A/N-It might seem slow to get to the point, but relationships are not forged with hasty writing and seem too uncharacteristic. Not only that this has a big plot and although I was flattered to receive messages asking me where I may take this story with Sylvia's future pregnancy mentioned in the summary-such a feat won't show up for a few chapters yet where the big secrets of the plot begin to unveil. All in all, please review. It helps me write and thank you for those who have reviewed. I do like to hear your opinions, criticism or praises to help me write this better. Simply encouragement is also good. Thanks everyone :).

Catch myself
From despair
I could drown
If I stay here

Out of Reach-Gabrielle

Chapter Six- Extortion

Sylvia's mood was morbid and full of obscure thoughts as she was transported to Jacksonville Family Inn across the city. The car she was selected to ride in with Raymond Leon and a fellow Time Keeper was inconspicuous so as not to draw any attention that might make its way to William Salas's ears. A back up team would be on standby.

She suppressed a sigh, but that didn't stop the feeling of pessimism snake its way all around her body. It was the type of feeling you had when you were caught doing something bad. What did they call that feeling? She wasn't sure, but she knew when said person was caught, the initial thought was 'fuck.' In other terms the feeling was when someone had found out you had betrayed them. Like guilt. It made the body feel lethargic and hopeless. With Sylvia it made her stomach feel like a bottomless pit. She had not meant to betray William, but it seemed their endeavours were at an end.

Reluctantly she had to admit that those Time Keepers were smooth in the way they worked. Threatening her with torture was one thing, but also threatening to kill her family was another. She did not want her family to get punished for her own transgressions. Especially not her mother. At first she hadn't believed their coercive tactic, but their seriousness of the issue and the lengths they were willing to go to-to get results -became abundantly clear when a call from the head of the secret police had stated that the government was ready to execute the operation at a moment's notice. Cover ups were easy to handle. The media would be told her parents had committed suicide at not being able to bear the thought of their only daughter now being a wanted criminal.

In light of this, Sylvia didn't know where to turn because if she gave in then all the struggles she and William had gone through would have amounted to nothing. For some odd reason, Raymond Leon was kind enough to let her think it through and in the end she decided that her own selfish ego about her struggles amounting to nothing were minimal in comparison to the government ordering the death of her parents. She had swallowed her pride and told them everything she knew and had complied whole heartedly with their demands.

She only wished it was William who got off scot free from this simply under house arrest for a few years. Not her. For what she had done, she deserved to die. The car reared into the parking lot and Sylvia was grabbed gently from the wrist by Raymond and escorted to the Inn. It had been prepared for the undercover operation. With a heavy heart, Sylvia followed him inside.

William held the binoculars to his eyes as he surveyed how well the Inn was guarded with its various and well placed 'hidden' operatives. They were waiting for him and were determined not to bodge this mission, but it left William Salas feeling faintly on edge. The government must be chewing on the tips of their fingernails seeing as a mere young man from the Ghettos had a million years in his keeping with the intent to destroy the economic system.

But that didn't account for the apprehension he felt in conflict . The only reason he was apprehensive now was because he would actually have to outsmart several trained covert ops, Time Keepers and secret force policemen. While he had outsmarted time keepers, minute men and security guards before, a lot of it came down to their underestimation of him, his knack for speed and wit from being bred in slum trash and finally bribery. People would do anything for more time.

However these little tricks were not going to work so well here. They were well aware of what little games him and Sylvia had played so this rescue operation was going to have to go be taken to a whole new level. It was a good thing he came prepared.

Fixing the dark leather coat that Time Keepers usually wore, he checked his gun holsters, for under his stolen uniform, he had several along with two grenades embedded in his pockets. If he actually pulled this off and saved Sylvia, he wouldn't be surprised if the next label on them would be 'terrorists.' Regardless of that fact, he couldn't help the feelings of anxiety that slightly made him nauseated. This would label them as definite murderers and after all their time running from the law, they hadn't had to kill many people apart from Fortis's henchmen. Too bad the man himself had survived the confrontation in the motel that night.

Ignoring that, he focused on the task at hand. Sylvia…

His throat ached when he thought of her. He wasn't sure how much coercive force they used on her to get her to the point to betray him, but it must have been pretty persuasive or something violent. Because he knew Sylvia would rather die than betray him even if it cost her a million years. He hadn't actually expected them to bring her to the Inn, just call him from their headquarters, but it seemed they were painfully aware that even though he was from the Ghettos, he was not an idiot.

Sylvia was going to have a gun held to her head if they caught him without her father's heirloom and they were counting on him revealing its whereabouts to them in return for her life. The bastards he thought with vehement fervour. Well, they were about to find out that he had more confidence in his abilities then they had in their own. Gingerly, he placed on the dark wig and sun glasses and pocketed the false ID. While Sylvia and he had been bribing their way into her father's workplace, William had felt the need to cultivate himself several contacts. Contacts that had helped him gather his bearings in a situation like this on such short notice.

It was a plan that had borne some fruit and when he got Sylvia out of this, he'd tell her all about it. For now though, all he could do was prepare for what was ahead.

It was show time.

Sylvia sat quietly by the desk. The place had been filled out with security, but quietly. They wanted William to walk into the very room she was staying in, in order to have a 'little talk.' Sylvia scoffed at the idea not understanding why they were wasting time, but she figured there was some sort of ulterior motive to all this. Something that she was missing. It didn't matter anyway. She was to answer the phone if he called. Sylvia was hoping that rather he didn't even show up.

"A call has been forwarded to the front desk asking if a Camilla Milligan has checked in." Sylvia felt her stomach flip and closed her eyes in pain. So much for that.

"Send it in. Be ready to answer Miss Weis." She sat silently ignoring the scrutinizing glances Time Keeper Jaeger threw her way. It seemed he had travelled to Jacksonville at the request of his Time Keeping superior and she would bet her whole inheritance that these squinting looks were out of malevolence. She was getting out of this a free woman after all and it probably set his teeth on edge. Leon on the other hand seemed quite unperturbed with her clemency from officials. It was William he was hell bent on getting and with vague resentment she wondered why. She was just as guilty as William herself!

"Sylvia?" William's voice rang out true and clear. Her thoughts were immediately on him. How was she going to live with herself after all this? "William," she said as cheerfully as she could although even to her, it didn't sound believable. "Are you here?" She mumbled hoping he didn't take note of the trepidation in her voice. "Yes, I'll be there in a moment. Any trouble?" Sylvia swallowed hard consciously aware of Raymond Leon's close proximity to her and his finger on the hang-up button. She knew that was just in case she decided to scream a warning to him, but they had enough leverage against her to prevent that.

"None at all. Just lonely here without you." Jaeger stifled a snort and Sylvia couldn't help but throw him a dirty look. Asshole. Raymond touched her shoulder and raised his brow. 'The time capsule?' he mouthed to her. "Anyway, is the time capsule safe?" William was silent a moment too long on the other side of the line. "Yes it is safe. I'll be there in a few minutes don't worry," he said and hung up.

Sylvia didn't bother commenting on how cold and uncharacteristic he sounded. It meant he suspected something and she hoped it gave him enough vigilance to run away. Raymond Leon in return ended the call and moved away from her. "I think we can assume that he didn't come here with the time capsule at all as I suspected. He is on to us," he commented to his fellow Time Keeper. Sylvia straightened up in her chair.

How could he possibly deduce such a thing from a telephone conversation that didn't hint at such? "It seems you will be of more use to this mission after all. I was right to bring you here." Sylvia swallowed hard as her mind in some sort of psychosomatic epiphany began to piece together what all this meant. And when it did, her eyes widened in astonishment. This was Raymond Leon's plan and his alone. His perception skills were something to be marvelled at.

She reflected on his words. 'I think you mean a great deal to him actually.' While her parents had been leverage for her cooperation, she herself was going to be the leverage for William to give up and he would have to choose between her life or their cause.

"You bastard!" She screamed at him standing up from her position, but before any move could be made to restrain her, everything began to rumble like a big earthquake had hit, making the windows rattle violently and lamps as well as other trinkets fall from tables and other confined spaces.

Except it was not an earthquake because all of them knew that sound.

A bomb had gone off.