A Life Like That

sorry for the delay. If you're still following this.... THANK YOU

Chapter 18 : Suspects

As Jennifer entered the house, she caught a glimpse of Eric and Nadia in the far corner talking to one of the Detectives. As the overwhelming smell of blood reached her nose, her attention shifted, to the dead body on the floor. Jennifer carefully walked around to the body avoiding stepping in the pool of blood surrounding the body. She kneeled down and took out a pen, using it to pull back the sheet covering the body, revealing the face of Lombardi. Jennifer’s eyes narrowed as she searched the face and saw the bruising and swelling of his lips, cheeks and eyes. Carefully examining the rest of his face, she took a mental picture of his nose and jaw, both of which seemed to be broken. She pulled back the sheet even more and noticed three large bullet wounds in the old man’s chest. She frowned and took out a rubbed glove from her jacket pocket and slipped it on. Ever so gently, she titled the man’s face towards her and noticed a huge gushing hole in the side of his chest so deep that you could see his brain matters. So that’s where all the blood is from… As Jennifer pulled back slightly and looked at how the old man was positioned, the Detective who had been talking to Eric and Nadia walked over to her.

“How did this man die?” Jennifer asked him, not even glancing up.

The Detective shrugged. “The body’s right there. You tell me.”

Jennifer grabbed the sheet and covered Lombardi with it once more while standing up and pulling off the rubbed glove. “What does the report say?” she asked, finally making eye contact with him.

“That he was shot…three times…in the chest. Death was instantaneous.”

Jennifer shook her head and looked over her shoulder as Nadia and Eric left. “What about them?”

The Detective turned around to see who she was talking about. “Them? They were first ones on the scene,” he said turning back to her.

“They weren’t already here?”

“No. They were on their way.”

“So who was here?”

The Detective pointed to the right of Jennifer at two other agents. “They were,” he replied.

Jennifer watched them closely, as the two agents the Detective pointed out, was talking to an officer. “Place them under arrest,” Jennifer said, while turning to leave.

“What?” the Detective blinked, unsure of he had heard Jennifer correctly.

“You heard me,” Jennifer snapped. She then pointed down to Lombardi’s body. “He didn’t die from the gun shots, nor did he die here. I want those two agents in cuffs, understand?”

The Detective nodded slowly as Jennifer walked back outside towards her car. As she began pulling out her keys, she walked past Eric and Nadia, who were standing outside. Without saying a word to them, she quickly got in the car, and drove away with one person on her mind…Julian.

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“What are we going to do?”

Jack looked up at Michael from his desk and frowned. “About what?”

“Sydney,” Michael exclaimed. “We can’t let her stay in there….”

Jack sighed. “Detective Rhodes has significant evidence against, Sydney. We cannot just simply go in there and…”

“Why not?” Michael interrupted. “Irina is still loose! We need Sydney.”

“We don’t need Sydney…” Jack’s frown deepened even more as he watched Michael closely, feeling his unease and growing anger and tension. “What did you find in that file, Agent Vaughn?”

For a moment, Michael said nothing. When he glanced at Jack and saw that he wasn’t backing down, he sighed and sat down across from Sydney’s father. “There were test results.”

“Tests?” Jack asked. “Of what?”

“Rambaldi’s mixtures, potions, fluids, artifacts…”

“The substance that was in that sphere in the Islands?”

Michael nodded. “Whatever was in that fluid has the ability to make any living think immortal.”

“You mean Sydney is…?” Jack gasped.

“Along with Irina,” Michael confirmed. “That’s how they both survived that accident. They were already infected.”

Jack thought for a moment, casting his eyes downward. Finally, he looked back up at Michael, “Is that why she’s been so detached?”

“I think so. She hasn’t feared anything or anyone because there was nothing to fear. But it doesn’t last. That’s why Irina wants the Horizon.”

“So she can stay immortal?” Jack asked. With one more nod from Michael, Jack sighed. “Then we have to take action. We cannot let Irina get her hands on the Horizon.”

“We can’t just send anyone against Irina,” Michael protested. “We need a plan.”

Jack shook his head. “No, we have to stop her. And for that we need Sydney.”

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

Just as Julian poured himself a glass of wine he heard the front door open, then slam shut. Just as he raised the glass to his lips he saw Jennifer enter the room. Seeing the look on Jennifer’s face, Julian couldn’t help but smirk.

“Work was tough today, huh?” he mused.

Jennifer just stared at him for a moment, anger seething through her. She had to resist the urge to punch him right then and there. “You think this is funny?” she choked out. “You murdered an innocent man!”

“Well, yeah. That’s what ‘take care of him means’,” he chuckled. “Besides…he was hardly innocent.”

Jennifer slammed her purse on the table causing Julian to wipe the smirk right off his face, surprising him. “Dammit, Julian!” she shouted. “I am being frackin serious!”

“Will you relax?” he said, standing up. “What are you, pms-ing or something?” Jennifer sent Julian a glare. Ooh. If looks could kill… “Just calm down, alright?” he said, quietly and slowly approaching her. “Everything is going according to plan. You’re doing wonderfully. Just keep this up, and she’ll be back with you in no time,” he assured her.

Jennifer shook her head but relaxed her stance and Julian breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t keep doing this,” she told him.

Julian set his jaw and looked at Jennifer square in the eye. “You better,” he warned. “Or you know what will happen.”

“I have done everything you asked!” Jennifer cried. “I’ve gotten Sydney out of the way. I let you kill Lombardi. I gave you the remaining artifacts that the CIA had. What more do you want?” Jennifer exclaimed.

“Look, we…I…just need another day, okay? One more day…then you’re home free. You’re out. You two can be together and move out of the country for all I care.”

Jennifer averted her eyes to the floor and bit her lip, then slowly nodded. “Fine,” she whispered.

Julian smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s my girl,” he whispered back.
 
I'm so glad Sydney's immortality isn't permanent. I can't imagine it being a good thing, at least not under her conditions.

Jennifer is such a mystery, I like the character!
 
is it a kid or something?!?! why is jenn working for sark (besides the sex lol)

and syd's not immortal! yay! then she wont have to suffer wtching vaughn die... which better not happen for 60 years
 
Chapter 20 : Behind Every Man...


It was one emotion which she held strongly, especially after all the given events that she had succumbed to in the past few weeks…anger. Her face burned from the vicious backhand that she had received early for doing what she did best…being a smartass to those who wanted something from her, without asking nicely. Her wrists were red and bruised as a result her hands begin tied tightly to the chair. Even though she continued to struggle to get free, it didn’t work much to the pleasure of her subjugator. She looked around in the dimmed light at the bare walls until her eyes were fixed on the door once again. The only door, the entrance and the exit in which she needed to escape through. The man who had tied her up smiled at her once more and moved across the room, grabbing a chair in the far chair, and dragging it in front of her. He sat down and leaned close to her to where he could smell her perfume.

“Ms. Bristow,” he said. “Perhaps if we started over again, under better terms, yes?” he suggested. “From the beginning.”

Sydney only glared at him, a million different thoughts on how killing him most adequately, suddenly crossed her mind. But Sydney shook them away. Her time was running out and she couldn’t afford to waste anymore time. On the other hand, she loved how easily the bad guys became pissed off.

“Ok,” Sydney finally agreed. “I was born in a hospital and my parents, Jack and Laura Bristow named me Sydney Anne Bristow. I learned to walk when I was two; I ate on my own by three and rode my first bike when I was five…”

The man’s smiled quickly faded. “Don’t get smart with me!” he shouted.

Sydney shrugged, showing no emotion. “You said to start from the beginning…I did.”

The man quickly controlled his temper and his smile slowly crept back on him. “How did you escape, Ms. Bristow?”

“Why does it matter?”

“It matters to me because you could have some information I want,” he explained.

Sydney’s eyes flared and she nodded, understanding. “You mean, Milo Rabamldi?”

The man nodded. “Specifically.”

Sydney smiled softly once more and chuckled. “What is so god damn funny,” he asked quietly. “Do you have a death wish?”

“If you wanted to kill me, you would have,” Sydney commented. “Besides, Milo Rabamldi…has never existed.”


Sydney felt something warm, a liquid of some sort, running down to her temple. Blood, she thought. She winced, thinking of the blow she took to the head, from the lead pipe her captor hit her with. It even smells like blood too… The man continually paced back and forth taking in the information, Sydney believed. Sydney watched him closely making sure she focused on something so she wouldn’t pass out. Finally the man stopped pacing and turned towards her, his expression unreadable.

“So what you’re telling me is that Rambaldi has never existed?” he asked.

“From what we gathered, yes,” Sydney answered, fighting off the dizziness.

The man stared at her for a few seconds then broke into a smile. “I don’t know why,” he chuckled. “But I don’t believe you.”

“Why would I lie to you?” Sydney questioned.

The man’s face froze. “That’s bullshit!” he unexpectedly yelled, pulling out his gun. “You’re frackin lying!”

Sydney heard the gun go off and closed her eyes. She quickly reopened them and saw the man leaning in close to her with the gun aimed right at her temple. He missed…

“I’m going to give you one last chance,” he whispered, cocking the hammer. “One. Last. Chance.”

Sydney’s eyes met him and she paused before saying, “Bite me.”

The man’s nostril’s flared and he stepped back preparing to fire when the door was kicked in forcefully. The man’s head snapped around and in the same instance that another gun went off. Sydney stared in complete shock as her captor fell to the floor dead. What shocked her even more was that Jennifer was standing at the door way with her gun in front of her. Sydney couldn’t find any words to say to her. Instead she watched as Jennifer placed her gun in between her belt and lower back and went to untie Sydney.

Sydney breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure on her wrists and ankles were released. Jennifer stood in front of her and looked at her injuries. “You’re hurt pretty bad,” she responded, touching the wound on Sydney’s temple.

Sydney winced and swatted Jennifer’s hand away. “I’m fine,” she said fighting off more dizziness.

Jennifer frowned and pulled out another gun, this one from her holster, and gave it to Sydney. “Here.”

Sydney took the gun and raised an eyebrow at Jennifer. “Why are you doing this?”

Jennifer offered her hand and helped Sydney to her feet. “We’ve been on the same side,” Jennifer said. “It just took me awhile to realize I was going about it the wrong way.”

“What do you mean?”

Jennifer sighed. “Julian Sark,” she said ignoring the look Sydney gave her. “He works for your mother who works for the Covenant.”

“Julian?” Sydney whispered.

Jennifer nodded. “Look, it’s a long story and we don’t have time.”

Just as Jennifer went to leave Sydney grabbed her arm. “No. I need to know everything and I need to know now.”

Jennifer matched Sydney’s glare with one of her own. “Fine, you start. What happened to you and Irina on that island?”

Sydney released her arm and sighed. “I went there to stop her from unleashed what they called Rambaldi fluid. With it, she could bring Rambaldi’s endgame about. We started fighting and the sphere which held the fluid ruptured. Luckily, for most, the island was evacuated-“

“But you and her were trapped,” Jennifer finished.

Sydney nodded and bit her lip. “Rambaldi’s endgame…his secret, discovery…was immortality.”

Jennifer’s eyes widened. “So all that bull about him…?”

“For all we know was true,” Sydney answered. “Now you…spill. Why were you working with Julian?”

“To get you out of the way,” Jennifer answered shortly.

“Why?”

“So that Irina would have the horizon…”

“No, I mean why work with him?”

Jennifer sighed and turned away from Sydney. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Sydney’s eyes flashed in anger. “The hell I wouldn’t!” she yelled turning Jennifer towards her.

Just as Jennifer opened her mouth to speak, they heard gun fire in the distance. Forgetting about their conversation, both women rushed out of the room and Jennifer took a peek from the corner, looking down the hall way. She turned back and took off the safety on her gun. “Five men,” she told Sydney.

Sydney nodded. “This isn’t over,” she told Jennifer.

Jennifer nodded as well. “If we live through this…I’ll tell you everything you want to know.

“I’m holding you to it,” Sydney replied, and at that moment she took a deep breath, then both leapt from the corner and began firing.


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Michael stopped in the middle of the hall and listened carefully as Jack looked at him.

“Do you hear that?” Michael asked.

Jack nodded. “Sounds like gun fire.”

Michael nodded then froze. “Sydney,” he whispered, before running towards the gun fight.


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The tires screeched as the car came to a sudden stop. Nadia shut the engine off and jumped out of the car as Eric did the same. Nadia noticed the unmarked Town’s Car and the Van sitting in front of the building as she made it over to Eric. “Are you sure about this?” she asked.

Eric nodded and took out his gun. “I’m fine,” he assured her. After a moment of Nadia staring at him intently, Eric nodded his head and flashed her a grin. “I’m fine…really.”

Nadia nodded and pulled out her own gun and rushed inside the building. She just hoped she wasn’t too late.
 
ooo, what happens next?! sorry i haven't been replying. school has been overwhelming. i just caught up on everything though, so i'm good to go. keep up the good work!
Aliaschick347
 
i just got all caught up with this story... its good.. and now who we know who the "she" is intresting.. but what is Jennifers connection to sark?? that is the burning question
 
What happened to chap19? I just read this from the beginning (fantastic work by the way) and the chapters skipped from 18-20. The chapters didn't make sense so I went back and check. No #19.

ANyway, I like it. Please PM me when you update!
 
Hey, this is a great story! I found it yesterday and just finished it. Are you going to keep writing it? Can you let me know if you do? Thanks!

It really does suck to discover that Jennifer was working for Julian how was working for Irina who runs the Covenant. That's just nuts! I hope they figure it out. Would Jack be Death??? Hmm...I'll just have to wait and see.
 
.....I forgot what chapter this is... TITLE; Back Again


Leading with her gun, Nadia crept around the corner, with Eric flanking her right side and taking cover from the rear. The further she went, the more dead bodies they stepped over.

“What the hell happened in here?” she heard Eric mutter.

All Nadia could do was shake her head and continue on, following the trail of the bodies and blood.


Jennifer quickly jumped to the other side of the door and leaned against the wall. Inhaling deeply, she reached in her pocket and changed out magazines as Sydney leaned against the wall as well, catching her breath. She slowly looked at Jennifer.

“You gonna tell me now?” Jennifer glanced at Sydney and shook her head. “I’m a lot more understanding than you give me credit for.”

Jennifer snickered. “Is that so?”

Sydney shot her a smirk. “Well, my mother is trying to us. Kinda have to be.”

Jennifer chuckled and loaded her hand gun before sighing deeply. “They took my daughter.” Sydney’s eyes widened, processing the information. Jennifer had a daughter…the whole time? Sensing her registered shock and confusion, Jennifer looked at her. “The Convenant took her because I refused to help them.”

Sydney blinked. “I’m sorry.”

“If we survive this,” Jennifer replied, getting ready to kick in the door. “You can extend all your apologies that you want.” Sydney nodded. “Right now I just want to get her back, alive.”

Sydney nodded once more and without another glance, Jennifer stepped forward and Sydney shot three bullets in the sides of the door frame and Jennifer brought her leg up and kicked it down. As bullets started raining down on them, both women fired back, Jennifer moving to the left and Sydney to the right, and taking cover. Irina had many guards, at least a dozen, and within the first minute, both women took them out.

When Sydney noticed that the gunfire had stopped, she glanced over at Jennifer, and slowly stood up. In the middle of the room, Irina stood, smiling at Sydney. Beside her, was Sark, with a little girl, not more than eight, standing in front of him. Seeing the girl, Jennifer rushed up. “Katy!”

“Ah-ah,” Julian smirked, pulling out his gun and pressing it against the girl’s forehead. Jennifer stopped, but raised her weapon at Sark as well. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said coyly.

Sydney walked near Jennifer, her weapon aimed at her mother, as she noticed that Irina wore a necklace around her neck, one that had a glowing red jewel hanging from the end of it. Irina’s smile never faded.

“What’re you doing here Sydney?”

Still with her weapon aimed at her mother, she answered, “You know what I’m doing here.”

“You’re too late,” Irina said simply, looking down at the necklace. “I’m already a part of Rabamldi.”

Sydney shook her head. “No…it doesn’t last.”

“Not for you. But with this necklace, I will forever remain immortal.”

Sydney smiled this time. “Is that what you really want?” she asked. “For all those you know, and even love, to live their lives out and pass on while you stay on this earth?”

Irina’s smiled slowly faded. “It doesn’t have to be…I have enough for you. And Nadia.”

Sydney shook her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” Irina blinked in confusion while Sydney started her mother down. “You’re not walking out of here with that thing. You’re not getting away with it. I destroyed your machine once…I’ll take care of the rest as well.”

Irina looked at her daughter, disappointed. “I’m sorry you feel that way then, Sydney.”

Without realizing it at first, Irina raised her weapon and fired at Sydney. She dove out of the way as Jennifer ducked, seeing Julian grab Katy and ran out of the room. Screaming for her daughter, Jennifer jumped up and gave chase as Sydney fired back at her mother. Nearly hitting her, Sydney watched as Irina shot back at her and went out the back door. While firing back, she gave chase.


Seeing Julian run down the hallway, Jennifer picked up her pace. Sark glanced behind him and fired several shots at her as she took cover behind a wall. Taking a peek, she saw them disappear into another hallway and she took off after them once more.

As Sark ran down the flight of stairs, he tucked his gun away and picked up Katy, throwing her over his shoulders as he heard Jennifer coming from behind her.

“Julian!” she screamed.

As she hit the bottom floor, she ran in the direction that Sark and her daughter went. Focusing on them, she didn’t see the other woman, who took advantage and put out her arm, catching Jennifer in the throat, and knocking her down onto her back painfully. Jennifer looked up and immediately recognized the woman as Anne Espinosa. Anna smirked at Jennifer and kicked her in her head, causing Jennifer’s neck to whip back.


Sydney jumped two stories off of the balcony from the office building, giving chase to Irina. Once her feet hit the ground, she paused and looked around, losing sight of Irina. Hearing a door close, she took off in the direction of the sound. Seeing a door cracked open, Sydney, leading with her gun, slowly approached it. Glancing into the darkness, she slowly extended her left arm and opened the door slowly, peering inside. Hearing something, she looked up as Irina jumped on top of her. Sydney gasped as she grabbed Irina, breaking the fall, as her gun slipped from her grasp. Her mother hit Sydney and she in turn threw Irina off of her. Jumping to her feet, she reached for her gun, but Irina recovered faster and kicked the gun away, grabbing Sydney, and with strength Sydney never knew Irina had, lifting her up and slamming her against the wall, then threw a glass window. As the glass cut Sydney all over her body, she groaned as Irina kicked her in her stomach, causing Sydney to double over, trying to catch her breath.

Sydney heard her mother’s foot steps walking away from her. As she slowly rose to her feet, regaining her balance, she saw Irina walking back to her, her weapon in hand. Sydney’s eyes widened as Irina lifted the weapon and pointed it at her daughter.


Jennifer ducked Anna’s kick and blocked a punch, throwing on of her own, catching Anna in the jaw by surprise. Jennifer lifted her gun up, but Anna hit her hand, knocking the weapon away as it slid across the floor. She then backhanded Jennifer across the cheek. She hit the floor on her left knee and Anna then kicked her in her right leg, sending her down to the floor with a cry. As Anna tried to kick her again, Jennifer rolled to the side and kicked Anna under her legs. She fell to the ground with a grunt as Jennifer stood up and ran to her weapon. Anna regained her composer quicker than Jennifer believed however, and grabbed the woman by the hair and shoved her head into the wall. Bringing her back, and attempting to hit her head against the wall a second time, Jennifer lifted her leg, blocking Anna’s attempt, and brought her elbow back, catching Anna by surprise, and releasing her grip. Jennifer spun around and punched Anna, three times, before grabbing her hair and bringing her head down, and her knee up, breaking her nose.

Anna cried out in pain and staggered back as Jennifer bent down and picked up the gun. Anna’s eyes widened as Jennifer squeezed the trigger.

But nothing happened.

Jennifer’s eyes widened as she tried again. Click. The magazine was empty and Anna smirked at Jennifer. She threw down the gun but not before Anna kicked her in the face, sending Jennifer to the ground, her cheek now bleeding. As she looked up, she saw Anna leaning over her, looking down at her, ready to deliver the killing blow. Then she heard two gunshots. Anna’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Jennifer’s eyes widened as Anna fell, dead, her empty eyes staring up. She blinked as she looked up and saw Julian standing there, his gun in front of him. He slowly lowered it as Jennifer stood up and Katy came from behind Julian, running towards her mother. Jennifer cried as she wrapped her arms around her little girl.

“I missed you Mommy.”

Jennifer sobbed, but laughed, stroking her daughter’s hair. “I missed you too baby.”

She looked up as Julian watched them, tucking his gun away, and looking at the dead body of Anna Espinosa.


“I warned you,” Irina said softly as Sydney stared at her. “I told you to leave this alone.”

Sydney shrugged, refusing to show her fear towards her mother. “Guess I’m just not a good listener.”

Irina let out a chuckle. “No…truly Jack’s daughter.” Sydney heard voices….shouting her name. She closed her eyes and clutched her fists as her mother shook her head, water forming in her eyes. “I truly love you, Sydney.”

Before Sydney could reply, Michael, Nadia, Eric and Jack all rushed in, their weapons leading them, as Irina discharged her weapon.
 
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