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.