And you are?
CHAPTER ONE
"Will you step back!"
The young TA hurriedly stepped back against the door to let Sydney get past, she sent him a withering glare as she walked past him to get to her office. They'd got back off their latest relic hunt two days earlier and, it hadn't gone well; her inexperienced teaching assistant had almost got them both killed…And they'd come away empty handed. She'd told him quite clearly Jonathan don't touch the lever" in his haste to actually do something right, he'd touched the lever. Broke it actually; the three hundred-year-old decoy had crumbled in his hand the walls had started to close in around them they had no choice but to run leaving the precious relic behind. Still on it's pedestal in the deep cave that could be found in the depths of Venezuela, if it didn't mean wasting a plane ticket Sydney would've left him in the jungle with no regrets. He was the sixth assistant in the past month, and Karen was sick of seeing potential boyfriends being kicked out. She knew Sydney was unconsciously weighing them up against Nigel, and when Karen thought about it Nigel's standards were pretty high.
He was really intelligent, could sit for hours maybe even days in front of his computer deciphering age old texts, and he had an adorable British accent to boot; he'd never almost got Sydney killed either which helped.
They hadn't spoken since the phone call one month earlier in which Nigel had confirmed he was leaving; Sydney had been teaching when her ex-assistant had come to collect his things and she'd been mad when she heard she'd missed him. Or so Karen had heard she hadn't exactly stuck around to see Sydney when she was told; she could imagine the reaction.
Sydney poked her head around the door of her office and looked around for the Texan, "Jonathan I'd like to see you in my office" she said smiling politely.
"Yes ma'am" he said as he pushed back his chair, he straightened his shirt and saw out of the corner of his eye, Karen giving him a reassuring smile.
Sydney sat behind her desk drumming her fingers on the wood as she waited for him to sit down, "Look Jonathan, you've been…An asset to me in the office but in the field…You're clumsy, you almost got us killed, a couple of times actually. And I can't work properly while I'm wondering what mess you've got into…Jonathan you're fired".
Karen watched through the office blinds, it was admirable how she could say all that with a smile, or without reaching across the table and strangling the poor guy. She ran back to her seat as she heard the door opening, "I'm sure you'll find other work" she said as he left.
He just nodded solemnly and slowly walked out.
"Karen do you still have the list of unseen applicants from last week?"
"Yeah I'll get them"
Sydney smiled appreciatively then ducked back into her office, Karen quietly reached for phone and dialled.
"Hello?"
"Hey, did you get Nigel to reconsider coming back yet?"
"No. Why is there another opening?" Siobhan asked.
"Yeah she just fired Jonathan…Poor guy he didn't even last as long as the last one" Karen added laughing quietly. It wouldn't do to have Sydney hearing about her plan to get Nigel back, she wouldn't admit it to anyone but Karen knew she'd be grateful for the help. "So has Nigel got another job yet?"
"Not one that he likes" the young woman told her, "Nigel's coming back".
"Okay I'll talk to you tomorrow", the click on the other end of the line told her Siobhan had put down the phone and Karen did the same as Sydney walked out.
"Who was that?"
Karen shrugged attempting her most believable innocent face, "Just a wrong number", she didn't wait for Sydney to reply she left muttering something about dinner on her way out.
* * *
"Who was that?" Nigel asked Siobhan the same question Sydney had asked Karen moments earlier.
"No one".
"You know…" Nigel began as he put a pile of books on the glass coffee table in front of him, "I used to have a dog that after it had chewed on my shoes wore a very guilty look…The same guilty that's on you're face right now".
"Okay" Siobhan said as she stood up "I admit it…I just maxed out you're credit card buying clothes for my first year at Trinity".
"You know I could just redial the number and find out for myself", he said mischievously as he reached for the phone.
Siobhan cringed as he redialled.
He waited for the person to answer on the other line.
"Hello? Sydney Fox speaking".
Nigel's voice caught in his throat.
"Hello? Who is this?"
He put down the phone and slowly turned to face his very guilty looking sister, "Why did you call Sydney?"
"I didn't I spoke to Karen --".
The phone rang and they both jumped at the sudden sound, "Nigel, aren't you going to answer that?"
"Okay…" neither of them moved. "Oh right" he laughed nervously as he picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"Nigel hi…Did you call?" great work of course Nigel just phoned why else would he be on the phone.
"Um yes just um wondering how things were…At work".
Siobhan sneaked into her own room to listen in on the conversation on the other phone.
"Great! My new assistant he's amazing he came to me about a week after you left and hasn't left since" she lied.
Nigel couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice "Oh well it's good that you found someone".
"Well he's alright not as good as my last assistant though".
"I've got to go someone's at the door" he knocked on the wall for emphasis almost falling off the couch as he reached out.
"Oh okay it's good to hear you again" she said before putting down the phone.
"She meant you!" Siobhan shouted out as soon as she heard the line go dead, she hurriedly closed the door as she heard Nigel coming towards her room.
"I can't believe you were listening!"
"Oh come on you were glad you spoke to her".
Nigel had to admit he couldn't argue with that.
* * *
The phone rang almost immediately after Sydney had put it down, "Nigel?" the was a pause on the line and Sydney realised her mistake "Who is this?"
"I need you to find the Peruvian jewel".
Sydney didn't hesitate in saying yes, she needed to clear her head anyway, "Where shall I meet you?"
"I need you to come to New York first I have my maps there and still need some time to study them and I need your help…I'll meet you near gate four at JFK…Will you be bringing you're assistant?"
"Regrettably no".
"Can you get here by Wednesday?"
"I'll leave right away".
"Perfect" Tristan couldn't keep the happiness out of his voice.
She put down the phone and set about leaving, alone.
* * *
"So she will definitely be on her own?" a deep and husky voice asked.
"That's what she said…How will you get her to help us?"
"That's for me to know Samuel" he said gleefully as he eyed the yellow liquid in the vial before him "Something I cooked up myself and Miss Fox will be the first to test it".
TBC…