A/N: This is my first ever Alias fic, alright, so cut me some slack if I, as I undoubtedly will, screw up. Much thanks and, in case you didn't know, I own nothing, not even the title, that's a Flogging Molly song. -Sniff- Reviews are loved much, thanks!
The Disk. A small, insignificant floppy that held more value in just one square centimeter than the entire treasury of most first world countries. People would die for it, murder for it, even betray their best friend for merely the location of it. Only a select handful of people had ever known what was on it, and they had all been killed by now, but everyone knew it was important, everyone knew it was something they desperately wanted. Like the rubix cube of the computer crazed twenty first century, the disk was a puzzle that would lead the person to crack its code to a solution worth more money than a man could ever begin to imagine making in his lifetime. But with that knowledge came a price…
"Il conto, per favore."
Paolo, the young hotel attendant behind the desk snapped to attention at the voice of the woman in front of him. A Miss Catrina Silvia, American heiress to some fortune or another and enjoying the wonderful June weather like many of the tourists in Rome.
"Salve, Signora Silvia!" He greeted in the warmest tone he could muster. To be a part of this five star hotel, Paolo had been taught, each customer was to be treated as royalty. This was rarely difficult, as most of the customers were royalty, or as important as such. Besides, he noticed as he was printing out her bill that the young woman seemed hurry. Best to get her moving on her way as quickly as possible in a good mood.
"Parla inglese?" She asked politely as she leaned across the counter and twirled one of her short, curling locks of fair hair around her finger.
"Of course, madam." The man answered with a smile.
"Oh, thank god! Do you think you could help me?" Catrina inquired curiously as she passed over her credit card to pay, leaning further into the desk and whispering, "Do you see that man back there?"
Paolo leaned over and looked above her right shoulder at a husky man in a Hawaiian t-shirt and shorts who had just turned the corner into the lounge and seemed to be looking around for something and frowning.
"Yes, Ms. Silvia. Is he causing you problems?"
Catrina giggled, "Well, last night I went to the bar to unwind from shopping all afternoon, it kills your feet, you know?"
Paolo nodded politely as he handed her card back to her.
"Anyway, well," She giggled again and twirled her hair another time with her perfectly manicured finger, "Let's just say that I let myself get a little too friendly. Do you think you could, you know, let me out through the alleyway so I could meet my driver?"
Paolo blinked at the odd request as she turned her head to glance at the man and then back at him, "Miss Silvia, if he is causing you problems we can have him escorted from the building. There is no need-"
"No, no, that won't work. The paparazzi, you know, they're everywhere, they'd eat this up like a pack of sharks." She insisted glancing over her shoulder again as the man began to make his way over to the reception desk, "Please, quickly."
Paolo looked at the man and nodded, abashed at the thought of paparazzi thronging outside the hotel. He'd lose his job for sure.
"Of course, please follow me." He gestured to two of the security guards standing feet away from the desk, "Please make sure that man doesn't follow Miss Silvia on her way out."
Turning to the hallway that led out to the back entrance, he led the woman until he hit the door and then held it open to the sunny alleyway outside.
"Here you are, Miss Silvia, thank you for staying at the Piacere Suite, we hope you will join us again in the future. Shall I wait for your ride to arrive?"
"No, thank you, I'll be fine."
With a final nod goodbye, Paolo turned and went back in, closing the door behind him. He began to walk back down the hall, but paused only a couple of steps away from the door, listening. He could have sworn he heard the whipping sound of… a helicopter.
Frowning, he paused and then turned around, opening the door again. Miss Silvia was gone and there was no sign that she, or a helicopter, had ever been there. Shaking his head curiously, he shrugged and went back in to serve the other waiting customers.
From the helicopter now out of sight of the hotel, Sydney Bristow breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in the her seat, letting her eyes close and her body relax.
"Phoenix?" A voice buzzed in her ear.
"Mission successful." She answered without even bothering to open her eyes, "The names are CIA property now."
"Good work. We'll be waiting back in LA for a debrief."
"Sounds good." Sydney finished and pulled the ear piece out and set it on the seat next to her. Hopefully the debrief would be short and sweet and she could go home and finally get some sleep. That was the way it was when you were a spy for the CIA, and Sydney Bristow was one of the best. Moving so that she was sitting across both the seats, she closed her eyes and prepared for, if not sleep, than at least a good break as the helicopter flew back towards Headquarters.
Had she known then that for the next week sleep would be a luxury, she would have tried harder to get some on the plane, but really, no one could have predicted what would happen back at headquarters, not even a trained agent like Sydney.