situation. “Rory, tell me what happened with Slother. You said that you did something, what did you do?”

“No,” she shook her head not wanting to relive any of those moments, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

“Rory please, talk to me.”

Rory avoided his gaze for a few moments until the increasing pressure on her leg forced her to speak. “Slother, he, he wanted me, that he made perfectly clear. You understand what I mean when I say he wanted me?”

Zack nodded slowly knowing exactly what she meant and that knowledge was creating disturbing thoughts in his head. If Slother were still alive he’d have certainly found the guy and beat the living felgercarb out of him even more so than Rory already had. He broke away from her gaze and pulled the gauze from her wound satisfied that the blood had slowed considerably. He dabbed at the area with antiseptic and placed a clean 4x5 on it before taping and wrapping it.

“I wanted to know why his boss wanted me, why me, and I sort of made him an offer.”

As Zack placed the final pieces of tape to secure the bandages his hand began to shake. What kind of offer could she have made Slother that would cause her to feel so ashamed? What could she have possibly done… As he looked up and saw her deep blue eyes fill with tears he realized what she’d done. “You said you’d sleep with him didn’t you?”

The tone of his voice sent shivers through her entire body and caused the tears to spill as she nodded, yes. Words were useless as the feelings and emotions of what she could have done betrayed her and in turn betrayed him.

Zack took the sweatpants he’d grabbed for and slid them up her injured leg and then the other. Gently he eased her leg back and stood leaning over her slightly. Knowing what he wanted Rory moved her hands to his shoulders and held tight as he took her by the waist helping her to stand before pulling the pants up and tightening the drawstring so they wouldn’t fall off. As they eased back down Zack quickly became aware of the tears in her eyes as they soaked through his shirt. Rory had rested her head at the base of his throat; her hands were locked around his neck and he had to gently pry them away.

Rory sat back on the couch and watched Zack busy himself cleaning up the bandages and first aid supplies. “Zack,” she reached out to him and caught his wrist but he pulled away quickly. “Zack, I know you’re a little angry, but please talk to me. Please just say something.” If his anger didn’t kill her, his silence would.

“Angry? I’m a little angry, just a little angry?” He nearly shouted at her and she shrunk back from his words. “God Rory, you told the guy you’d have sex with him. What the hell were you thinking?”

He was shouting now, far angrier and far louder than Rory had anticipated. Her chin started to tremble and her voice wavered as she began to cry harder. “I didn’t do it.”

“How could you even think about it? How could you even have considered it?” He crossed his arms over his chest and paced the floor in front of the couch.

“I just needed to know Zack. You have no idea what not knowing was doing to me.”

“Nothing is worth giving yourself like that Rory. Nothing.”

His hands were on her now as he spoke that last sentence, gripping her upper arms tightly as he spoke. With each word, his grasp seemed to get tighter and tighter and Rory suddenly felt quite scared. She had never seen Zack like this. She’d never seen him so angry. His eyes were so dark they seemed black and his face appeared to be contorted in pain, but he had no pain. “Please stop,” her voice was a quiet plead that he never heard.

“Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”

Zack’s hands were shaking and he let go of Rory, but not kindly. In his angered state, he didn’t know his own strength and in her weakened state she didn’t have any. As Zack released his hold on her arms, Rory’s head snapped back smashing against the hard top of the sofa. She winced at the contact, her face twisted in pain and her lungs trying to grasp any oxygen, but Zack didn’t seem to notice as he resumed his pacing.

“Do you have any idea what he could have done to you? How he could have hurt you? He could have raped you right then and there, taken away everything. Christ Rory, what the hell were you thinking? You have no idea what kind of a woman you are, what you do to men.” Zack turned away from her his shaking hands formed fists. He faced the wall and without warning he slammed into it breaking through the plaster. His knuckles were bleeding when he pulled them out and he leaned his forehead against the wall breathing deeply and trying to calm down. It was then that he noticed how quiet Rory had been during the last few minutes. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” His voice was still full of anger, but it was calmer now. “Rory?” he turned back to her and his heart nearly jumped into his throat. She was clutching the back of her head in pain, her mouth open in silent cries. Zack ran to her smashing his leg on the coffee table but he ignored the pain. “What is it?” he sat down on the coffee table and pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket ready to call for an ambulance. He quickly deemed the situation wasn’t serious enough to warrant a hospital visit and the phone fell from his hand as he leaned forwards. He reached out to touch her, but the look of absolute terror on her face as she recoiled from his touch prevented him from trying again. “It’s just me.”

She was scared of him.

It took a moment for the shock to register in his mind as he took in the situation. Rory was pulling away from him, her body shaking so badly and her face so white it made his stomach sick.

“It’s just me, it’s just Zack. Rory please I’m sorry I should never have yelled at you,” he whispered. His hand stretched out shaking slightly as he reached for her cupping his hand on the side of her face. She seemed to calm considerably and he stood slowly, removing his hand from her face and careful not to make any sudden movements that would scare her again. He sat to her left on the couch and slowly put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry.” He was surprised at how easily she relaxed into his touch.

“It’s not you,” she sniffed still trying to catch her breath. She didn’t tell him that he’d hurt her, it would have only made him angrier with himself. She was faintly aware of his right hand rubbing her shoulder gently and his left resting on her knees. She fiddled with the cuff of her sweatshirt touching his fingers slightly.

“Talk to me,” Zack said softly and moved his hand to tuck her head down on his shoulder before returning to its place around her shoulders.

“Byron,” she whispered into his neck, her cries now silent. “I knew he was the mole, but hearing him actually say it… he wasn’t at all the person I thought he was. He betrayed me. He sold my life for a profit.”

“Shhh,” he whispered close to her ear and continued rubbing her shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make the situation any better.

Rory continued to play with the cuff of her sleeve and drew the tips of her fingers across Zack’s hand. Slowly she took his left hand in hers, gripping it tightly and slid down on her right side onto the sofa taking him with her.

Zack didn’t protest. To be honest he wasn’t sure what to think as he lay on his side behind Rory on the sofa, his hand clutched tight in hers, wrapped protectively around her body and held to her chest. She adjusted slightly, pulling his arm tighter around her body and let out a small hiccuped sigh.

“Rory?”

“I just want to stay here for a while.”

Rory’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke and Zack propped his head up with his right hand watching as she ever so gently pressed her lips to his bloody knuckles. He didn’t feel pain, only the kindness he didn’t quite deserve as she kissed them better. She spoke again, barely above a whisper, utterly exhausted.

“If that’s okay?”

He didn’t answer her. Part of him knew he should have but instead he moved her hair aside and gently kissed her left cheek in response before settling down and pulling her tight against his body.
 
Hey everyone,
Illusion of Sin has been nominated in the Quarterly Fanfic Awards in the Work in Prograss category and Redemption has also been nominated in the drama category. if you're interested in voting for IOS or Redemption or any of the other fics that are nominated just go to QUARTERLY ALIAS FANFIC AWARDS to vote.
Erin
 
Great chap!

So Jack got hurt huh? Thats sad.

Rory was gonna give herself up just for information? Thats sad too.

I feel sorry for a lotta people in this fic. They seem to hurt so much.

Zach seemed kinda mean...but I guess he turned nice again :blush:

Nice bit at the end. :smiley:

Thanks for the PM, update soon ^_^
 
OMG, RORY WAS SO SAD THAT IT MADE ME FEEL BAD. LOVED THE FLUFF BUT WHAT IS UP WITH THE WHOLE SYD/RORY THING. THEY LOOK THE SAME AND RORY HAS THE SAME BLOOD TYPE AS JACK SO..........OMG I THINK I KNOW WHATS UP
 
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